Coronavirus fears delays opening of Etihad Arena

The opening of Abu Dhabi’s new 18,000 capacity Etihad Arena is to be delayed due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Last month it was announced that the Disney On Ice presents Frozen show would open the new venue from 15th to 18th April. However, amid increasing precautions against Coronavirus, the performances and opening has been pushed back to 9th to 12th September.

The change resulted from the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism ordering event organisers in the city to cancel public gatherings until the end of April.

A statement reported by Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National, announced “the health and wellbeing of everyone attending our live events as well as our touring personnel is our top priority, and as a precautionary measure, Disney On Ice scheduled on April 15 to 18, 2020 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi has been postponed.”

A representative from arena developer Miral added “the health and wellbeing of guests is our top priority and we are working with our partners and event organisers to ensure a seamless customer experience once Etihad Arena’s doors open. We will continue to assess the situation and look forward to welcoming the first show and all guests in the near future.”

Ticket-holders for the April event can claim a refund or transfer their ticket to one of the shows in September.

The HOK-designed Etihad Arena will be operated by Flash Entertainment and will host events with capacities ranging from 200 to 18,000 people.

Image courtesy of Miral.