UBS Arena at Belmont Park, the brand-new, cutting-edge sports and entertainment venue, has officially opened its doors. (UBS)

The time has finally come. A year and a half after announcing our 20-year naming rights agreement, and following months of planning and development with our partners – Oak View Group, the New York Islanders, and Sterling Project Development – UBS Arena at Belmont Park, the brand-new, cutting-edge sports and entertainment venue, has officially opened its doors just outside of New York City. UBS Arena is located less than 15 miles from two of NYC’s major airports and will host more than 150 major events annually.


A ceremonious day


On Friday afternoon, Tom Naratil, Co-President GWM and President Americas, Brian Hull, Executive Vice Chairman Americas and other UBS leaders and colleagues helped cut the ribbon at alongside New York Governor Kathy Hochul, New York Islanders Co-Owner Jon Ledecky, and Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke, among others. Later that evening, the state-of-the-art venue hosted a UBS Arena Foundation Benefit Concert featuring legendary, Grammy-winning rock band Chicago, and the Northwell Health Nurses Choir; real life heroes who have been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and who also won the hearts of many on the most recent season of the reality series competition Americas Got Talent .


Yes! Yes! Yes!


The next day, the four-time Stanley Cup Champion New York Islanders brought the energy for the team’s long-awaited first home game at UBS Arena, after opening the National Hockey League (NHL) season with 13 games on the road. While the Islanders unfortunately did not come out with a win, a sell-out crowd of more than 17,000 fans were in attendance to cheer on the team.


To honor the game, NYC’s Empire State Building was one of several landmarks to illuminate their lights in Islanders blue and orange. To find out how you can buy tickets to Islanders games this season and join the best fans in hockey in person with the famous “Yes! Yes! Yes!” goal chant, check out the sidebar.


Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal surprises our Veterans


On Thursday, 11 November, Veterans Day is observed in countries including the US to honor all who served their country in the Armed Forces. Ahead of UBS Arena’s opening, members of the UBS Veterans Network were treated to a special event at the venue. They watched the unveiling of the Chair of Honor, which will always remain empty to honor American Prisoners of War and service members Missing in Action – symbolizing that there will always be a place for them at UBS Arena awaiting their safe return.


As a special surprise, the veterans were joined for the occasion by National Basketball Association (NBA) legend Shaquille O’Neal, whose father was an Army drill sergeant. Shaq was onsite to open one of his famous Big Chicken restaurants at the arena.


Harry Styles: Love On Tour


You might know him as one of the members of former boy band sensation One Direction, the group formed on the British singing competition The X Factor . Since the group disbanded in 2016, Harry has achieved massive global solo success, selling millions of albums and winning a Grammy Award, two Brit Awards, among other accolades.


This Sunday, 28 November, Harry will be the first music act to rock the arena. He’s just one of several big performers set to perform at the venue, which has icons Journey and Billy Idol lined up, too. Check out the sidebar to find out other scheduled performers and how you can buy early access tickets to upcoming events.


Your health and safety matters


For all scheduled events, COVID-19 precautions have been put in place to ensure a safe and healthy experience. UBS Arena has a dedicated engineering team to ensure that the air quality within the Arena is safe and effective. They’re also employing the latest sanitization solutions including the use of long-term protectants and sanitizers to minimize pathogens on all surfaces.


To learn more about visiting UBS Arena in the near future for an upcoming hockey game, concert, comedy show, or a special event, see the links in the sidebar.


Stimulating the economy and sustainability


Throughout the construction process, more than 10,000 jobs were created, with an estimated 3,000 permanent jobs for the Arena’s operations. And over the next 25 years, UBS Arena is projected to create nearly USD 25 billion of economic activity. In addition, UBS Arena is heavily focused on sustainability, as it aims to be 100% carbon neutral by 2024. To get to UBS Arena, we encourage energy-saving mass transit, as fans can take the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) to the brand-new Elmont Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) train station, the MTA’s first new station in 50 years.


Main contributor: Evan Stern


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