Wikipedia

SM Mall of Asia Arena

The SM Mall of Asia Arena, also known as the Mall of Asia Arena or the MoA Arena, is an indoor arena within the SM Mall of Asia complex, in Bay City, Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines. It has a seating capacity of 15,000 for sporting events, and a full house capacity of 20,000.[5] The Arena officially opened on May 21, 2012. It has retractable seats and a 2,000-capacity car park building. The Arena has a total area of 64,000 m2 (690,000 sq ft).[6]

SM Mall of Asia Arena
Map
LocationMOA Complex, Jose W. Diokno Boulevard cor. Coral Way and Marina Way, Bay City, Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines
Coordinates14°31′55″N 120°59′1″E / 14.53194°N 120.98361°E / 14.53194; 120.98361
Public transitBus rapid transit  E  SM Mall of Asia
Bus interchange SM Mall of Asia
Ferry transport Esplanade Seaside Terminal
SM Mall of Asia Transport Terminal
OwnerSM Lifestyle Entertainment
OperatorSM Tickets
TypeIndoor arena
Executive suites41[3]
Capacity15,000
Record attendance23,616 (2015–16 PBA Philippine Cup Finals, February 3, 2016)[4]
ScoreboardDaktronics Galaxy 4-side JumboTron with Daktronics All-Sport 5000 Series
Construction
Broke ground2010
OpenedMay 21, 2012 (2012-05-21)
Construction cost₱3.6 billion
ArchitectArquitectonica
Project managerJose Siao Ling & Associates[1]
General contractorMonolith Construction and Development Corp[2]
Tenants
PBA (2012–2023)
UAAP (2012–present)
NCAA (2012-present)
PVL (2014–present)
Philippine Mavericks (2014–2015)
SM NBTC (2015–present)
Website
http://mallofasia-arena.com

The SM Mall of Asia Arena is the alternate venue of the Premier Volleyball League when the Philsports Arena in Pasig City is unavailable.[7][8] The arena is also one of the main venues for the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.[9][10]

History

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The construction of the SM Mall of Asia Arena began in 2010,[11] and costed around ₱3.6 billion.[12] The venue is part of the master plan for the SM Mall of Asia complex which in 2012 already had the SMX Convention Center and the One E-com and Two E-com office buildings.[13]

The arena had its topping-off ceremony in September 2011[14] and was opened about two years later after it broke ground. The first public event hosted at the indoor arena was the two-night Born This Way Ball concert of Lady Gaga which began on May 21, 2012.[15] A separate event was held as part of the grand opening ceremony of the indoor arena held on June 16, 2012; the Icons at the Arena: Masters of OPM which featured various local musicians and singers which was organized by Star Events of ABS-CBN, directed by Johnny Manahan with Ryan Cayabyab as the concert's musical director.[16]

The arena was refurbished ahead of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.[17][18]

Architecture and design

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Mall of Asia Arena Annex Building (left) standing next to the SM Mall of Asia Arena (right)

The SM Mall of Asia Arena was designed by architecture firm Arquitectonica.[19] The facility was intended primarily as a venue for concerts and basketball games but can be reconfigured to accommodate other sporting and entertainment events as well.[20] It has a seating capacity of 15,000 but can host as much as 20,000 people in a full-house capacity.[12]

The indoor arena stands on a 16,000 m2 (170,000 sq ft) site, and has a floor area of 52,000 m2 (560,000 sq ft). The limited area of the site meant that part of the building to span over the adjacent Pacific Drive. Due to a high water table, the construction of basement parking levels was limited and a separate eight-storey parking building called Mall of Asia Arena Annex (MAAX) which can accommodate 1,400 vehicles had to be built. The façade of the building are covered with low-e coated and fritted insulated glass units.[20]

The structure hosting the events space was designed in a form of an eye which was supported by a slanted podium plinth.[20]

The venue uses NBA-specification shot clocks, with Daktronics BB-2140 and BB-2141 shot clocks (used by the NBA along with models from OES until the 2016–17 NBA season due to the NBA using Tissot ones) that count tenths in the final five seconds, though recently it has been stretched to the final nine seconds.

Facilities

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The indoor arena hosts the Premiere Suites which is reportedly the first luxury box in Southeast Asia. The luxury box has a total of 41 suites.[21] A private restaurant, the Premiere Café + Lounge, serves patrons of the luxury box.[22]

Notable events

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Entertainment events

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Main article: List of entertainment events at the SM Mall of Asia complex § SM Mall of Asia Arena

The arena had hosted various entertainment events since its opening in 2012, from music concerts of local and international artists, beauty pageant ceremonies, to different functions for the country's biggest entertainment companies.

