Arena Pernambuco, Recife

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Facts and information

City: Recife, capital of the State of Pernambuco.

Actually, the stadium is located in the city of Sao Lourenco da Mata, in the metropolitan area of Recife; Sao Lourenco has no airport and poor travel infrastructure, hence the attendants of the Cup should stay in Recife.
Pernambuco is one of the most traditional States of the Brazilian football championships, so it was clear from the beginning that the State should host the World Cup. Two cities claimed the post: the capital Recife and Historic city of Olinda, but the high prices of land prevented the building of a new stadium.
Sao Lourenco was then chosen as a compromise solution; the new arena will be built in public lands.
Sao Lourenço, however, is rarely mentioned as host of the Cup; all over Brazil, Recife is considered the host city of the World Cup in Pernambuco.

Capacity: 46,000 attendants.

Official Name: Arena Pernambuco.
Origin of name: named after the State, Pernambuco.
The first name was Arena Capibaribe, after the big river which cuts the region.

Design: Fernandes Arquitetos Associados.

Constructor: Odebrecht.
The Government of Pernambuco signed a PPP contract with Odebrecht to build not only the Arena, but a whole complex called City of the Cup, which will include residential and business towers, hotel, shopping center, etc.(no other host city will have anything comparable).
American entertainment group AEG will operate the Arena.
Because there will be private investments and professional management, it is unlikely that Arena Pernambuco would become an underused white elephant after the Cup; one of the major clubs in Recife, Nautico, already signed a contract to stage matches in the Arena; besides, Recife is one of the fastest growing regions in Brazil (much thanks to the industrial complex of Suape), and is attracting more and more (and bigger) events.

Estimated cost: R$ 495 million.

Matches and teams

Recife will host five matches of the World Cup.
The teams are not defined yet, but it is known that the Brazilian team will not play in Recife.
The Dutch (who occupied Recife for 27 years) and the British (who had many business in the city in the beginning of the 20th century - so much that a British cemitery was created) have strong connections with Recife.

Matches of the World Cup in Recife:
June 14th (Saturday):
June 20th (Friday):
June 23rd (Monday):
June 26th (Thursday):
June 29th (Sunday):

Recife is also a host of the Confederations Cup, in 2013, provided that the works be finished before December 2012 (the stadium shall be completed just before the event; see photos below).

Matches of Confederations Cup in Recife:
June 16th (Sunday): Spain x Uruguay
June 19th (Wednesday): Japan x Italy
June 23rd (Sunday): Uruguay x Tahiti

More images and photos of Arena Pernambuco

Above: Cidade da Copa project; by 2014, only the Arena and a few buildings should be ready; the full project will extend for many years.	Image above: in February 2012, Odebrecht informed that the works were 30% done and released new images of the stadium; the holes in the structure will allow light to shine from inside out.
Two photos above: circa January 2012. Notice that not only a stadium, but an entire city is being built; the Government and FIFA claim that the stadium will be ready by January 2012. Notice also the city of Recife, far in the background.
Two photos above: October 2012. The stadium was confirmed by FIFA as one of the hosts of the Confederations Cup, but it is clear that the works are very delayed (FIFA considered the possibility of excluding Recife from the Confederations Cup).
Above: April 2013: the accessibility works (including highways, bus and metro station) are being completed.	Above: the turf was planted in early April 2013.

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