Steel Arena

The question asks for a description of the "Steel Arena" (also known as Steel Aréna – Košický štadión Ladislava Trojáka), a multi-purpose arena located in Košice, Slovakia. According to the provided information, the arena is situated at Nerudova 12 in the Košice-Juh district. It was built on the site of the former Ladislav Troják Stadium, which was in operation from 1960 until its final match in March 1996. The new arena was constructed between November 2004 and 2006 at a cost of 730 million Slovak koruna (SKK), or about $17.6 million USD, funded by government grants, city contributions, and private sponsorship from U.S. Steel Košice (VSZ a.s.). The architectural design was by KOPA s.r.o. (architect Juraj Koban), with structural engineering by CZC Consulting and VSZ Inziniering s.r.o., and the general contractor was U.S. Steel Košice. The arena officially opened on February 24, 2006, with an exhibition match between HC Košice and HC Sparta Prague. It features an artificial ice playing surface, maintained for ice hockey, and serves as the primary home for HC Košice, while also hosting matches for the Slovakia men's national ice hockey team. Capacity figures vary: the official website states 8,373 seats, while other sources cite 8,378, 8,347, or 8,343. The highest recorded attendance was 15,500 spectators at an ice hockey match between Slovakia and Sweden during the 2011 IIHF World Championship. The venue has hosted numerous international events, including the 2011 and 2019 IIHF World Championships (preliminary and relegation rounds), the 2022 European Men's Handball Championship, the 2009 World Bodybuilding Championship, the 2008 European Junior Wrestling Championships, the 2007 Nine-pin Bowling World Championships, the 2019 ISBHF Ball Hockey World Championship, and the 2021 JGP Slovakia figure skating event. It is also scheduled to host matches for the 2029 IIHF World Championship. Notable concerts held at the venue include performances by Deep Purple (2006), Andrea Bocelli (2008), Jean-Michel Jarre (2008), Scorpions (2009, 2016), Elton John (2010), David Guetta (2011), Sting (2012, 2022), Bob Dylan (2014), Bryan Adams (2016), and Dire Straits (2019).