For many years, the New York Islanders were a hockey team, if not without a home, without the kind of home its owners wanted.
But with UBS Arena in Belmont Park, located seven miles from JFK International Airport, the Islanders have a high-profile home. The arena has hosted some of the biggest names in music, including Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and Harry Styles, as well as Stanley Cup games.
But possibly the biggest day at the venue doesn’t involve Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, or even the Islanders directly, or rather, it involves all of them.
No performance rivaled Nov. 19, 2021, when it comes to significance for the space that cost more than $1 billion to build. That was the day of the venue’s ribbon cutting, itself a sort of star.
The UBS Arena is at once one of the larger construction projects in the region and a singular venue mixing music and sports.
“The arena itself is incredibly easy to get to using public transportation,” said Kieran Gibbons, who attended a recent Islanders game. “I think it’s well designed in terms of how you enter the building and getting to your seats. There are plenty of food options. No matter where you’re sitting, you have a good view.”
Developed by the Oak View Group, the New York Islanders and Jeff Wilpon, UBS Arena gave Long Island a big performance venue and the Islanders a new home
In its 745,000 square feet, it seats 17,250 for NHL games and 19,000 for concerts and other events. It also has 9,000 square feet of outdoor terrace and 55 suites. The Long Island Rail Road is filled with event goers who take the train to the game or concert.
Location, location, location
Located in Elmont, UBS Arena is barely beyond the borough of Queens in Nasau County. It attracts crowds from across Long Island and New York City. It is the home of the New York Islanders hockey team, which has played at the Nassau Veterans Coliseum and Barclays Center.
Nicknamed the Stable, UBS Arena was developed by a partnership including the Oak View Group, the New York Islanders, and Jeff Wilpon.
“The design of UBS Arena fosters a flexible and unique experience for hockey and concert fans alike,” according to Populous, the architecture firm responsible for the design.
Other organizations have entered into marketing partnerships with the venue, which welcomed 1.4 million during its first year. UBS Arena is an entertainment center for Long Island, welcoming the biggest acts.
JetBlue in late 2024 announced a multi-year partnership with UBS Arena and the New York Islanders as the Official Domestic Airline Partner. JetBlue President Marty St. George said they did this as JetBlue launched new service from Long Island MacArthur Airport.
“We’re excited to become an even bigger part of the Long Island community, home of some of our most loyal customers,” St. George said.
Behind the bank
Although “UBS” may be an arena to many Long Islanders, there’s a big bank behind the name. UBS is a Swiss bank with about 30% of its employees in the Americas, 30% in Switzerland, 19% in other parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and 21% in Asia Pacific.
UBS Group AG employs more than 72,000 people worldwide and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. UBS Arena gives it a high-profile naming sponsorship in the New York City metropolitan area.
“The New York City area is home to our Americas headquarters, thousands of our employees, and more UBS clients than any other U.S. market,” Tom Naratil, co-president of UBS Global Wealth Management and president of UBS Americas, said after UBS announced its sponsorship. “We have deep roots in the tri-state area and a fundamental commitment to growing our presence in the U.S.”
The Oak View Group, one of the partners in the project, is a global sports and entertainment company founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015. Leiweke called this “a global landmark entertainment and sports destination.”
And Sterling Project Development, a Sterling Equities affiliate, is involved in more than 200 projects with a total construction value of more than $26 billion.
Founded in 1972, the New York Islanders Hockey Club has won four Stanley Cup Championships and 19 consecutive playoff series victories.
Arena approvals
New York Arena Partners—a joint venture between the Islanders, Oak View Group, and Sterling Equities—won the right to build a new, 18,000-seat arena and mixed-use district at Belmont Park in 2017.
They broke ground on September 23, 2019, at an event attended by New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, and other dignitaries. After Covid hit, construction was paused but resumed on May 27, 2020.
From the day it opened, UBS (named for a Swiss bank) was a big deal. The Empire State Building, Pier 17 at The Seaport, and the Nassau County Dome were all lit in Islan blue and orange on November 20, 2021.
Various executives involved with the project rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, November 29 of that year.
UBS Arena includes a dedicated team store called the Isles Lab Team Store, eight bars with views of the ice and the largest arena scoreboard in New York State. It has a 23,000-square-foot locker room and player area.
It was only built after numerous other projects, some that proceeded and others that fell through.
Bye, bye bond
Nassau County voters in 2011 voted against a referendum that would have approved a $400 million public bond to build a $350 million arena and $50 million minor league ballpark. Charles Wang had proposed it, but residents didn’t approve the proposal.
In 2012, the Islanders said they would relocate to Barclays Center in Brooklyn after their lease at the Coliseum expired in 2015.
Bruce Ratner led a group that won an $89 million bid to renovate the Coliseum. As part of the programming, the plan was to present six Islanders games a year.
Barclays Center was designed primarily as a basketball arena and is the home of the New York Nets. Some observers criticized the sight lines for hockey games, including seats with obstructed views.
In 2020, it was announced that UBS had won the naming rights in a 20-year deal, naming the facility UBS Arena.
The Islanders began playing home games at UBS Arena in 2021 after preseason home games at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn., home of their American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders.
UBS Arena formally opened on Nov. 19, 2021, with a private fundraising event featuring rock band Chicago. British singer Harry Styles performed in the first non-private event concert on November 28, 2021.
Train access from the start was a key element of convenience for the concert and sporting event venue.
Infrastructure improvements
UBS Arena prompted about $100 million investment in transit and infrastructure enhancements, including the Elmont station, the first new Long Island Rail Road station in almost 50 years.
The Islanders played their first home game there on November 20, 2021, losing by a score of 5–2 loss to the Calgary Flames. They had an inauspicious start of 0–5–2 at UBS Arena, notching their first home win on Dec. 11 in a 4–2 game against the New Jersey Devils.
The first Stanley Cup playoff game at UBS Arena took place on April 21, 2023, as the Islanders defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5–1.
UBS became home to a wide range of sports and concerts, including college basketball, as the St. John’s Red Storm and the Kansas Jayhawks played part in the annual Big East–Big 12 Battle in 2021.
The New York Liberty, part of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) played their 2024 Commissioner’s Cup championship game against the Minnesota Lynx at UBS Arena on June 25.
The WWE’ hosted their Monday Night Raw on Nov. 29, 2021, at UBS, followed by All Elite Wrestling’s Dynamite on Dec. 8 and some other matches.
The first MMA and UFC event, UFC on ABC: Ortega vs. Rodríguez, was held there on July 16, 2022.
UBS Arena obtained a Zero Waste TRUE Silver certification in May 2024 in addition to LEED Green Building Certification and carbon neutrality for operations.
Populous said it selected upholstered seating, which strengthens the acoustics and “ensures that sound quality is maintained no matter the number of attendees, from sound check to live performances.”
UBS Arena also offers six concession stands and 13 food markets, including two Amazon Just-Walk-Out stations, a speak-easy off the main concourse, and 10 bars providing views of the game as well as Belmont Hall, an “Islanders-inspired sports bar.”
