Etihad Arena
Basket-woven waterfront arena whose grand debut played to an almost empty pandemic bubble crowd.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi opens on its January 2021 debut, when nearly all eighteen thousand seats sat empty for a global television audience. It traces the construction delays that pushed the opening from March 2020, the naming-rights sale to Etihad Airways, and the sealed pandemic bubble Abu Dhabi built for a UFC rematch broadcast to millions of screens. Look up at the woven, basket-like shell from outside before you take your seat.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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