Avicii Arena, Stockholm

Avicii Arena is the enormous spherical venue rising beside Globen metro station. Its familiar Swedish nickname is Globen, and its shape gives it a place in Sweden Solar System, where the building represents the Sun. Berg Arkitektkontor designed the arena, which took less than three years to construct and opened on 19 February 1989.

The globe measures about 110 metres across, with an interior height of 65 metres. That vast enclosed volume can accommodate 16,000 spectators for concerts and 13,850 for ice hockey, so the same space shifts between music, sport, and major public events. Hockey is central to its story: the arena has hosted world championships and games involving Swedish clubs as well as the National Hockey League.

It has also welcomed Eurovision Song Contest events and the Melodifestivalen final. Look for the paired round cabins running along the arena’s outer surface: Skyview carries visitors toward the summit, offering an unusually open view across Stockholm. The building carries its current name in memory of Avicii, adopted in 2021. Its changing identity has not altered the striking idea at its core: a working arena built in the form of a globe.