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The Riverbank Arena was one of the stand-out venues on Olympic Park. Its blue artificial pitch with its pink run-off areas was nicknamed the ‘smurf turf’ and really caught the eye, particularly from the air. Its colours were chosen to reflect the colours of the London Games.
The Riverbank Arena is a temporary venue situated in the north of the Olympic Park. It holds 16,000 spectators and contains two pitches; one for competition and one for warm-up.
Now the Games have finished, the Riverbank Arena is being moved to the north of the Olympic Park, joining a group of facilities in the area known as Eton Manor. It will have 3,000 permanent seats with the ability to increase to up to 15,000 for major events.
Hockey’s legacy venue at Eton Manor is expected to play host to major domestic finals, the annual Investec London Cup and other major international tournaments. Day-to-day, it will be brought to life through community use including local hockey clubs, who have traditionally struggled to find appropriate facilities.
