Nokia Arena: Austria play in the world’s most modern arena

The brand-new and spectacular Nokia Arena in the heart of Tampere. Photo copyright: SRV/Libeskind/Tomorrow

Image info: The Nokia Arena in Tampere – a jewel box for ice hockey. Photo: ÖEHV

The ice hockey city of Tampere, internationally renowned not only since the introduction of the Champions Hockey League, is picturesquely situated in south-western Finland on a narrow isthmus between two lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. With around 241.000 inhabitants, Tampere is Finland’s third-largest city after Helsinki and Espoo.

Around 180 kilometres separate the “sauna capital of the world” from the capital, Helsinki. Tampere is the sauna capital because there are more than 50 public saunas in the region, making it a wonderful place to relax. Not so, however, for Austria’s national-team players, who have to play seven matches in nine days in the World Championship preliminary round and will work up quite a sweat even without a sauna.

But Tampere has more to offer than simply sauna visits. The lake district makes this area a wonderful region for hiking and cycling. Those wishing to holiday here can rent beautiful wooden houses by the lakes in summer, while outdoor activities are highly popular in and around Tampere. The university city also has plenty to offer culturally, with Finland’s largest open-air theatre located in Pyynikki Park.

The city’s two theatres are also an important part of Finland’s arts and cultural scene. With Tampere Hall, Tampere has northern Europe’s largest concert and congress centre. It is home to the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra – one of Finland’s two fully fledged symphony orchestras. Music lovers can enjoy several festivals, with annual and biennial music festivals including the Tampere Jazz Happening, the Tampere Vocal Music Festival, the Tampere Beatles Happening and the Tampere Biennale.

Visitors may also be interested in the numerous museums at Museum Vapriikki. For ice hockey fans, the main attraction is the ice hockey museum, the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame, which showcases the history of Finnish ice hockey.

Speaking of ice hockey: the city’s sporting flagships are the two ice hockey clubs Tappara and Ilves, the two most successful clubs in Finnish ice hockey history. Since December 2021, both Tappara and Ilves have played their respective home matches at the World Championship venue, the Nokia Arena, which is currently regarded in specialist circles as the world’s most modern ice hockey arena.

During the A-WM from 13 May to 29 May, the Nokia Arena will host all Group B preliminary-round matches featuring Austria, Sweden, USA, Czechia, Norway, Latvia, Finland and Great Britain. In the final stage, the Nokia Arena will host two quarter-final clashes, both semi-finals, the bronze-medal game and the final.

13.500 fans can attend ice hockey in this brand-new jewel box, which also hosts concerts and other major events. According to the operator, up to one million visitors are expected at the 50.000 square-metre site in a “normal” event year without an Ice Hockey World Championship. In addition to the main arena, Nokia Arena offers a hotel with 273 rooms, 70 of which naturally have a private sauna, an international casino, numerous restaurants and several event facilities.

Central Deck and Nokia Arena were designed by star architect Daniel Libeskind and built above the tracks of the Finnish railway in the city centre. This is an advantage for fans, as the main railway station is not far from the arena, making it very easily accessible by public transport. The arena’s modern centrepiece is the large LED cube, while the digital ribbon boards and ice projector also provide an exceptional ice hockey experience via a live media system. Real-time data such as shot speed, video clips and numerous other features are displayed on the LED components.

One thing is certain: it will not only be Austrian fans who experience an ice hockey celebration of the highest calibre in Tampere. Austria begin against Sweden on Saturday, 14 May, at brunch time at 11:20. Live on ORF Sport +.