The
Smart Araneta Coliseum, known as
The Big Dome is an indoor multi-purpose
sports arenaAn arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
located in the Cubao area of
Quezon CityQuezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
,
PhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It is the largest coliseum and indoor facility in Asia, and with one of the largest clear span domes in the world.
Its basketball league tenants include the
National Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, and the
Philippine Basketball AssociationThe Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
.
History
In 1952, J. Amado Araneta purchased a 35-hectare property in Cubao that is now the
Araneta CenterThe Araneta Center is a 35-hectare commercial area in Quezon City, Philippines. Araneta Center Inc. , controlled by the Araneta family, is the owner, developer and manager of Araneta Center, which brings in an estimated 1 million visitors daily...
from
Radio Corporation of AmericaRCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
(RCA). The property, which includes the
Araneta familyThe Aranetas are influential Filipino family that originated from Gipuzkoa, the Basque region of northern Spain. The name is derived from the Basque word "aran" meaning valley, with the suffix "eta" denoting a "place of" .-Origins:...
home, is bound by Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue, Aurora Boulevard, P. Tuazon and 15th Avenue.
Construction of the Araneta Coliseum was started in 1957 and finished in late 1959. From 1960 to 1963, the Coliseum received international recognition and was recognized as the largest covered coliseum in the world. Today, it remains one of the largest clear span domes in the world and the largest indoor facility in
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
with a dome diameter of 108 meters. It occupies a total land area of almost 40,000 square meters and has a floor area of 23,000 square metres.
The coliseum opened on March 16, 1960, with
Gabriel "Flash" ElordeGabriel "Flash" Elorde was a Filipino professional boxer. He was born and raised in the town of Bogo, Cebu....
boxing for the World Junior Lightweight crown from
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Harold GomesHarold Gomes is a former professional boxer. He fought 60 times between 1951 and 1963; winning 50 and losing 10...
. General admission then was 80 centavos and the reserve section was five pesos.
Among the notable events to take place at the arena were the 11th and 34th FAMAS Awards, the 1975 "
Thrilla in ManilaThe Thrilla in Manila was the third and final famous boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier for the Heavyweight Boxing Championship of the World, fought at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on October 1, 1975....
" boxing match between
Muhammad AliMuhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
and
Joe FrazierJoseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....
, and the annual
Binibining PilipinasBinibining Pilipinas is the organization responsible for sponsoring the annual national beauty pageant which selects representatives of the Philippines to Miss Universe and Miss International, among others.-History:...
beauty pageant. The
Philippine Basketball AssociationThe Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
(PBA) has played about a thousand games at the Araneta Coliseum as of 2008. Other basketball events hosted by the arena were the
1978 FIBA World ChampionshipThe 1978 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Philippines from October 1 to 14, 1978.Rizal Memorial Coliseum at Manila and Araneta Coliseum at Quezon City, Metro Manila were the venues for the event.-Venues:...
, a game between the
1978 NBA champions-Series summary:Bullets win series 4-3-Game 1:The Bullets, behind Kevin Grevey's 27 and Elvin Hayes's 21 points, held a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter at the Seattle Center Coliseum. But, the Sonics staged a comeback in front of the home crowd, led by "instant offense" guard Fred Brown...
Washington BulletsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
and a PBA selection in 1979, and the 1982 Asian Youth Basketball Championship where the Philippines defeated China in the final.
In the third quarter of 1998, the Aranetas and Pilipinas Shell (local arm of
Royal Dutch ShellRoyal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
) started negotiations for a
naming rightsIn the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
deal that would have lasted until 2008. The Aranetas, who wanted to retain their name at the arena rejected proposed name "
Shell Coliseum at the Araneta Center". Instead, the parties agreed on signage contract where Shell's name and logo will be painted at the arena's basketball court, a move that was almost shelved due to objections from other PBA teams (Shell owned the
Shell Turbo ChargersThe Shell Turbo Chargers is a former Philippine Basketball Association team under the ownership of Pilipinas Shell Corporation. Shell has been a member of the PBA since 1985 until 2005 when the team filed for a leave of absence after the season. Shell sold its franchise to PBL team Welcoat Paints...
team then in the PBA).
