The Arena on Yas Island is here. From where to eat, how to get there and where to arrange tickets, here is everything you need to know about Abu Dhabi's new multipurpose venue, making sure your experiences are smooth and pleasant. The Arena is on Maha Street, one of the island's main thoroughfares that leads you to its main attractions such as Yas Mall and three amusement parks: Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld. The venue has a capacity of 16,500 people and can host a variety of events ranging from concerts to sporting events such as tennis tournaments and wrestling matches. The venue has two food and beverage zones hosting several brands. Male and female prayer rooms will be available on site as well as dedicated routes for people of determination. Abu Dhabi Showdown Week officials also said that The Arena has "extensive bathroom facilities". The Arena is a non-smoking venue and this restriction also applies to e-cigarettes. There is a designated smoking area outside the venue. While the venue has no general parking area, those arriving by car should follow the signage directing them to designated parking sites on the island. Shuttle buses at these points will ferry ticket holders to the arena and the journey is between six and eight minutes. For the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert, the bus services will start at 3pm and they will continue after the concert ends. Only VIP ticket holders can park at The Arena. Taxis and Careem vehicles can drop you off outside The Arena. Make sure you have your ticket in hand to show traffic officials. You can use the code 'ASDW19' to obtain a 40 per cent discount from Careem on the cost of your trip to and from The Arena, provided the journey does not exceed Dh40. The deal is valid for two Careem trips. Unlike other Yas Island concerts at the Du Arena or Du Forum, tickets for all events at The Arena cannot be collected or bought at the venue. This means that tickets for the Red Hot Chili Peppers or the UFC events must be purchased in advance from <a href="http://www.ticketmaster.ae">www.ticketmaster.ae</a> or Virgin Megastore outlets. Only original, printed tickets and electronic tickets will be accepted at The Arena. Organisers are advising concert-goers to add an extra hour to their journeys to The Arena to account for delays caused by congestion, the search for parking and the time taken by shuttle buses to reach the venue. The temperature inside the venue has been set at 24 degrees Celsius. With no storage or cloakrooms at the site, ensure you dress accordingly. Large bags will not be permitted inside the venue. There is an ATM machine at the UFC Fan Experience tent, adjacent to The Arena. Some food and beverage outlets accept card payments. <strong>The Arena in numbers:</strong> • About 10 kilometres of scaffolding • 22 square kilometres of astro turf • 20 square kilometres of carpet • 21.6 square kilometres of flooring • 2,060,800 kilowatts<strong> </strong>of power • Over 1,000 light fittings • 272 kilometres of cable • 22 tons of equipment hanging from The Arena roof • About 2,000 man hours per day during construction <em>More information on Abu Dhabi Showdown Week is available on <a href="http://www.adshowdownweek.ae">www.adshowdownweek.ae</a></em>
