Donbass Arena, Football stadium in Donetsk, Ukraine
Donbass Arena is a football stadium in Donetsk, a city in eastern Ukraine, that shows an oval form with glass panels along its outer walls. The structure holds over 52,000 seats arranged across several levels that offer clear views toward the pitch.
Construction began in 2006 and ended three years later with the opening in August 2009. A Turkish construction firm led the project and employed more than a thousand workers to complete it.
The venue's name joins the traditional coal region label for eastern Ukraine with the term for a modern sports arena. Until 2014 it served as the center for local club matches and major concerts that brought people together from across the region.
The site includes parking space for more than a thousand vehicles as well as several restaurants and cafés. Two large screens display footage during events for spectators across all sections of the stadium.
Beyoncé headlined the stadium's opening night on 29 August 2009, her first performance in Ukraine; she sang Halo in memory of Michael Jackson, whose birthday fell that day. The date was chosen to coincide with Miners Day and Donetsk City Day.
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