SM Prime eyes June debut for Cebu’s new arena

SM PRIME HOLDINGS, INC. plans to open the SM Seaside Cebu Arena in June, marking Cebu province’s first purpose-built indoor multipurpose arena and its largest to date.

Located within the company’s South Coast City development in Cebu, the arena will occupy a building footprint of more than 1.6 hectares and form part of a development with about 7.4 hectares of total gross floor area.

“By building a venue of this scale in Cebu, we are strengthening the Visayas as a destination for international events, domestic tourism and long-term investment,” SM Prime President Jeffrey C. Lim said in a statement on Tuesday.

The SM Seaside Cebu Arena is designed to accommodate more than 25,000 guests and will feature multi-level seating, professional-grade sports and entertainment facilities, corporate suites, VIP lounges, food and beverage outlets, and lifestyle amenities.

A SkyBridge will directly connect the arena to SMX Convention Center Cebu and SM Seaside City Cebu to improve accessibility and pedestrian flow.

SM Seaside Cebu Arena is currently in discussions with concert promoters, sports federations, family entertainment producers, and corporate event organizers to secure bookings ahead of its opening.

“There is a lot of excitement and anticipation for this project because Cebuanos have long supported live concerts, and having a large-capacity venue in Cebu makes these events more accessible without the added cost of traveling to Manila,” Mr. Lim said.

The SM Seaside Cebu Arena builds on SM Prime’s experience with the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Metro Manila, which opened in 2012 with Lady Gaga’s two-night Born This Way Ball concert.

Since then, the MOA Arena has hosted major sporting events such as the NBA Global Games, the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championships, as well as concerts by artists including Ariana Grande, BLACKPINK, BTS, Celine Dion, and Taylor Swift.

Shares in SM Prime rose 2.1% to P21.85 apiece on Tuesday. — Alexandria Grace C. Magno