Kaseya Center facts for kids
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 Kaseya Center
Location in Miami
Kaseya Center
Location in Florida
Kaseya Center
Location in the United States
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| Former names | American Airlines Arena (1999–2021) FTX Arena (2021–2023) Miami-Dade Arena (2023) |
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| 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 |
| 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) |
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The Kaseya Center is a large building in Miami, Florida. It's used for many different events, like sports games and concerts. It's located right next to Biscayne Bay. The company Kaseya currently holds the naming rights for the arena.
This arena is the home court for the Miami Heat, a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was designed by two architecture companies, Arquitectonica and 360 Architecture. Construction on the Kaseya Center began on February 6, 1998. It was built to replace the older Miami Arena.
Getting to the arena is easy! You can use Miami's public transportation. The Miami Metrorail has a station nearby called Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre. You can also use the Metromover to get to the Freedom Tower or Park West stations, which are close by.
Inside, the arena has lots of special areas. There are 2,105 club seats and 80 luxury suites. It also has Florida's biggest theater, called the Waterfront Theater. This theater can hold between 3,000 and 5,800 people. It's perfect for concerts, family shows, and musical theatre.
The arena has had a few different names over the years. It was first known as the American Airlines Arena. Then, in 2021, a company called FTX bought the rights to name the arena. It became the FTX Arena. However, that deal ended in 2023. For a short time, it was called the Miami-Dade Arena. Finally, in April 2023, Kaseya, a software company from Miami, became the new naming rights partner, giving the arena its current name, Kaseya Center.
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History of the Kaseya Center
The Kaseya Center first opened its doors on December 31, 1999. Back then, it was called the American Airlines Arena. It cost about $213 million to build. The very first event held there was a concert by the famous singer Gloria Estefan. Just two days later, on January 2, 2000, the Miami Heat played their first basketball game in their new home. They won against the Orlando Magic!
When it was the American Airlines Arena, the company had a huge picture of an airplane painted on the roof. This was so people flying into Miami International Airport could see it from their planes! The arena also had special luxury boxes called "Flagship Lounges," just like the airline's fancy airport lounges.
Many local sports reporters used to call the arena "Triple-A" or "A3" (A cubed) because of its original name. The arena also has a unique scoreboard designed by an artist named Christopher Janney. It looks like underwater plants and changes colors to match the mood of the event.
In September 2019, American Airlines decided not to renew their naming rights. So, the arena needed a new name. For a while, the basketball court even had the logo of Kia Motors instead of American Airlines. In March 2021, FTX, a company that deals with digital money, bought the naming rights for a lot of money. The arena officially became the FTX Arena in June 2021.
However, in November 2022, FTX had some financial problems. Because of this, the deal to name the arena ended. On January 11, 2023, the name FTX Arena was officially removed. For about three months, the arena was temporarily called the "Miami-Dade Arena." Then, on April 4, 2023, Kaseya, a software company based in Miami, signed a 17-year agreement to name the arena. That's how it became the Kaseya Center!
Getting to the Kaseya Center
Public Transportation Options
The Kaseya Center is easy to reach using Miami's public transport system. You can walk to the Freedom Tower Metromover station from the arena. The Metromover is a free train system that goes around downtown Miami.
Parking at the Arena
If you're driving, the arena has 939 parking spaces available. These spaces are often saved for people with special tickets during Miami Heat games.
Exciting Events at the Kaseya Center
The Kaseya Center has hosted many memorable events, from thrilling basketball games to amazing concerts and other shows.
Basketball Games and Championships
- The arena has been home to many exciting NBA Finals games. In 2006 and 2011, the Miami Heat played against the Dallas Mavericks in the championship series. The Heat won in 2006, and the Mavericks won in 2011.
- The Heat also played in the NBA Finals at home in 2012, 2013, and 2014. They won the championship at home in 2012 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 2013, they had a tough series against the San Antonio Spurs but won the championship in Miami.
- Most recently, in 2023, the Kaseya Center hosted the 2023 NBA Finals where the Heat played the Denver Nuggets.
- Since 2015, the arena has also hosted the Hoophall Miami Invitational, which is a big NCAA Division I college basketball event.
Professional Wrestling Shows
Fans of professional wrestling have seen many exciting matches at the Kaseya Center.
- It hosted the WCW Uncensored event in 2000.
- Four major WWE events have taken place here: the Royal Rumble in 2006, Survivor Series in 2007 and 2010, and Hell in a Cell in 2013.
- The arena has also been the setting for many episodes of Raw and SmackDown.
Mixed Martial Arts Fights
The arena has also been a venue for intense mixed martial arts events.
- On April 25, 2003, it hosted Florida's first UFC event, UFC 42: Sudden Impact.
- The UFC returned to the arena twenty years later, on April 8, 2023, for UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2.
Other Sports and Events
- Even though the arena has an NHL-sized ice rink, it has never hosted professional hockey games. Instead, the rink is used for fun ice shows like Disney on Ice.
- The Waterfront Theatre inside the arena hosted the 2020 NFL Honors event, which celebrates the best players and moments in American football.
Concerts and Music Performances
Many famous musicians and bands have performed at the Kaseya Center.
- The band Phish has played at the arena 12 times, including three sold-out New Year's Eve shows.
- Shakira has performed many times, including shows for her Oral Fixation Tour where a concert DVD was filmed. She has the most sold-out shows for a female artist at the arena.
- Other popular artists like Dua Lipa, Mariah Carey, Cher, Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, and Britney Spears have also performed here. Britney Spears even set an attendance record in 2009!
- The arena was the setting for the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards and 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, which brought many famous stars to Miami.
- U2, Soda Stereo, Kanye West, Tina Turner, and Celine Dion are just a few more of the many artists who have graced the stage.
- Justin Bieber has performed five sold-out shows at the arena over the years.
- Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Hillsong United, One Direction, Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, Chris Brown, Janet Jackson, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Maroon 5, Adele, and Carrie Underwood have all held concerts here.
Awards Ceremonies
The Kaseya Center is a popular spot for major awards shows.
- It has been the home of the annual Premio Lo Nuestro Latin music awards since 2001. These awards celebrate the best in Latin music.
- The arena also hosted the Latin Grammy Awards in 2003 and 2020.
Images for kids
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The arena during the 2004 NBA Playoffs
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Front view of the arena in July 2010
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View from Biscayne Bay
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View from the north at night
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The arena at night
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The arena in March 2022
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Player introductions before a Miami Heat game
See also
In Spanish: Kaseya Center para niños
