Donbas Arena

Donbas Arena or Donbass Arena (Донбас Арена) is a stadium with a natural grass pitch in Donetsk, Ukraine that opened on 29 August 2009. The facility is located in the center of the city, in the Lenin Comsomol park. With a capacity of 52,518 spectators, the Stadium hosts FC Shakhtar Donetsk matches and will host some matches in Euro 2012. It is also one of the popular nightlife spots in Donetsk. The initial estimated cost of the project was USD 250m. USD 30m has been allocated to set up a recreational park around the Stadium. The final cost of the project will reach USD 400m. Construction began in 2006.

The general contractor was a Turkish company ENKA. The Stadium was completed and opened in 2009. About 1600 specialists, mainly Turkish, were involved in the construction. Donbas Arena was designed by ArupSport, who also designed the City of Manchester Stadium (Manchester, England); Allianz Arena (Munich, Germany); and the Beijing National Stadium (Beijing, China). The soaring roof effect makes the Stadium resemble a flying saucer.

The stadium has an oval shape and a glazed façade and is located near Regional Sport Complex Olimpiyskiy. The roof of the stadium slopes from north to south matching the landscape and contributing to the natural lighting and airing of the pitch. The external lighting makes the Stadium shine at night. The Donbas arena was completed ahead of schedule, but the grand opening was delayed until 29 August 2009 to coincide with the Ukrainian holiday of Miners Day, as well as Donetsk City day. Donetsk is in the Donbas region, a mining region, and the date was chosen for its symbolism. The prime tenants of the facility are named Shakhtar Donetsk ("Donetsk Coal Miners"). American Pop/R&B singer-songwriter Beyoncé Knowles performed a show from her I Am... Tour on the opening night of the new stadium. It was Knowles' first performance in Ukraine.

Shakhtar Donetsk's first match at the stadium was a 4–0 victory in a Ukrainian Premier League 2009–10 Round 8 fixture on 27 September 2009 against FC Obolon Kyiv. Donbas arena was included in the official bidding project submitted by Poland and Ukraine for hosting UEFA Euro 2012. The stadium will host group stage games and one quarter-final and one semi-final game. Unlike most new stadiums being built in Poland and Ukraine, Donbas Arena was not initially intended for that venue. The project of new stadium "Donbas Arena" was conceived long before Ukraine was named as co-host of Euro 2012.

The owner considered the possibility of daily use of the arena. "Donbas Arena" includes three restaurants, a lounge-bar, a fan cafe, fast-food outlets, retail outlets, a fitness center, corporate boxes and first aid rooms. The stadium also provides facilities for corporate events - presentations, press conferences, celebrations and concerts. Stadium tours are available which include an examination of the unique features of Donbas Arena, a visit to the footballers’ rooms and FC Shakhtar Museum and a visit to the FC Shakhtar brand shop for souvenirs.