Arena Theatre
| Established | 1889 |
|---|---|
| Located at | Bratislava |
| Coordinates | 48°08′09″N 17°06′52″E / 48.13583°N 17.11444°E |
| Heritage designation | cultural heritage of Slovakia |
| Occupant | Divadlo Aréna |
| Country | Slovakia |
| Website | www |
Arena Theatre (Slovak: Divadlo Aréna) is one of the oldest theatres in Bratislava. It was established on the right bank of the Danube in 1828 as an amphitheatre. The current building was built in 1899.[1]
From its establishment until the start of the Second World War, many Hungarian, Austrian and German theatre companies performed there. In the bombing of Starý most at the end of the war, the theatre building sustained damage and was subsequently closed to the public for more than 50 years.[2]After the war, the theatre served as a storehouse for state-owned Czechoslovak Television.[1]
In the years after the Velvet Revolution, the theatre was revived by a group of people around mime artist Milan Sládek, with an annual pantomime festival under the name of Festival Kaukliar starting there in 1996.[3]
In 2003, renowned Slovak actor Juraj Kukura became managing director and focus of the theatre shifted to drama. Kukura remained in charge until stepping down on 30 June 2025.[4] The performance of The Goat or Who is Sylvia?[nb 1] was nominated for Dosky Awards for the 2003–04 theatre season. Juraj Kukura and Emília Vášáryová won the categories of best actor and best actress for their roles in the production.[5] A year later, monodrama Tiso was voted the best performance. The play won a total of four awards including best actor for Marián Labuda's portrayal of Jozef Tiso.[6]
Reconstruction of the building began in 2022: at a cost of around €7 million, the water tower and the wings were restored, a tower was added to the roof and a café was added to the site.[2]
Notes
- ^ co-production with Prague-based The Drama Club
References
- ^ a b "Jedno z najstarších divadiel čaká obnova: Pozrite sa, ako vyzeralo kedysi". Plus 7 dní (in Slovak). 23 July 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Divadlo Aréna oslavuje 94 rokov. Aká je jeho história?". bratislavskenoviny.sk (in Slovak). 10 July 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
- ^ "Smutná správa: Zomrel svetoznámy mím Milan Sládek, bývalý riaditeľ divadla Aréna". bratislavskenoviny.sk (in Slovak). TASR. 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
- ^ Preložníková, Nikoleta (26 November 2025). "Chaos v Divadle Aréna po Kukurovi: Najhorší možný scenár, dočasne ho nahradí táto žena". Plus 7 dni (in Slovak). News and Media Holding. TASR. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ "Najviac cien získala Arabská noc". Sme (in Slovak). 25 September 2004. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ "V Nitre odovzdali ocenenia divadelnej sezóny DOSKY 2005". Sme (in Slovak). 23 September 2005. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
External links
- Official site (in Slovak)