The capital of Sweden, Stockholm has in the recent years begun to discuss the option to build a new major arena for sports and events. The vision is a multifunctional arena with a capacity of 55.000 to 60.000 seats. In Sweden today only Gothenburg has got an arena (Ullevi) with that ability. Ullevi is today the centre for sport events and musical events. The prospect for Stockholm is to get a similar opportunity as Gothenburg with the visualised arena. The fact is that Stockholm today loose events in favour towards Gothenburg.

This geographical study takes its aim to comprehend how an arena makes spatial effects in local, regional and national levels in economic geographical perspectives.

In a deeper perspective, what kind of effects can the visionary arena in terms of concurrence with other arenas in the vicinities and how the arena effects its locality, its region and the nation.

The theories that have been implemented in the study are the Central place theory, the localisation and regional development theories and Porters Diamond. In the study recent and older science of sports geography, science of events and city regeneration is treated. There is also a comprehensive background investigation of the city of Gothenburg and Stockholm and their development from industrial cities towards becoming more event based cities.

The study is mainly based on three interviews. The interviews are made with Stockholm town, The Swedish Football Association and Solna town. It is among these actors that the visionary arena plans has its strongest expressions. Thru the interviews the study show a couple of different themes and results. For example there are competitor like factors in their visions. They are looking to compete both against the western side of Europe thru the Ullevi arena, and with the eastern side of Europe, mainly the Baltic Sea area, with the new arena in Stockholm. An other factor is the vision to strengthen the status of Stockholm as a leading city of events.