SM Seaside Cebu Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena in South Road Properties, Cebu City, Philippines. The arena, located adjacent to the SM Seaside City complex, has a seating capacity of 16,000,and 25,000 full capacity and is the largest indoor arena in Cebu and in Visayas.
History Conception and initial cancellation First proposed in 2013, SM Seaside Cebu Arena (then known as the "SM Seaside Arena") is planned to be a venue for local and international concerts, sports events, international conventions, and as the venue of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) and some select Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) games. The arena was also one of the proposed venues for the unsuccessful Philippine bid for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
In January 2017, reports emerged that developer SM Prime Holdings had canceled its plans to build the arena. This occurred amidst an unfavorable political climate when Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña threatened to revoke several sale lots in the South Road Properties (SRP).
Revival and construction
The project was revived in late 2019 during the administration of Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella, with the arena, instead of being within the SM Seaside complex, now placed within South Coast City, an adjacent mixed-use development co-owned by SM Prime with Ayala Land.
The SM Seaside Cebu Arena officially broke ground in 2021. It was originally set to open in June 2026. The arena officially opened on July 11, 2026, with the Cebu stop of Bini's Signals World Tour 2026 being the venue's first ever event.
Events Entertainment Filipino girl group BINI were the first performers at the arena on July 11, 2026, for the second leg of their Signals World Tour, and the arena's first event. Rock band IV of Spades also performed at the arena on July 18 as part of their 'Andalucia' Tour, as well as KZ Tandingan and TJ Monterde on September 5, and Yeng Constantino on September 20 as part of her 'Biyaheng Bente' 20th Anniversary concert tour.
Australian contemporary worship music band Hillsong Worship were the venue's first international performers as part of their Asia Tour on September 18, 2026. American pop rock band LANY will perform at the arena as part of their Soft World Tour on November 6 and 12, 2026.
A Disney on Ice event is also scheduled to be held at the arena.
Sports The East Asia Super League's 'EASL Tip-Off', which served as the opening of its 2026–27 season, was the first professional sports event at the SM Seaside Cebu Arena, featuring Macau Hou Chon which played the Taipei Fubon Braves, and the Abra Weavers hosting Hong Kong Eastern.
The arena will host the 2027 FIBA Women's Asia Cup and the 2027 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League. It was originally set to host the second week of the 2026 VNL tournament, but was moved to the Philsports Arena in Pasig owing to the arena not being completed in time. It is currently being eyed as a venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2028 Asian Beach Games. The Philippines men's national basketball team will also play in the arena for the sixth and final window of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers in late February and early March 2027.
In addition, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) have also expressed interest in holding games in the arena.
Facilities SM Seaside Cebu Arena was built at the cost of and was designed by Arquitectonica. It is bigger than 15,000-seater SM Mall of Asia Arena with a seating capacity of 16,000 and a full house capacity of 25,000 This makes it among the largest indoor arenas in the Philippines. It was built on a lot with about of gross floor area. It is also linked to the SMX Convention Center Cebu and the SM Seaside City shopping mall via a skybridge.
See also SM Seaside City SM Arena Mall of Asia Cebu Coliseum List of indoor arenas in the Philippines
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