Sant Jordi

Lore & Background

The Palau Sant Jordi was one of the main venues of the Summer Olympics hosting the artistic gymnastics, handball, and volleyball events. It also hosted the rhythmic gymnastics events. Today, it is used for a variety of indoor sport events as well as for concerts and other cultural activities, due to its great flexibility.

In Their Own Story

The Davis Cup final, the 89th edition of the most important tournament between nations in men's tennis, saw Spain face Australia. Over three days, from 8 to 10 December, the arena's 17,960 seats filled with fans witnessing Spain claim their first Davis Cup title. The victory was decisive: Spain defeated Australia, securing the trophy on home soil. The arena later hosted another Davis Cup final between Spain and the Czech Republic, where the Spaniards again triumphed 5–0. Beyond tennis, the arena has transformed for swimming events: during the FINA World Championships, a temporary regulation swimming pool was installed inside the venue, allowing it to host world-class aquatic competitions. The same role was played for the FINA World Championships a decade later, when Barcelona hosted the Championships again after 10 years.

Reader's Guide

The arena was the venue of the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics. It was the venue of three EuroLeague Final Fours. It also hosted the EuroBasket, from the quarterfinals on, and the Copa del Rey. The final of Davis Cup was the 89th edition of the most important tournament between nations in men's tennis. Spain defeated Australia at Palau Sant Jordi on 8–10 December, giving Spain their first title. The arena also hosted the finals of Davis Cup between Spain and Czech Republic with the victory for the Spaniards 5–0. Palau Sant Jordi was the main venue of the FINA World Championships. A temporary, regulation swimming pool was installed for the occasion. It played the same role for the FINA World Championships, since the city of Barcelona hosted the Championships again after 10 years. It was one of six sites that hosted the World Men's Handball Championship including the final. It was also one of six sites to host the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. On 5 October, the arena hosted an NBA preseason game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and local team FC Barcelona Regal.

Did You Know?

• The arena opened in 1990, not 1991 as some sources claim.
• It hosted artistic gymnastics, handball, volleyball, and rhythmic gymnastics at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
• It was the largest indoor arena by capacity in Spain upon its inauguration in 1990, but has since been overtaken by venues like the Bizkaia Arena (BEC).