On February 22, 2015, ABS-CBN's ASAP celebrated their 20th Anniversary celebration at the arena. Months later, on July 26, 2015, GMA Network celebrated its 65th anniversary through a fans' day entitled "Thank You, Kapuso!" at the arena. Since 2016, the arena has also hosted Disney on Ice productions every December, except on years that were restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.[23]

Music concerts

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Regine Velasquez during her Regine Rocks concert at the arena in November 2023

Lady Gaga held the first concerts at the arena, selling out her two-night Born This Way Ball tour on May 21–22, 2012.[24] Regine Velasquez was the first Filipino artist to stage a solo concert; she is also the only Filipino artist to stage a two-night, sold-out solo concert at the arena and has performed more times than any other artist. Several other international artists have performed at the arena.

In 2015, Darren Espanto became the youngest artist to hold a solo show at the arena at age 14.[25] During its time, Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour concerts on February 24–25, 2016 were the most expensive concerts in the Philippines with ticket costs ranging from ₱3,150 to ₱57,750 per person.[26] One Ok Rock was the first Japanese artist to headline a show in the arena, while EXO was the first Korean artist to stage a two-day sold-out concert series in the arena, followed by other K-pop groups such as Big Bang, Blackpink, BTS, 2NE1, Winner, iKON, AKMU, Treasure and Twice.

Celine Dion, who performed at the arena on July 19 and 20, 2018, as part of her Celine Dion Live 2018 tour, is the venue's highest-grossing female artist with nearly $4,000,000 between the two shows.[citation needed]

Pageants

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The arena hosted the third, fourth and fifth editions of the Miss Universe Philippines pageant, on April 30, 2022, May 13, 2023 and May 22, 2024 respectively.[27][28] Additionally, Eat Bulaga!'s grand coronation day of Miss Millennial Philippines 2017 was also held at the arena on September 30, 2017.

Two of the Big Four international beauty pageants have been held in the arena— Miss Earth and Miss Universe.[29][30][31]

Basketball

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The SM Mall of Asia Arena during the Season 82 UAAP basketball finals in 2019

The SM Mall of Asia Arena serves as one of the playing venues of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines), and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

The PBA's B-Meg Llamados and the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters played the first basketball game at the arena on July 7, 2012, as part of the 2012 PBA Governors Cup semifinals.

The UAAP's 2012 opening game between the NU Bulldogs and UE Red Warriors on July 14, 2012, was the arena's first college basketball game. The first game of the 2012 UAAP basketball finals was played at the arena in front of 20,686 people. On October 18, 2012, the arena hosted the National Collegiate Athletic Association's first game of its finals series against the San Beda Red Lions and the Letran Knights.

 
The SM Mall of Asia Arena during a 2019 Southeast Asian Games match between the Philippines and Myanmar

The arena hosted Tanduay Alab Pilipinas' first game of the 2017–18 ABL season. It was the first time that Alab played in an arena as large as the Mall of Asia Arena, and the first ABL game in the arena.[32]

The arena also hosted various Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) events, including the first two MPBL All-Star Games in 2019 and 2020, opening gameday the 2019–20 season, and the 2021 MPBL Invitational, which was the first event to allow a live audience since the COVID-19 pandemic in a half capacity.

The basketball tournament of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games was held at the arena, the Philippines bagged the gold for both the men's and women's tournament. It was the Philippine Men's National Basketball Team's 13th consecutive gold medal.

NBA Global Games

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The NBA played its first-ever Global Games in the Philippines on October 10, 2013 with a first preseason game between Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers. Rockets dominated Pacers in a 116-96 win. It is the first ever NBA game played in Southeast Asia.[33]

FIBA Asia Cup

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The Philippines hosted the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship on August 1–11, 2013. The SM Mall of Asia Arena served as the main venue with the Ninoy Aquino Stadium as the second venue for the tournament. It recorded an attendance of 19,989 during the final game between the host Philippines and Iran.[34]

Olympic Qualifying Tournaments

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The SM Mall of Asia Arena was one of the three main venues of the 2016 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournaments for Men, which was held in the Philippines, Italy, and Serbia from July 4–10, 2016. This is the second FIBA tournament held at the arena[35][36]

FIBA Basketball World Cup

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SM Mall of Asia Arena served as one of the host venues for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup which was hosted by the Philippines from August 25 to September 10, 2023, alongside co-hosts Japan and Indonesia. The arena hosted all games up to the final round of the tournament. The Mall of Asia Arena has also hosted several 2019 and 2023 World Cup qualification games.

