Saitama Super Arena

Lore & Background

While the arena is famous globally for hosting Pride Fighting Championships from 2003 to 2006 and New Year's Eve martial arts events since 2001, it also holds a unique place in anime culture. Various anime projects, including 'Love Live!', have featured live performances at this venue. This connection is reinforced by the sheer scale of the arena, which hosts massive gatherings for groups like Momoiro Clover Z and Nogizaka46. The venue's history as a site where thousands gather—whether for the final rounds of school idol festivals or major combat sports finals like UFC 144 on February 26, 2012—cements its status as a stage where significant cultural moments are realized.

Reader's Guide

Visitors should note that the Saitama Super Arena is the only Japanese arena equipped especially for American football. For sports fans, it served as a home for basketball competitions at the 2020 Summer Olympics and hosted World Figure Skating Championships in 2014, 2019, and 2023. The venue has undergone significant renovations, with the first beginning on December 1, 2015, and a second starting January 13, 2026. Fans of combat sports can trace the lineage from Pride (2003-2006) to Rizin Fighting Federation, which has held events there every New Year's Day since its inaugural event on December 29 & 31, 2015. The arena also remembers its former resident, the John Lennon Museum, which closed in 2010.

Did You Know?

• Green Day recorded parts of their live album 'Awesome as Fuck' at this venue, among other locations.
• Yuzuru Hanyu's second solo tour, 'Echoes of Life,' is scheduled to take place at Saitama Super Arena on December 6, 7, and 9, 2024, with his 30th birthday falling on December 7.

Architectural Innovation and Design Origins

Designed by Dan Meis (then at Ellerbe Becket) alongside Nikken Sekkei, the arena's layout was chosen via an international design competition. Its defining feature is a gigantic movable seating section that allows capacity to shift between 19,000 and 22,500 for the main arena, up to a maximum of 36,500.

A Global Hub for Combat Sports

A favorite venue for puroresu and MMA, it hosted Pride from 2003-2006, Yarennoka! in 2007, and the Dynamite!! series (2008-2010). UFC returned to Japan here on February 26, 2012. Notable boxing bouts include Naoya Inoue's victories over Nonito Donaire in 2019 and 2022.

International Sports Milestones and Olympic Legacy

The arena hosted the 2000 NHL games between Nashville and Pittsburgh, NBA regular-season games in 2003 (Seattle SuperSonics vs. LA Clippers), and the 2006 Basketball World Championship knockout stage. It also featured in the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Cultural Icon for Music and Entertainment

The venue has hosted WWE tapings in February 2005, including a 'Kimono Match' between Torrie Wilson and Hiroko Suzuki. Countless music acts have performed here, from Japanese legends like B'z and Ayumi Hamasaki to international stars like Madonna and Metallica. Anime live events include 'Love Live!', 'Uta no Prince-sama', and 'The Idolmaster'.