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Araneta Coliseum

The Araneta Coliseum, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Smart Araneta Coliseum, is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena that is part of the Araneta City in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines. Nicknamed as "the Big Dome", it is one of the largest indoor arenas in Asia, and one of the largest clear span domes in the world. The dome measures approximately 108.0 meters (354.3 ft) making it the largest dome in Asia from its opening in 1960 until 2001 when it was surpassed by the Ōita Stadium in Japan with a dome measuring 274.0 meters (899.0 ft).[8]

Full name

Smart Araneta Coliseum

Araneta Coliseum Cinema, Philippine Coliseum, and Shell Coliseum

Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila

14°37′14″N 121°3′12″E / 14.62056°N 121.05333°E / 14.62056; 121.05333

Metro interchange Araneta Center-Cubao
Metro interchange 3 Araneta Center-Cubao
Bus interchange  51  53  61  Farmers Plaza
Bus interchange  3  LRT 2-Gateway Mall
Bus interchange UBE  Araneta City Bus Port
Bus interchange  1  Cubao

1,500 parking spaces (Araneta City Parking Garage South)[1]

Progressive Development Corporation

United Promotions, Inc. (Uniprom)

Basketball: 14,429[2]
Concert: 9,679[3]
Boxing: 15,895[4]
Full house: 16,035[5] to 20,000[6]

25,000–36,000[7]

ADSystems 4-side LED display (Big Cube), OES ISC9000 Controller, and Homeworks Trading timer

1957

1958

March 16, 1960 (1960-03-16)

1999
2014
2023

₱6 million (1958)

Dominador Lugtu

The Smart Araneta Coliseum is mostly used for indoor sports such as basketball and volleyball. It is a main venue of the Philippine Basketball Association[9] and for the basketball games of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines throughout various game seasons. The Big Dome is also used for other sports and events such as boxing, cockfighting, local and international concerts, circuses, religious gatherings, and beauty pageants.[10]

Architecture and design[edit]

The Araneta Coliseum is an indoor arena designed by Dominador Lacson Lugtu. The sports venue has a large span dome with a diameter of 108 meters (354 ft) as its roof.[14] The dome is 37 meters (121 ft) high at its highest point.[26] The structure is supported by 48 concrete columns and 48 metal ribs.[27] It has a floor area of 2,300 square meters (25,000 sq ft).[14]


Richard de Leon of Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific did the steel framework of the venue – 4,965 aluminum sheets of gauge measuring 7.3 by 1.2 by 2.4 metres (24 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft) was devised. Steam-treated wood from a variety of Philippine hardwood such as apitong, tanguile and narra fitted using tongue and groove was also used as support.[27]

Noontime show also used the coliseum for some special events such as its TV special Eat... Bulaga!: Moving On on February 18, 1989, and its 10th anniversary on September 23, 1989, in ABS-CBN and Eat...Bulaga!: The Moving held on January 28, 1995, on its new home, GMA Network.

Eat Bulaga!

It also serves as a venue for different reality show finales, including , Pilipinas Got Talent, Philippine Idol, Starstruck, and Artista Academy (which held its one-time grand audition[43] at the coliseum).[44][45][46]

Pinoy Big Brother

The Coliseum is also home to the annual Christmas special since 2008, which is typically held on the second Tuesday of December, except in 2014 (due to Typhoon Ruby) and 2020, 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.

ABS-CBN

The Coliseum has hosted the Grand Finals Night from 2012 to 2017,[47][48][49][50][51][52] and the Wish 107.5 Music Awards (WMA) annually every January since 2016 (except in 2020 where it was held in the Mall of Asia Arena instead).[53] However, as the coronavirus pandemic began to spread across the country in early 2020, events across the Araneta were postponed/cancelled to prevent further spread of the disease. The venue later resumed hosting events through the 6th Wish 107.5 Music Awards. However, due to the protocols imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the event was held without any live audience.

A Song of Praise Music Festival (ASOP)

The Coliseum annually hosts the , a music fan convention and concert that celebrates Pinoy pop music and culture.

PPOPCON

The Araneta Coliseum in 2010

The Araneta Coliseum in 2010

The Araneta Coliseum, along with the Gateway Food Park, taken from the entrance of Eurotel, now Hotel Dreamworld in 2012

The Araneta Coliseum, along with the Gateway Food Park, taken from the entrance of Eurotel, now Hotel Dreamworld in 2012

The Smart Araneta Coliseum, taken from the MRT Araneta Center–Cubao station in 2014

The Smart Araneta Coliseum, taken from the MRT Araneta Center–Cubao station in 2014

The Red Gate facade Araneta Coliseum in 2018, with the construction of the Gateway Mall 2 in the foreground and the Gateway Mall and Gateway Tower at the background

The Red Gate facade Araneta Coliseum in 2018, with the construction of the Gateway Mall 2 in the foreground and the Gateway Mall and Gateway Tower at the background

The view of the Shopwise-Smart Araneta Coliseum crossing in 2019

The view of the Shopwise-Smart Araneta Coliseum crossing in 2019

The view of the Coliseum from the Lower Box level, during the 2021 PBA season between the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the Magnolia Hotshots. The rivalry between the teams is often known as the Manila Clasico

The view of the Coliseum from the Lower Box level, during the 2021 PBA season between the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the Magnolia Hotshots. The rivalry between the teams is often known as the Manila Clasico

Araneta City

Smart Araneta Coliseum official website

Araneta Center official website