Santander Arena facts for kids
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| Former names | Sovereign Center (2001–2013) |
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| Location | 700 Penn Street Reading, PA 19602 |
| Coordinates | 40°20′05″N 75°55′23″W / 40.334771°N 75.923013°W |
| Public transit |  BARTA bus: All routes at BARTA Transportation Center |
| Owner | Berks County Convention Center Authority |
| Operator | SMG |
| Capacity | 6,000-9,000 (concerts) 8,000 (basketball) 6,500 (ice hockey) |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 1999 |
| Opened | September 6, 2001 |
| Construction cost | $42.5 million ($70.2 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | STV Architects Inc. PBK Architects Inc. |
| Project manager | Turner Construction |
| General contractor | Schlegel Builders Inc. |
| Tenants | |
| Reading Royals (ECHL) (2001–present) Reading Express (AIFL/AIFA/IFL) (2006–2012) Reading Railers (PBL) (2008) Reading Rockets (PLL) (2012) Pennsylvania Roar (MISL) (2013–2014) ASI Panthers (AIF) (2015) |
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The Santander Arena is a big building in Reading, Pennsylvania. It's a place where many different events happen, like sports games and concerts. It opened in 2001 and can hold about 7,160 people. Before it was built, an old movie theater called the Astor Theatre stood there. This theater was very grand in the early 1900s. It closed in 1975 and was empty for a long time. In 1998, the Astor Theatre was taken down to make space for the Santander Arena. But some cool parts of the old theater, like its fancy chandelier, were saved. You can see them inside the arena today!
The Berks County Convention Center Authority owns the Santander Arena. A company called SMG manages it. In 2013, the arena's name changed from Sovereign Center to Santander Arena.
The arena is home to the Reading Royals ice hockey team. They play in the ECHL. The Alvernia University Crusaders ice hockey team also plays here. In the past, other teams like the Reading Railers basketball team and the Reading Express indoor football team played at the arena.
What's Inside the Arena?
The Santander Arena has special seating options. There are 701 club seats for a more comfortable view. It also has 20 luxury suites. These are private rooms where groups can watch events.
Space for Events
The arena floor has a large area for banquets. This space is about 25,200 square feet. It can fit up to 1,200 guests for big parties or dinners. There's also a smaller room, about 4,575 square feet. This room can host events for up to 200 people.
Seating and Food
Most seats in the arena are comfortable chairs. There is a big screen hanging in the middle. This screen shows scores for hockey games and other sports. Around the seating area, there's a concourse. Here, you can find places to buy snacks and drinks. Some local food places, like Chickie's & Pete's, also have stands there.
Cool Events at Santander Arena
The Santander Arena has hosted many exciting events. Here are some of the most memorable ones:
- Barenaked Ladies, a popular band, played their first show in Reading here on November 21, 2001.
- The PBR brought their thrilling bull riding event in 2006.
- Skate America, a big international figure skating competition, was held here in 2003 and 2007.
- Famous rock bands like Slipknot and Korn performed in 2014.
- The East Coast Tsunami Fest, a music festival, took place here in 2015. It featured groups like Wu Tang Clan and Bodycount w Ice-T.
- Country music star Rascal Flatts performed in 2016.
- Eric Church, another country singer, had a concert here in 2017.
- The band Avenged Sevenfold played in 2018 as part of their world tour.