In July 1999, the coliseum underwent its first major renovation at the cost of P200 million. The coliseum was reopened on November 20, the same year. The major changes made to the coliseum is the renovation of the lower box area, replacement of seats for the patron and lower box sections, and installation of a four-sided center hung scoreboard. In 2003, a LED display was added on the scoreboard.
From 2001 to 2008, the highest grossing event at the arena is the boxing fight between
Manny PacquiaoEmmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...
and
Oscar LariosÓscar Larios is a professional boxer from Mexico and former WBC Super Bantamweight and Featherweight champion. He is trained by Jose "Chepo" Reynoso.-Boxing career:...
, earning 96.2 million
pesosThe peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
. A concert by
WestlifeWestlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
was attended by 17,887 people and earned 18.5 million pesos, while a
Cliff RichardSir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
concert earned 17.2 million despite being watched by 5,647 spectators.
On December 2010, the coliseum management installed a giant LED screen nicknamed the "Big Cube" to replace their old scoreboard system that was installed during the 1999 renovation. This screen is much bigger than the former LED scoreboard with a size of 22.22 square-meters. During sporting events, the Big Cube will project everything from stat-video splits, full scoring mode, or full video mode. It can likewise display ticket information from RSS feeds via an internet source. It was used for basketball for the first time during the semifinal round of the 2010-11 PBA Philippine Cup on January 5, 2011.
Prior to the Ultimate All-Star Weekend in July 2011, it was announced that the Aranetas entered into a
naming rightsIn the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
deal with
Philippine Long Distance Telephone CompanyThe Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company commonly known as PLDT, is the largest telecommunications company in the Philippines. PLDT is also the largest company in the Philippines, ranked 1138th in the April 2009 update, and 1080th in the April 2010 update, of Forbes' Global 2000 list...
, renaming the arena into "
Smart Araneta Coliseum". The deal was for five years and includes improvements the arena such as the installation of escalators to improve access in the upper box and general admission areas, and the construction of a parking lot that can accommodate up to 2,000 cars.
Sports Usage
The arena is primarily the home arena for the
Philippine Basketball AssociationThe Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
and the UAAP basketball leagues. The facility has also hosted the 1975
Thrilla in ManilaThe Thrilla in Manila was the third and final famous boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier for the Heavyweight Boxing Championship of the World, fought at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on October 1, 1975....
, 1978
FIBA World ChampionshipThe 1978 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Philippines from October 1 to 14, 1978.Rizal Memorial Coliseum at Manila and Araneta Coliseum at Quezon City, Metro Manila were the venues for the event.-Venues:...
, and the 2007
Philippines World Pool ChampionshipThe 2007 WPA Men's World Nine-ball Championship was the 18th annual international nine-ball pool tournament for men sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association . It was held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines from 3–11 November 2007...
.
It annually hosts every PBA Basketball Championship,
NCAA Basketball ChampionshipThe National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament is held every first semester of the academic year . Each year, eight schools vie to win the two championships: the Juniors and Seniors...
as well as UAAP Basketball Championship.
The coliseum is one of the three arenas as the main home of the PBA, the other being the
Cuneta AstrodomeCuneta Astrodome is an indoor sporting arena located in Pasay, Philippines. It is better known as the home of the Philippine Basketball Association from 1993, when it left the PhilSports Arena, then known as the ULTRA, until 1998...
and the
Ynares CenterThe Ynares Center is an indoor sporting arena located in Antipolo, Rizal, Philippines.The arena was built at a cost of P350 million. The coliseum was constructed in a 5-hectare lot located at the heart of the City of Antipolo. This is the current landmark in the province where PBA games and big...
.
Also the coliseum is one of the two arenas as the main home of the UAAP, the other being the
PhilSports ArenaThe Philippine Institute of Sports Arena or PhilSports Arena is an indoor sporting arena located inside the PhilSports Complex in Pasig, Philippines. It was formerly known as the University of Life Training and Recreational Arena or the ULTRA. The arena and its surrounding sports complex are...
, when it use the coliseum by PBA and other events.
Other events
It also hosts many non-sporting events, such as concerts, shows, graduations, seminars,
Disney on IceDisney On Ice is a touring ice show produced by Feld Entertainment under agreement with The Walt Disney Company. Aimed primarily at children, the shows feature figure skaters dressed as Disney cartoon characters in performances that each derive their music and plot from elements collected from...
