Everything to Know About UBS Arena


The UBS Arena is an indoor arena in Elmont, New York. It is made in Belmont Park and is a multipurpose arena. It opened its doors to the public in 2021 and replaced the Nassau Coliseum. The UBS Arena is also home to the National Hockey League (NHL) team, the New York Islanders. During the NHL games, this arena can seat 17000 people. When it’s used for concerts or other special events, 19000 people can be seated. Belmont Park is also a popular racing venue; hence many sports fans often affectionately use the term ‘The Stable’ to refer to the arena.

About the UBS Arena

The multipurpose UBS Arena was a part of the 1.3-billion-dollar redevelopment program for Belmont Park. This program converted forty-three acres of extra land on Long Island into a state-of-the-art sports and hospitality space.

The sports arena was also set to be the home base of the NHL team, the New York Islanders. This space would also be used for music and entertainment events. Two surrounding parks were also a part of the redevelopment program and were opened for public use.

When this arena was built, it was designed to host musical concerts and hockey games. Therefore, today when in use, this arena offers state-of-the-art acoustics and great sightlines for viewers to enjoy. The arena’s design is also a tribute to Belmont Park and New York’s Central Park. Legacy trees surround the arena, allowing fans to walk past an impressive grove of old trees.

The concept of the UBS Arena came into being while contemplating a way to bring the New York Islanders back to Long Island, the team’s home. The creation of this arena was a joint venture between the Oak View Group, Sterling Project Development and the New York Islanders.

Location of the UBS Arena

The UBS Arena is located inside Belmond Park, Elmont, New York. You must turn south from the Belmont park Grandstand and Racetrack to reach the arena.

UBS Arena Design

This arena features many innovative details designed specifically to tailor a great experience for viewers. The seating bowl is placed closer to the ice to make watching the game a more intimate experience. This arena also has one of the largest scoreboards in New York State, so fans don’t even miss a second of the game. There are also two levels of high-res ribbon boards, so everyone has a clear view.

The UBS Arena hosts musical concerts frequently and boasts a cutting-edge south system around the seating bowl. This, along with absorbent materials, amplifies the acoustics. The upholstered seating also enhances the acoustics and helps sound quality.

The UBS Arena is also an exclusive space for performers. It has a star compound that is specially designed for performers. This compound also boasts a luxurious interior design with custom rugs, decorative lighting and high-quality finishes.

The arena also has a food and beverage space with thirteen food markets. Two Amazon just-walk-out stations help fans save time, and there is also no need to form lines. Ten bars inside the arena also open directly into the bowl so that fans don’t miss gameplay. Belmont Hall, a sports bar designed keeping the New York Islanders theme in mind, is also located here.

Impact of Creating the UBS Arena

Since the UBS Arena was opened to the public in 2021, the New York Islanders were able to return home. For years the team moved from one venue to the other without having a place of their own. Today the UBS Arena is one of the top arenas for hockey and entertainment worldwide. With its great acoustics and well-designed back-of-house, this arena is much sought after by performers. This space’s spectacular design also serves as a benchmark for other arenas.

Populous, a global architectural firm, designed the UBS Arena’s overall layout. Populous also created the seating bowl, the location of clubs and suites, and event-level areas. The arena spans a total of 7,45000 square feet and is built especially for hockey games and concerts.

Home to one of most heralded NHL franchises of all time the NY Islanders.

Other Contractors Involved

Populous was appointed as the primary architect for the project. Populous was supported by Wrightson, Johnson, Hadden and Williams (WJHW) as consultants for acoustic design. WJHW designed acoustics keeping architectural elements in mind, and they also used absorbent materials to limit echoes and reverberation time.

The arena’s exterior was designed by another architectural firm, JRDV Urban International. This firm was also responsible for planning several other adjoining facilities such as community space, offices and a hotel.

Aurora Contractors designed the arena’s multiple-level parting space.

A US firm called Daktronics also installed and manufactured the LED displays within the UBS Arena.

Notable Events

Several Notable events have taken place in the UBS Arena.

The first college basketball game was held on the 3rd of December 2021. This game was between the Kansas Jayhawks and the St. John Red Storm.

A professional wrestling tournament also took place in November 2021. This was WWE’s Monday night raw.

The first public concert held in the Arena was British singer Harry Style’s concert. This was also held in November 2021.

Concluding Thoughts

Today the UBS Arena is frequented by entertainment and hockey lovers. It is one of the most sought-after locations by both the viewers and the performers. This state-of-the-art arena serves as a benchmark for other arena projects in the future.

The McClain Family

We hope we helped. Please let us know of any place that you want to know about in NYS or if we did a poor job with any part of this. Our goal is to help as many people as possible.

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