IceArena

The rebuild for IceArena Prešov was not a cosmetic exercise. The Slovak **Tipsport Extraliga** returned to the city after a 23-year absence.

The renovation replaced the ice and installed a camera system with video referee technology, ensuring the league’s technical requirements were met. The 3,505 new adaptive seats offer three tiers of comfort, a detail that matters for a club trying to attract sponsorship. The capacity sits at 3,440, a number that feels comfortable rather than cavernous.

The arena sits on the right bank of the **Torysa** river, near the city centre. It was built on 9 August 1967, a date that predates the last major renovation by more than half a century. The building has hosted figure skating championships and international matches, but its primary function has always been local ice hockey. The attendance record of 7,000, set in 1988, suggests a time when the city filled the stands in winter. Today, the main tenant is **HC Prešov**, playing in the **Slovenská hokejová liga**.

The blue seats visible in the current configuration were installed during the rebuild. They replace the older, worn rows that had seen decades of use. The LED lighting ensures the ice surface is visible at all times of day, though the arena is primarily an evening venue. The entrance at **Pod Kalváriou 50** leads directly into the concourse, where the new turnstiles manage the flow of crowds. The building does not try to look like a modern arena; it looks like a building that was repaired and put back to work.