, the circus, and beauty pageants.Some notable international performers include country singers
Taylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
as part of her Speak Now Tour,
Kylie MinogueKylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
as part of her Aphrodite World Tour on July 5, 2011,
Kelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
as part of her All I Ever Wanted World Tour on May 1, 2010,
Avril LavigneAvril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
,
AkonAliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
,
Michael BubléMichael Steven Bublé is a Canadian singer. He has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. His first album reached the top ten in Canada and the UK. He found worldwide commercial success with his 2005 album It's Time, and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible was...
and
Lady GagaStefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
. The coliseum also houses Korean artists like
Super JuniorSuper Junior is a South Korean boy band. Formed in 2005 by producer Lee Soo-man of SM Entertainment, the group comprised a total of thirteen members at its peak, and was once claimed to be the world's largest boy band...
's Super Show-the first Korean to perform in the
arenaAn arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
,
2NE1Both the song and the group became popular online: Fire topped Mnet's online chart and 2NE1 became a popular search term. The group was awarded three Cyworld Digital Music Awards; "Lollipop" and "Fire" both won "Song of the Month" and the group won "Rookie of the Month" for May 2009...
and Beast.
K-PopK-pop is a musical genre consisting of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music originating in South Korea...
group
U-KISSU-KISS is a South Korean boy band formed by NH Media in 2008. The members of the group are Soohyun, Eli, Kevin, Dongho, Kiseop, Hoon and AJ . Alexander and Kibum became former members, when their contracts were terminated in early 2011,The group has released two full-length albums, five extended...
also had their concert at the big dome and later released into a
concertA concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
DVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
dubbed as
U-KISS 1st Kiss Tour in Manila DVDFirst Kiss Tour in Manila DVD is a live performance of the Korean boyband U-KISS held at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines. The event was taped and was released on April 2, 2011 as the U-KISS First Kiss Tour in Manila DVD on three selected malls in the Philippines...
. It was the first time that an international artist released a
concertA concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
DVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
featuring the coliseum.
Local artists also play at the coliseum including the biggest concert of an Asian artist for the past 25 years and a two-night sold-out concert by
Regine VelasquezRegina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez , better known as Asia's Songbird, Regine Velasquez, is a Filipino singer, actress, record producer and TV host...
entitled
R2K The Concert in April 2000. It also houses
Martin NieveraMartin Ramon Razon Nievera is a singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the main hosts of musical variety show ASAP on ABS-CBN-Early life:...
,
Gary ValencianoEdgardo Jose Martin Santiago Valenciano , better known as Gary Valenciano or Gary V., is a Filipino musician. He is also dubbed as Mr. Pure Energy. He has released 26 albums, and won the Awit Awards for "Best Male Performer" 11 times. In 1998, he became UNICEF Philippines first national Ambassador...
,
Ogie AlcasidHerminio Jhay Alcasid, Jr., more popularly known as Ogie "Eric Ordoñez" Alcasid , is a Filipino singer, songwriter, composer, television presenter, comedian, parodist, actor, and entrepreneur.-Recording career:...
,
APO Hiking SocietyThe Apolinario Mabini Hiking Society, later popularly known as Apo Hiking Society or, simply, Apo, was a Filipino musical group. The group had its fledgling beginnings in 1969 at the Ateneo de Manila high school, with thirteen members: Lito de Joya, Sonny Santiago, Gus Cosio, Renato Garcia, Chito...
,
Sarah GeronimoSarah Asher Tua Geronimo is a Filipino recording artist, actress and dancer. Geronimo started her career appearing in children's variety shows such as Pen-pen de Sarapen, Ang TV and NEXT...
,
KylaMelanie Hernandez Calumpad Alvarez , better known by her stage name Kyla, is an R&B singer, songwriter, producer, TV host, and occasional actress from the Philippines....
,
NinaMarifil Niña Girado , better known by her stage name Nina, is a Filipino pop/R&B singer, occasional songwriter, record producer, TV and radio personality. She made her recording debut in 2002 after signing a recording contract with Warner Music Philippines...
