Kaseya Center facts for kids
 |
|
The Kaseya Center in 2024.
|
|
 Kaseya Center
Location in Miami
Kaseya Center
Location in Florida
Kaseya Center
Location in the United States
|
|
| Former names | American Airlines Arena (1999–2021) FTX Arena (2021–2023) Miami-Dade Arena (2023) |
|---|---|
| Address | 601 Biscayne Boulevard |
| Location | Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 25°46′53″N 80°11′17″W / 25.78139°N 80.18806°W |
| Public transit |  Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre  MiamiCentral Freedom Tower Park West |
| Parking | 939 parking spaces |
| Owner | Miami-Dade County |
| Operator | Basketball Properties Ltd. |
| Capacity | Basketball: 19,600; 16,500 (Without upper levels) Concerts: 5,000–20,021 Hockey: 14,447 |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | February 6, 1998 |
| Opened | December 31, 1999 |
| Construction cost | US$213 million ($374 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | Arquitectonica 360 Architecture (formerly Heinlein Schrock Stearns) |
| Project manager | Parsons Brinckerhoff |
| Structural engineer | Thornton Tomasetti |
| Services engineer | Flack+Kurtz |
| General contractor | Morse-Diesel/Odebrecht/Facchina |
| Main contractors | John J. Kirlin, LLC Simpson Constructors Crown Corr Inc. |
| Tenants | |
| Miami Heat (NBA) (2000–present) Miami Sol (WNBA) (2000–2002) |
|
The Kaseya Center is a large building in Miami, Florida, used for many different events. It sits right on Biscayne Bay. This arena is the home court for the Miami Heat, a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
When it first opened in 1999, it was called the American Airlines Arena. Later, it was known as FTX Arena from 2021 to 2023. For a short time in 2023, it was called the Miami-Dade Arena. Since April 2023, a company called Kaseya has owned the rights to the arena's name. The basketball court inside is officially named the Pat Riley Court at Kaseya Center.
The arena can hold about 19,500 people for basketball games. It has special club seats, luxury suites, and private boxes. Inside the complex, there's also The Waterfront Theater, which is Florida's biggest indoor theater. It can seat between 3,000 and 5,800 people. This theater is perfect for concerts, family shows, and musical theatre.
You can easily get to the arena using Miami's public transport, like the Miami Metrorail and Metromover. There are also 939 parking spaces available.
Contents
History of the Kaseya Center
Building the Arena
In 1997, the owners of the Miami Heat basketball team wanted a new home. They were playing in the old Miami Arena and said they might move to another county if they didn't get land for a new arena. The county agreed to give them land for the new building.
Construction started on February 6, 1998. The arena was designed by Arquitectonica and 360 Architecture. It cost about $213 million to build.
Opening and Early Years
The Kaseya Center first opened its doors as the American Airlines Arena on December 31, 1999. The grand opening featured a concert by the famous singer Gloria Estefan. Just two days later, on January 2, 2000, the Miami Heat played their first game there. They won against the Orlando Magic!
As part of the deal, American Airlines had a huge airplane painted on the arena's roof. This design was easy to see from planes flying to and from Miami International Airport. The arena also had fancy skyboxes called "Flagship Lounges," like the airline's special airport lounges. People sometimes called the arena "Triple-A" or "A3."
The arena is known for its unique scoreboard. It was designed by artist Christopher Janney and looks like underwater anemones. The scoreboard even changes colors to match the mood of the event!
Changes in Naming Rights
In 2019, American Airlines decided not to renew its naming rights. For a short time, the arena used the logo of Kia Motors on its court.
In March 2021, a company called FTX bought the naming rights for 19 years. The arena was renamed FTX Arena in June 2021. However, the agreement ended in January 2023 due to problems with FTX.
After being temporarily called Miami-Dade Arena for three months, a new deal was made in April 2023. A Miami software company, Kaseya, took over the naming rights. That's why it's now called the Kaseya Center!
In October 2024, the arena's basketball court was named the Pat Riley Court. This honored Pat Riley, a longtime coach and executive who helped the Heat win championships.
Exciting Events at Kaseya Center
Circus Fun
In January 2017, the famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced its final shows at the arena before closing forever.
Basketball Games
The arena has hosted many exciting NBA Finals games.
- In 2006 and 2011, the Miami Heat played the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. The Heat won in 2006, and the Mavericks won in 2011. Since American Airlines had naming rights to both arenas, people called these games the "American Airlines series."
- The Heat also played in the NBA Finals in 2012, 2013, and 2014. They won the championship at home in 2012 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 2013, they beat the San Antonio Spurs in a thrilling seven-game series. The Spurs got their revenge in 2014, winning the championship.
- In 2023, the Kaseya Center hosted the NBA Finals again. The Heat played the Denver Nuggets, but the Nuggets won their first championship.
- Since 2015, the arena has also hosted the Hoophall Miami Invitational, a college basketball event.
Wrestling and Fighting
The arena has been home to big professional wrestling events from WWE, including the Royal Rumble in 2006 and Survivor Series in 2007 and 2010. It also hosted WWE Hell in a Cell in 2013.
For mixed martial arts, the arena hosted the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event in Florida in 2003. The UFC returned in 2023, 2024, and has another event planned for 2025.
Other Sports and Shows
The Kaseya Center has an ice rink, even though Miami doesn't have an NHL hockey team playing there. This rink is used for fun ice shows like Disney on Ice.
The Waterfront Theatre at the arena also hosted the 2020 NFL Honors, an awards show for the National Football League.
Music Concerts
Many famous musicians have performed at the Kaseya Center. These include Olivia Rodrigo, Doja Cat, Gloria Estefan, Shakira, Dua Lipa, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, U2, Kanye West, Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, One Direction, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Janet Jackson, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Maroon 5, Adele, and Ricardo Arjona.
The arena also hosted the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards and the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards.
Awards Celebrations
The Kaseya Center is a popular spot for awards shows. It has hosted the annual Premio Lo Nuestro Latin music awards since 2001. It also hosted the Latin Grammy Awards in 2003, 2020, and 2024.
Images for kids
-
The arena during the 2004 NBA Playoffs
-
The arena in 2012.
-
Front view of the arena in July 2010
-
View from Biscayne Bay
-
View from the north at night
-
The arena at night
-
The arena in March 2022
See also
In Spanish: Kaseya Center para niños
- List of indoor arenas by capacity
