If you’ve ever visited Primorsky Victory Park or joined ITMO’s Bike Ride with the Rector, you couldn’t miss Gazprom Arena, the futuristic centerpiece of Krestovsky Island. The project by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa combines modern architecture with advanced technology, including a retractable roof and pitch. It can host around 63,000 spectators for football matches and concerts. Now it's the home arena of FC Zenit – the most beloved football club of St. Petersburg. In 2018, it welcomed matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and in 2019 Rammstein performed here as part of their tour. The venue continues to host major concerts and sporting events – this June, a concert by Leonid Agutin will take place here.
Ice Palace. Credit: A.Savin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Opened in 2000 for the 2000 Ice Hockey World Championship, it is a modern arena primarily dedicated to ice hockey, just as its name suggests. Located near Prospekt Bolshevikov metro station, it can accommodate around 12,500 visitors. The arena is home to SKA (short for Sports Club of the Army) St. Petersburg. At the same time, the Ice Palace easily transforms into a concert venue and has welcomed international stars such as Sting, Whitney Houston, Scorpions, and Deep Purple. Beyond that, it also operates as a public skating rink, so even in May you can come here for a skating session according to the schedule on the arena’s website.
Ice Palace. Credit: A.Savin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Located behind Park Pobedy, SKA Arena is one of the newest large venues in St. Petersburg. Opened in 2023 on the site of a demolished Soviet sports complex, the arena stands out with its monumental design: the architects drew inspiration from the Monument to the Third International and the avant-garde works of El Lissitzky. Despite its name, the arena has only briefly served as the home venue of SKA St. Petersburg. It now hosts matches of the Shanghai Dragons hockey team. At the same time, the venue is also used for concerts and public skating sessions. Although the nearest metro station is currently under reconstruction, the arena is still worth a visit. The surrounding area has been redesigned with a rare to the city modern landscaped public space.
Yubileyny Sports Palace. Credit: Alex 'Florstein' Fedorov, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A gem of Soviet architecture on the Petrogradskaya Side, Yubileyny Sports Palace was built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Union. Opened in 1967, the arena was awarded for its innovative circular design. Today, it serves as the home venue of Dinamo St. Petersburg hockey club and Zenit basketball club. The complex also includes a public indoor skating rink. In addition, it regularly hosts concerts and ice shows featuring famous Russian figure skaters.