,
Vice GandaVice Ganda is a Filipino comedian, host, actor and recording artist. He is a regular host/judge on ABS-CBN’s talent show Showtime and starred on his two films, one of which considered as the highest-grossing film in Philippine cinema....
and a lot more.
The Big dome is also the venues of different talent search finales, like
Pilipinas Got TalentPilipinas Got Talent is a Philippine talent show on ABS-CBN that began February 20, 2010. It is based on the Got Talent franchise, a British TV format conceived and owned by Simon Cowell's SYCO company. "Pilipinas" is the Filipino word for Philippines. Anyone can join and showcase their talents...
,
Philippine IdolPhilippine Idol was the first franchise of Idol series in the Philippines, the 35th country in the world to air a national Idol franchise and the sixth in Asia. The franchise was first awarded by FremantleMedia, 19 Entertainment and CKX, Inc. to Associated Broadcasting Company in 2006 and then to...
and
StarstruckStarStruck is a Philippine over-all talent competition airing on GMA Network. It debuted on October 27, 2003, and has since become one of the most popular shows on Philippine television....
.
Attendance records
On August 20, 2008, 22,902 people jam packed the coliseum to watch the seventh and final game of the
2008 PBA Fiesta Conference FinalsThe 2008 Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Conference or known as the 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference for sponsorship reasons, is the last conference of the 2007-08 PBA season. The tournament began on March 29 with a game between the Coca-Cola Tigers and the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals at...
series between
Air21 ExpressThe Barako Bull Energy is a Philippine Basketball Association team that began in 2002.Barako Bull is owned by Energy Food and Drinks Inc., a subsidiary of the Linaheim Corporate Services, owners of the defunct Laguna Lakers of the Metropolitan Basketball Association...
and
Barangay Ginebra KingsThe Barangay Ginebra Kings is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 1979 and owned by the Ginebra San Miguel, Inc., a subsidiary of the San Miguel Corporation...
. This record currently stands as the game with the largest attendance after the Crispa-Toyota rivalry period.
The 2008 UAAP Samsung Cheerdance Competition attracted a record breaking crowd of 23,448 people.
Notable events at the Araneta Coliseum
Sports events
- 1960 Gabriel Elorde
Gabriel "Flash" Elorde was a Filipino professional boxer. He was born and raised in the town of Bogo, Cebu....
vs. Harold GomesHarold Gomes is a former professional boxer. He fought 60 times between 1951 and 1963; winning 50 and losing 10...
- 1975 Thrilla in Manila
The Thrilla in Manila was the third and final famous boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier for the Heavyweight Boxing Championship of the World, fought at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on October 1, 1975....
- 1978
The 1978 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Philippines from October 1 to 14, 1978.Rizal Memorial Coliseum at Manila and Araneta Coliseum at Quezon City, Metro Manila were the venues for the event.-Venues:...
World Basketball ChampionshipThe FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...
- 2007 Philippines World Pool Championship
The 2007 WPA Men's World Nine-ball Championship was the 18th annual international nine-ball pool tournament for men sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association . It was held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines from 3–11 November 2007...
- 2011 Smart Ultimate All-Star Weekend
Regular events
- PBA
The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
Basketball: elimination round (selected games), Playoffs (selected games), PBA Finals
- UAAP Basketball: Opening Ceremonies, Regular Season (selected games), UAAP Cheerdance Competition
The UAAP Cheerdance Competition is an annual one-day event of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines for cheerleading. However, it does not count in the tabulation to determine the UAAP Overall Championship....
, Final Four and UAAP FinalsThe University Athletic Association of the Philippines holds its basketball tournaments from July to October of a calendar year.The tournament is divided into two divisions, the Seniors' division, which is further divided into the Men's tournament, for male collegiate players, and the Women's...
- NCAA Basketball: Opening Ceremonies, NCAA Semi-Finals and NCAA Finals
- Binibining Pilipinas
Binibining Pilipinas is the organization responsible for sponsoring the annual national beauty pageant which selects representatives of the Philippines to Miss Universe and Miss International, among others.-History:...
(annually)
Entertainment events
- FAMAS Awards of the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences:
- The 11th FAMAS Awards on April 14, 1963
- The 34th FAMAS Awards on May 18, 1986
External links