Baku Arena – stadium description

Commonly known as Şəfa stadionu, the stadium lies along one of Baku's most prominent avenues, the Heydar Aliyev Prospekt, within walking distance from the large Olympic Stadium. It was built by the domestic FA in 2001 as home for Şəfa and Inter (the latter later renamed to Keşlə).

This compact venue has three grandstands with south-east end left open. Initially all corners were empty, however between 2008 and 2013 they were filled with anciliary buildings. One of them, in the northern corner, is a hotel. Behind the south-east goal you can find two training fields and tennis courts, among other facilities.

The ground was opened in 2001 with a UEFA Cup qualifier. Since then it has hosted a wide array of domestic and international fixtures, including the U17 Women's World Cup in 2012. Aside from football every year the stadium hosts open-air events, including an American Independence Day picnic on July 4.

Because Şəfa was dissolved in 2006, the stadium was eventually taken over by Inter and renamed Inter Arena. However, in 2018 it was sold to the Azerbaijan Industrial Corporation (Azərbaycan Sənaye Korporasiyası – ASK) and has since been known as ASK Arena. In 2025, the name was changed once again, this time to Baku Arena.