Mos Espa Grand Arena

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The Mos Espa Grand Arena, also known as the Mos Espa Arena, was the location of the annual Boonta Eve Classic Podrace.^[2] It was constructed out of sandrock and ditanium over durasteel supports,^[3] and was financed by the Hutts. The arena was located at the outskirts of Mos Espa at the junction of Xelric Draw and the Northern Dune Sea.^[2] For a long time before the arena was built, Tatooine’s thrill-seekers held free-for-all, no-holds-barred races here, first on animal-drawn carts, then on hanno speeders, and, finally, on podracers.^[3]

The grandstands of the arena, which were financed by Jabba the Hutt, were cradled within an amphitheater which was built into the natural curve of a steep-walled canyon. The arena's track attracted competitors and spectators from all over the galaxy. The complex could hold more than 100,000 spectators, though many more visitors were present for major events like the Boonta Eve Classic. While high-priced tickets for podraces are widely sold to gullible off-worlders, Tatooine’s regulars simply turn up on speeders and push their way into the barely regulated stands. The arena featured underground parking as well as VIP parking. The Hutt residence was home to giant hospitality halls for post-race celebrations. The Arena Citadel hosted betting floors which were controlled by the Hutts. The starters’ box marked the finish line and sat on top of a bridge connecting the press building with the race officials’ building.^[3]

A fleet of cam droids cover the circuit from every angle, feeding the action back to the Hutt-owned podracing channels. Fans in the arena pay to view these live channels on handheld devices, or on big screens inside the citadel building. Fans unwilling or unable to pay for official hovercam feeds can take advantage of cheaper, balloon-powered options. A small sum buys access to live coverage from a slow-moving balloon, while brave racegoers can pay more to float over the arena in person.^[4] Those balloons sometimes carried illegal omnicams.^[3] The two-headed Troig Fodesinbeed Annodue was one of the best known commentators at the arena, with one head speaking Galactic Basic Standard and the other Huttese.^[5]

After the sport was banned the arena fell into ruins. At some point a Sandcrawler crashed in the arena.^[6]

Behind the scenes[]

According to Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, the Grand Arena was located on the edge of the Western Dune Sea.^[5] However, Ultimate Star Wars clearly indicates that Mos Espa and its outskirts were located at the junction of Xelric Draw and the Northern Dune Sea.^[2] The article "World Building" also theorizes that the Grand Arena is part of the Mos Espa upper sprawl and spaceport area.^[7]