Donetsk ‘Olympic Games’

DONETSK, Ukraine -

- Grand Opening of Donbass Arena Stadium Gets the “Olympic” Treatment and Stars Beyoncé

The Grand Opening ceremony of the new 50,000 capacity Donbass Arena will start at 20:00 local time, on 29 August in Donetsk (Ukraine). The Donbass Arena will become the new home of FC Shakhtar - the 2009 UEFA Cup Winners. Moreover, the Arena, which is the first in Eastern Europe to be designed and built to UEFA five star standards, will host the group stages, quarterfinals and semifinals of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championships which will be jointly hosted by Ukraine and Poland.

The eye-catching stadium was designed by a British company Arup Sport, which was the creative and inspirational force behind ultimate European arenas, such as Manchester City’s City of Manchester Stadium (Great Britain) and Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena (Germany). The Donbass Arena’s design is the brain child of Arup’s internationally-renowned British architect, Jay Parrish, and his vision is crystallized in the building’s glazed facade, soaring roof, dramatic lighting scheme and elegant landscaping. The total project budget was USD 400m.

The stunning Grand Opening ceremony has been prepared by the Italian agency, K-Events, which is vastly experienced in organising major international events (including Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the XX Olympic Winter Games in Turin, 2006, and, the XVI Mediterranean Games in Pescara, 2009). Apart from the spectacular group choreography and the unique pyrotechnic extravaganza, the major highlight of the show will be the performance of the iconic US star - Beyoncé Knowles.

After the opening, Donbass Arena will become a multi-functional sports, cultural and business centre for the city and the region. In addition to being able to host future Champions League and Europa League finals, the stadium can be adapted for different types of shows, conferences and fairs. On a daily basis visitors can enjoy stadium tours; visit the FC Shakhtar museum, where one can mine a rich seam of the club’s history; shop at the largest stadium-located NIKE store; work out at the fitness centre, and relax at a number of luxury restaurants with panoramic views, as well as enjoy numerous bars and a fans’ café. The Donbass Arena also has a state-of-the-art Media Centre and is equipped with comfortable corporate boxes.

Stadium-related photographs and video footage can be found at:

donbass-arena.com/en/

Source: Donbass Arena LLC

Andriy Babeshko, Head of The Media Centre of Donbass Arena LLC
a.babeshko at donbass-arena.ua, Contact phone +38-067-5433325