Volleyball

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The SM Mall of Asia Arena serves as one of the playing venues of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).

On March 6, 2013, the DLSU Lady Spikers became the first team in any Philippine sports to celebrate the first-ever championship in the arena in front of an 18,779 crowd, when they won the UAAP women's volleyball championship.

On October 9, 2017, the Ateneo Lady Eagles and De La Salle Lady Spikers played a volleyball match, dubbed "The Battle of the Rivals", in reference to their rivalry being noted as the well known rivalry in Philippine sports. Different generations of the teams between Season 74 to Season 78 came together to play against each other, and proceeds of the game would go to each school's charity foundation, and Rebisco Foundation Inc.

Pasay City was one of the host cities for the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League preliminary round, which marked the second straight year the event was held in the Philippines. The arena hosted the pool 6 matches from July 4 to 9, 2023.[37]

Other sports

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Religious events

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A Jehovah's Witnesses meeting at the arena in 2015

The SM Mall of Asia Arena served as the main venue for the Encounter with the Families event, led by Pope Francis during his papal visit to the Philippines on January 16, 2015. The event was a dialogue between Pope Francis and an audience of families.[47][48] The arena also hosted Bo Sanchez's Kerygma Conference (now Feast Conference) in 2012 and annually from 2014 to 2019.[49][50][51]

The arena also hosted several events of various churches, including Victory Christian Fellowship. In 2019, the Jesus Global Youth Day was also held at the arena. In September 2022, Australian Christian worship band Planetshakers performed at the arena in their first event in the Philippines since January 2020.

On December 9, 2016, Ang Dating Daan celebrated its 36th broadcast anniversary at the arena with a Special Worldwide Bible Exposition.[52]

Other

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Attendance records

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One-day record for most attended event[note 1]
Type Event Attendance Date Ref.
Overall UAAP 2015 Cheerdance Competition 25,388 October 3, 2015 [59]
Basketball Alaska Aces vs. San Miguel Beermen
2015–16 PBA Philippine Cup Finals 		23,616 February 3, 2016 [4]

