St Petersburg has two big ice arenas, and people mix them up all the time. SKA Arena on Yuriya Gagarina Prospekt opened at the turn of 2024: it is the new home of SKA, the city's KHL hockey club, and with more than 21,500 seats it bills itself as the largest hockey arena in the world. The Ice Palace (Ledovy dvorets) on Pyatiletok Prospekt was built for the 2000 Ice Hockey World Championship; today it mostly hosts concerts, and its hockey is SKA's farm club, SKA-VMF.
Below: how the two arenas differ, how to get there and back after a late game or concert, what you can bring in and what tickets cost in November. Everything was checked against the arenas' websites, SKA Arena's spectator rules, the St Petersburg Metro website and Yandex Afisha on 19 October 2026.
🏒 SKA Arena: the city's top-flight hockey
SKA Arena is at 8 Yuriya Gagarina Prospekt, between Gagarina and Kosmonavtov avenues. It is home ice for two KHL clubs at once: SKA and Shanghai Dragons. Capacity for hockey and concerts starts at 21,530; the building is almost 51 metres high, and above the ice hangs an 810 m² media cube that the arena calls the biggest in Europe. The arena plan shows cafés and cloakrooms on several floors, plus a two-storey panoramic restaurant.
SKA Arena stands and the media cube above the ice before a game — Photo: Dvp777, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
What's on this autumn. As of 19 October, SKA home games are on sale up to 27 October: against Avtomobilist on 20 October and Torpedo on 27 October (from 450 roubles), Sibir on the 22nd (from 410) and CSKA on 25 October at 17:00 (from 1,080). Weekday games start at 19:30. From 30 October to 22 November the arena hosts Shanghai Dragons home games, from 300 roubles. Concerts: Maxim Fadeev on 24 October (from 5,000), Xolidayboy on 21 November and Dima Bilan on 28 and 29 November. SKA's November games were not yet listed on Yandex Afisha on 19 October, so keep an eye on the arena's schedule.
🎤 The Ice Palace: concerts and cheaper hockey
The Ice Palace at 1 Pyatiletok Prospekt opened in April 2000 for the World Championship. It has 12,500 seats and 74 VIP boxes, and the hall converts for concerts of 3,000 to 12,000 people. The palace says it has hosted more than 2,000 concerts in 25 years, and the Golden Gramophone (Zolotoy grammofon) music awards are held here every year.
The Ice Palace on Pyatiletok Prospekt — Photo: A.Savin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The hockey here is SKA-VMF of the second-tier Supreme Hockey League (VHL). It is the cheapest way to watch professional hockey in the city: tickets from 190 roubles, with November games on the 17th, 19th, 21st and 23rd. November is busy with concerts: "The Universe of Hans Zimmer" on 8 November (from 2,500 roubles), a 90s disco night on the 14th (from 3,900), Lolita on the 15th (from 4,500), Pelageya on the 20th (from 2,400), comedian Sergei Orlov on the 22nd (from 3,000), Eva Polna on the 27th and the rock band Piknik on the 28th (both from 2,200). Almost everything is in Russian, apart from the Hans Zimmer show, which is music only.
The Ice Palace during a hockey game — Photo: Dvp777, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Food: more than 30 outlets on every floor selling hot dogs, burgers, panini, ice cream and hot drinks, open throughout the event, intervals included. At concerts the fan zone is a standing area right in front of the stage, fenced off from the rest of the floor. According to the palace, photo and video recording at concerts is not allowed.
🚇 Getting there: whatever you do, don't head for Park Pobedy
SKA Arena's website still says "Park Pobedy metro — 15 minutes", but that station has been closed for reconstruction since 29 June 2025. The arena names two other stations: Elektrosila on the same blue line and Mezhdunarodnaya on the purple line. If you drive, the arena has a 3,100-space car park, and on event days parking tickets are sold in advance.
The Ice Palace is easier: according to the palace, it is less than 100 metres from the Prospekt Bolshevikov metro exit — turn left. It has its own 305-space car park; on event days the "special" rate applies: 300 roubles an hour, 1,000 roubles for 4–7 hours.
🌙 Getting home after the game or concert
As of 19 October 2026 the metro runs to the timetable in force since 1 October:
- Elektrosila metro: entrance closes at 0:38; last train towards Parnas at 0:16, towards Kupchino at 0:43.
