Dackehallen

The building on the edge of Tingsryd is a long, low rectangle draped in green cladding, with a shelf of square windows running along the roofline. Nelson Garden Arena is written across the curved roof in white lettering, and the surrounding ground is bare earth that looks like a construction site in winter.

The arena was completed in 1969 and has served the local hockey club since the beginning. Tingsryds AIF was founded in 1923 and now plays in HockeyEttan, though they have competed in HockeyAllsvenskan before. The capacity is reported as 3,650 spectators, though some sources record a lower figure.

The most visible feature from the outside is the roof. It curves into a gentle arch, and the advertising hoarding that covers it gives the building an unmistakable profile in fog or snow. Inside, the ice surface is standard for a Swedish club arena, and the seating rises in straight rows rather than sweeping curves.

The arena has not always carried this name. It was known as Dackehallen before the sponsorship deal in 2011, and reverted to the original title when the agreement ended in 2022. Tingsryd also has separate football facilities at Tingsryds IP, which includes a natural grass pitch with a capacity of 1,000 and no floodlights, and a secondary artificial turf pitch installed around 2021.

The coordinates of the building are 56°31'49"N 14°58'57"E, which places it on the edge of the town rather than in the centre. The approach is unremarkable, and the entrance is marked by a simple set of glass doors under a small canopy.