Helsinki arena, also known as Helsinki Ice Hall, has been closed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, when its Russian oligarch owners were subjected to sanctions from the EU and US, which meant they were boycotted by the entertainment industry, and banks and insurance companies refused to provide essential services.
Helsinki arena to reopen in spring after being left in limbo by Russian sanctions Finnish real estate company says deal for sports and entertainment venue will restore it to its former glory.
Helsinki’s main sports and entertainment arena is expected to reopen in the spring after getting caught in a Russian sanctions drama that left it disused, without power and starting to smell.
The closure nearly three years ago left the professional ice hockey club Jokerit without a home and Helsinki without a large-scale arena for hosting big cultural events and international music acts.
Last year, the city of Helsinki threatened the Russian-Finnish businessmen Gennady Timchenko and Roman Rotenberg, who control the company that owns Helsinki arena, with expropriation unless they volunteered to sell it.