- Prospekt Bolshevikov metro: entrance closes at 0:23; last train towards Gorny Institut at 0:12, towards Ulitsa Dybenko at 0:30.
- Transfers between lines stop at 00:15 — if your route involves a change, that is your real deadline.
Hockey at 19:30 and concerts at 19:00–20:00 usually finish in time, but when 20,000 people leave at once, expect queues at the metro. If you miss the last train, see our guide to St Petersburg's night transport.
🎟 Tickets and entry rules
SKA Arena sells tickets through its own listings, which pass you on to the ticketing operator; there is a limit of 4 tickets per person, and there is no need to print anything — just hold your phone screen to the scanner. Refunds are requested by email to [email protected]. The Ice Palace sells tickets on its website, newarena.spb.ru, and its box office answers by phone. Ticket sites are in Russian, and online payment may not accept foreign cards.
SKA Arena's rules are strict. You may not bring in food or drinks, thermoses, hip flasks or glass containers, and anything larger than 40×40×45 cm must go to the left-luggage office, located behind the box office pavilion and in car park P3; it opens 15 minutes before doors and closes an hour after the event. You cannot leave and come back in on the same ticket. Children under 7 without their own seat get in free unless the organiser says otherwise; under-16s without a parent are not admitted to evening events ending after 22:00. Bring your passport: the organiser has the right to ask for ID at the entrance. Neither arena's website mentioned a Fan ID requirement on 19 October.
🧭 Things to know
- Want the KHL and a giant arena? SKA Arena. Want hockey for 190 roubles, or a concert without a vast stadium? The Ice Palace.
- You can't do both in one evening: they are at opposite ends of the city, and Elektrosila and Prospekt Bolshevikov are on different metro lines.
- Dress for the weather: in November it will be dark, damp and windy by the final whistle, and you can leave a warm coat in the cloakroom inside.
- Don't bring food to SKA Arena — it will be taken off you at the door. Eat inside.
- Not for: anyone who dislikes crowds and loud sound, or who needs a metro transfer to get home after 00:15.
📌 In short
✅ SKA plays at SKA Arena (8 Yuriya Gagarina Prospekt); the Ice Palace (1 Pyatiletok Prospekt) has SKA-VMF and most of the big concerts.
✅ Park Pobedy metro is closed for reconstruction — go to Elektrosila or Mezhdunarodnaya instead. For the Ice Palace, Prospekt Bolshevikov, under 100 metres away.
✅ Tickets as of 19 October: SKA from 410 to 1,080 roubles, Shanghai Dragons from 300, SKA-VMF from 190, Ice Palace concerts in November from 2,200.
✅ Metro transfers end at 00:15; the last train from Elektrosila towards Kupchino leaves at 0:43, from Prospekt Bolshevikov towards Dybenko at 0:30.
✅ No food, drinks or big bags at SKA Arena, and no re-entry on the same ticket.
Both arenas are good, just for different things: SKA Arena for scale and the KHL, the Ice Palace for concerts and cheap hockey right by the metro. Checked on 19 October 2026 on the websites of SKA Arena and the Ice Palace, SKA Arena's spectator rules, the St Petersburg Metro website and Yandex Afisha.
❓ Questions and answers
Where does SKA hockey club play now?
At SKA Arena, 8 Yuri Gagarin Prospekt. The arena describes itself as the home ground of SKA and Shanghai Dragons. The Ice Palace at 1 Pyatiletok Prospekt hosts SKA-VMF, a VHL team; as of 19 October 2026 tickets for its games start at 190 roubles.
Which metro station is closest to SKA Arena?
The arena lists Park Pobedy, Elektrosila and Mezhdunarodnaya, but Park Pobedy has been closed for reconstruction since 29 June 2025. Use Elektrosila or Mezhdunarodnaya. The Ice Palace is less than 100 metres from Prospekt Bolshevikov station.
Do I need a passport or Fan ID for hockey?
As of 19 October 2026 the arenas' websites do not mention a Fan ID requirement. SKA Arena's rules allow the organiser to ask for an identity document at the entrance, so it is best to bring your passport.
Cover photo: Florstein (Telegram:WikiPhoto.Space), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.jpg)
