SM Seaside Cebu Arena

SM Seaside Cebu Arena
The on-going construction of SM Seaside Arena in August 2024
Interactive map of SM Seaside Cebu Arena
AddressSouth Coast City, South Road Properties
Cebu City
Philippines
LocationCebu City, Philippines
Coordinates10°17′02″N 123°52′58″E / 10.2840°N 123.8827°E / 10.2840; 123.8827
OwnerSM Prime Holdings
OperatorSM Prime Holdings
Capacity16,000 (standard seating)
25,000 (full house)
TypeIndoor arena
Construction
Broke ground2021
Website
www.sm-arena.com/CEBU

SM Seaside Cebu Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena under construction in South Road Properties, Cebu City, Philippines. The arena, located adjacent to the SM Seaside City complex, will have a 16,000-seating capacity, and will be the largest indoor arena in Cebu once completed.

History

Conception and initial cancellation

First proposed in 2013[1], SM Arena Seaside Cebu (then known as the "SM Seaside Arena") is planned to be a venue for local and international concerts, sports events, international conventions, and as the venue of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) and some select Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) games. The arena was also one of the proposed venues for the unsuccessful Philippine bid for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.[2][3][4]

In January 2017, reports emerged that developer SM Prime Holdings had canceled its plans to build the arena.[5][6] This occurred amidst an unfavorable political climate when Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña threatened to revoke several sale lots in the South Road Properties (SRP).[7]

Revival and construction

The project was revived in late 2019 during the administration of Mayor Edgardo Labella[7], with the arena, instead of being within the SM Seaside complex, now placed within South Coast City, an adjacent mixed-use development co-owned by SM Prime with Ayala Land.[8][9]

The SM Arena Seaside Cebu officially broke ground in 2021.[7] It is set to open in June 2026.[10]

Events

The arena is set to host the 2026 and 2027 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League.[11] It was considered as a venue for the 2025 FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup,[12] and is currently being considered as a venue for the 2027 FIBA Women's Asia Cup.[13]

Filipino girl group BINI will be the first performers at the arena on July 11, 2026, for the second leg of their "BINI Signals: Anniversary Celebration" tour.[14] Rock band IV of Spades will also perform at the arena on 18 June. American pop rock band LANY will be the venue's first international performers as part of their "Soft World Tour" on November 6, 2026.[15]

Facilities

The SM Seaside Cebu Arena will have a seating capacity of 16,000 and a full house capacity of 25,000.[16] It will also be linked to the SMX Convention Center Cebu and the SM Seaside City shopping mall via a skybridge.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ Badua, Snow (October 22, 2013). "Slightly smaller version of MOA Arena set to rise in Cebu, says official". Spin.ph. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  2. ^ Mancelita, Ram (October 18, 2019). "Soon to rise: Seaside Arena in SRP, Cebu City". Sugbo.ph. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  3. ^ "dotPH domains available portal". rivals.ph. Archived from the original on January 11, 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  4. ^ Henson, Joaquin M. "Expansion for PBA?". Philstar.com. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  5. ^ Nalzaro, Bobby (January 23, 2017). "Nalzaro: SM to cancel multi-billion projects". Sun.Star Cebu. Sun.Star Cebu. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  6. ^ Limpag, Mike T. (January 25, 2017). "Limpag: Fans dream of arena foiled by politics". Sun.Star. Sun.Star. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c Aguja, Januar Junior (February 15, 2026). "What concertgoers need to know about Cebu's new arena". The Freeman. The Philippine Star. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  8. ^ Lorenciana, Carlo (December 9, 2019). "26-hectare ALI-SM project at SRP to start construction in Q1 2020". SunStar. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  9. ^ Sino Cruz, Irene R. (November 12, 2019). "SM-Ayala consortium bares details of multi-billion SRP development". Cebu Daily News. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  10. ^ Cabuenas, Jon Viktor (February 24, 2026). "SM Prime to open Cebu Arena in June 2026". GMA News Online. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  11. ^ "Cebu to host Women's VNL in 2026 and 2027 at SM Seaside Arena". Spin.ph. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  12. ^ Limpag, Mike (June 26, 2024). "2 venues eyed for Cebu's World Cup Hosting". SunStar. SunStar Publishing Inc. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  13. ^ Naredo, Camille (July 29, 2025). "Cebu as a venue for FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2027? 'It's an option,' says SBP boss". ABS-CBN News. ABS-CBN. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  14. ^ Povadora, Neil (March 21, 2026). "BINI's anniversary tour coming to Cebu in July". CDN Life. Cebu Daily News. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  15. ^ Almazan, Faye (March 18, 2026). "LANY is coming back to PH for 'Soft World Tour' this November". GMA Lifestyle. GMA. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  16. ^ a b Fuentes, Arthur (February 24, 2026). "SM Seaside Cebu Arena to open in June, will be bigger than MOA Arena – SM Prime". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  • Media related to SM Seaside Arena at Wikimedia Commons


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