Notes

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  1. ^ Based on available data.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "JSLA Architects – Architectural Design Firm".
  2. ^ "SM Mall of Asia Arena: The Eye-Theme Has It". SM Investments Corporation. Manila Bulletin. June 6, 2012. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  3. ^ "Mall of Asia Arena Premier Suites". Archived from the original on February 1, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Sellout crowd converges at MOA Arena to witness history as SMB, Alaska play Game 7". Spin.ph. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  5. ^ "FAST FACTS: Mall of Asia Arena". rappler.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  6. ^ "SM HOLDINGS OPENS SM MALL OF ASIA ARENA IN PHILIPPINES". Design Curial. June 26, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  7. ^ "Big Dome still main PBA venue, but MOA Arena an alternative option - InterAksyon.com - Sports5". interaksyon.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014.
  8. ^ "Hataw Tabloid - D'yaryo ng bayan". hatawtabloid.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  9. ^ http://www.coolbuster.net/2011/06/sm-arena-home-of-ncaa-88-uaap-season-75.html Archived September 27, 2020, at the Wayback Machine SM Arena: Home of NCAA 88, UAAP Season 75 Retrieved 06 July 2011
  10. ^ "New SM arena to host majority of UAAP basketball games". InterAKTV. May 13, 2012. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012.
  11. ^ "Arena Information". Mall of Asia Arena. SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  12. ^ a b Olan, Sarah Jayne (January 16, 2015). "Fast Facts: Mall of Asia Arena". Rappler. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  13. ^ Robas-Macawile, Sharon (April 14, 2012). "The Arena elevates viewing to a new level". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  14. ^ de la Fuente, Franz Jonathan (October 14, 2011). "SM bares strategy for new arena". BusinessWorld. Retrieved May 10, 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
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  16. ^ Uy, Ed (June 24, 2012). "OPM Icons shine at MOA Arena". Manila Times. Archived from the original on August 29, 2012.
  17. ^ "SM elevates MOA Arena to international standards for FIBA WC". Tiebreaker Times. August 20, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  18. ^ "'Dressed up' MOA Arena ready for FIBA World Cup". One Sports. August 20, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  19. ^ All eyes on the Arena Archived 2012-06-10 at the Wayback Machine, Malaya, June 7, 2012
  20. ^ a b c "Mall of Asia Arena". Archello. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  21. ^ "The suite life at the Mall of Asia Arena". The Philippine Star. July 29, 2018. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  22. ^ "Mall of Asia Arena opens private café to offer luxurious dining to concert-goers". Manila Times. February 28, 2018. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  23. ^ Tantuco, Vernise (October 6, 2016). "'Disney on Ice' in Manila 2016: 4 things you need to know". Rappler. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  24. ^ "Born This Way Ball Tour: Lady Gaga live in Manila 2012". Philippine Concerts. March 14, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  25. ^ "Darren Set To Be Youngest Singer To Hold Solo Show At MOA Arena". SM Prime. May 27, 2015. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  26. ^ Garcia, Vincent (March 31, 2017). "10 most expensive concert tickets in PH". ABS-CBNnews.com. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  27. ^ "Miss Universe Philippines 2022 to be held at the Mall of Asia Arena this April". GMA News Online. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  28. ^ "Miss Universe Philippines announces 2023 pageant date, venue". philstar.com. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  29. ^ "Ecuador is Miss Earth 2016". The Philippine Star. October 29, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  30. ^ Sauler, Erika; Gonzales, Yuji Vincent (July 28, 2016). "It's official: PH to host 2017 Miss Universe pageant at MOA". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  31. ^ "The Miss Earth Pageant". Miss Earth. October 12, 2017.
  32. ^ "Free entry in MOA Arena for Alab Pilipinas' first home game". ABS-CBN SPORTS. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  33. ^ "NBA To Stage First Ever Preseason Game". Mall Of Asia Arena. March 15, 2013. Archived from the original on April 9, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
  34. ^ "Asian exec on host's FIBA Asia bid: '5th-ranked Phl needs its best'". Philstar Sports. January 29, 2013.
  35. ^ "Italy, Philippines and Serbia to host Olympic Qualifying Tournaments; France to stage Women's Tournament". FIBA. Archived from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  36. ^ "Philippines to host FIBA Olympic Qualifiers". CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  37. ^ Neil (June 19, 2023). "Volleyball Nations League returns July 4 at MOA Arena". BusinessWorld Online. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  38. ^ "Schedule". International Premier Tennis League. Archived from the original on November 23, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  39. ^ "Day 3 Match 6 – Report: Manila Mavericks vs. DBS Singapore Slammers" (PDF). International Premier Tennis League. November 30, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 12, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  40. ^ Ordonez, Milan (January 29, 2015). "UFC MAKES MANILA DEBUT CARD OFFICIAL". ABS-CBN Sports. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  41. ^ Martin, Damon (February 15, 2015). "Frankie Edgar vs. Urijah Faber main event for UFC debut in Manila". Fox Sports. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  42. ^ "UFC Fight Night Manila: Edgar defeats Faber; Muñoz ends career on winning note". CNN Philippines. May 17, 2015. Archived from the original on June 12, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  43. ^ "First time ever: Monster Jam thunders into Manila". The Philippine Star. March 11, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  44. ^ "The Manila Major". Valve. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  45. ^ "Three-way race to Worlds at Globe Conquerors Manila". ESPN.com. August 12, 2018.
  46. ^ Chua, Kyle (August 14, 2018). "$100,000 at stake for winner of Globe 'League of Legends' tourney". Rappler.
  47. ^ Hegina, Aries (January 14, 2015). "Pope Francis to address 3 'challenges' faced by Filipino families in MOA Arena event". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Manila, Philippines. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  48. ^ "MOA activities set on Pope Francis". Manila Standard Today. January 15, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  49. ^ "Kerygma Conference 2012". The Feast. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  50. ^ "The Kerygma Conference November 19–22, 2015 | SMX + MOA". Kerygma Conference. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  51. ^ "FAQs". Kerygma Conference. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  52. ^ "Ang Dating Daan Caps Off 36th Broadcast Anniversary with a Memorable Bible Exposition". The Official Website of Bro. Eli Soriano. December 16, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  53. ^ "Dingdong-Marian wedding reception". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. December 30, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  54. ^ Kabiling, Genalyn (November 10, 2015). "Aquino visits APEC summit venues". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  55. ^ "Angels Walk for Autism". Manila Standard. March 8, 2019.
  56. ^ "Angels Walk for Autism 2018 at MOA Arena". Philippine Primer.
  57. ^ "BIGGEST MEGA SWABBING CENTER IN MOA ARENA TO OPEN ON MONDAY". Department of Health. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  58. ^ "SM MOA Arena transformed into mega swabbing facility". SM Supermalls.
  59. ^ Ganglani, Naveen. "NU Pep Squad wins 3rd straight UAAP Cheerdance crown". Rappler. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
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Events
Preceded by FIBA World Cup
Final venue
2023 		Succeeded by
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