Forum di Milano

Unipol Forum
Map
Full nameUnipol Forum
Former namesForum di Assago (1990–93)
FilaForum (1993–2006)
DatchForum (2006–08)
Mediolanum Forum (2009–24)
AddressVia Giuseppe di Vittorio 6
20090 Assago, MI, Italy
LocationGrande Milano
Coordinates45°24′4″N 9°8′32″E / 45.40111°N 9.14222°E / 45.40111; 9.14222
OwnerForumNet Group
Capacity12,800
Construction
Broke ground1988
Opened26 October 1990
Renovated2014, 2017
ArchitectGiuseppe and Luca Cabassi
Main contractorsCabassi Group
Tenants
Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano (LBA) (1990–present)
Website
Venue Website

Unipol Forum (formerly the FilaForum, DatchForum and Mediolanum Forum; known as the Forum di Milano in events where commercial naming rights are prohibited) is an indoor sports arena that is located in Assago, a small town 3 km outside Milan, Italy.[1] The arena has a seating capacity of 12,800[2] and is primarily used for basketball, ice hockey, tennis and live concerts.

The venue is the home ground of the EuroLeague and Italian Serie A professional basketball team AX Armani Exchange Milan. In May 2024, the current sponsor, Unipol, took over naming rights in a deal that will run to 2027.[3]

History

The central arena during the 2014 Euroleague Final Four

The Forum of Assago was built by Giuseppe Cabassi and his son Luca in 1990. It was named in several different way due to different sponsorships during the years: from 1993 to 2006 it was named FilaForum, from 2006 to 2008 DatchForum and then, from 2009 to 2023, MediolanumForum.

The venue is located in the big Milanofiori complex and it covers an area of 40,000 sqm. The layout of the rooms is organized on 4 superimposed levels below the stands of the central arena. There are also private panoramic rooms (called "SkyBox") on the top floor. The Forum received the 1994 European Prize for Architecture for sports venues awarded by the Italian National Olympic Committee and the Council of Europe. It is also one of two facilities in Italy, along with Palazzo dello Sport in Rome, to be part of the European Arenas Association network.[4]

For the 2014 Euroleague Final Four the venue has been renovated and the capacity increased from 11,500 to 12,700. It was again renovated in 2017, with new internal signs and new colors in the corridors of the rings, also including the reconstruction of the floor.

Entertainment events

Sports

2014 Euroleague Final Four

The arena has hosted the 1994 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships, the 2003 IIHF Continental Cup Superfinal of ice hockey (together with Lugano's Pista La Resega), WWE Raw and WWE SmackDown in 2007, and the 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships.

Since 2011, the Forum has also been home to La Grande Sfida, an annual tennis exhibition event played every Christmas. The arena also hosted the EuroLeague Final Four in 2014.[18]

The forum was the venue for 2018 World Figure Skating Championships.[19]

Some matches of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball World Championship were held at the venue. The venue also hosted some group phase matches of the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 which Italy hosted alongside Czech Republic in Prague, Georgia in Tbilisi and Germany in Berlin and Cologne.

In July 2024 the 19th World Kendo Championship was held at the forum.[20]

It will be the figure skating and short track venue during the 2026 Winter Olympics.

See also

References

  1. ^ HOW TO REACH US(in Italian).
  2. ^ CHI SIAMO (in Italian).
  3. ^ "Unipol is the new Title Sponsor of the Forum di Milano". Gruppo Unipol. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  4. ^ MediolanumForumn.it Chi Siamo.
  5. ^ "Milano: Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour dal 23 al 24 Febbraio Mediolanum Forum di Assago". nicedie.it. Archived from the original on 2016-10-09. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  6. ^ "Ci sono tutte le hit nella scaletta dei Nickelback a Milano". Jacopo Casati. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  7. ^ Odelli, Elena (2014-11-18). "Gli One Republic si scaldano solo a fine serata. A Milano concerto a due velocità". On Stage. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
  8. ^ "One Republic conquistano Milano con un concerto di classe e rock". TGCOM24. 2014-11-18. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
  9. ^ "5 Seconds of Summer announce 2015 "Rock Out with Your Socks Out" UK & European Tour". SuprTickets. 2014-07-09. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
  10. ^ "Biglietti concerto 5 Seconds Of Summer a Torino e Milano Maggio 2015". Team World. 2014-09-06. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
  11. ^ "5 Seconds Of Summer: concerto a Torino, 8 maggio 2015 – foto". Cube Magazine. 2015-05-09. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
  12. ^ "Lo show di Ellie Goulding colora Milano". Laura Ritagliati. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  13. ^ "Muse Milano 2016 biglietti: polemica per il sold out; ticket ancora disponibili". daringtodo.com. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  14. ^ "twenty one pilots announce world tour dates". .altpress.com. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  15. ^ Ascione, Arianna (2016-11-17). "Bruno Mars tour 2017, appuntamento a Bologna e Milano: date e biglietti". Milano Weekend. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  16. ^ Italia, Rolling Stone. "Elio e le storie tese, il nuovo album è 'Arrivedorci'". Rolling Stone Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-09-27.
  17. ^ Scott Bernstein (2 October 2019). "Eric Clapton Announces European Tour 2020". Jam Base Magazine. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  18. ^ Euroleague.net Milan, Italy to host 2014 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four. and, in the same year, the finals of the 2014 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship.
  19. ^ "ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2018". www.isuresults.com. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  20. ^ "Wkc2024 Venue". Retrieved 4 July 2024.

Media related to Assago Forum at Wikimedia Commons