Community of Madrid Sports Centre

The Madrid Sports Palace stands in the Salamanca district, replacing a 19th-century bullring demolished in 1934. The circular concrete building opened in 1960 with space for up to 16,000 spectators. It hosted Real Madrid basketball from 1986 to 1998 and Estudiantes from 1987 until the 2001 fire left it in ruins. Architects Enrique Hermoso and Paloma Huidobro designed the rebuilt arena in High-Tech style, completed in 2005. The new interior can seat 15,000 for basketball and 15,500 for concerts. It has hosted EuroBasket 2007 knockout stages and will stage the EuroLeague Final Four in 2029. Visitors enter through the retained Plaza de Salvador Dalí facade. Inside, the oval bowl adapts to different sports with telescopic seating. The arena’s concrete curves contrast with the surrounding grid of Goya and Felipe II streets. From the upper concourse, views stretch across Madrid’s rooftops to the distant mountains.