Famous Cockpits in the Philippines: A Tour of Iconic Sabong Arenas

Wazzup Pilipinas!?




Do you love everything about Sabong? Then get to know the most famous cockfighting arenas in the Philippines with our exclusive tour of iconic Sabong arenas.Sabong has been an iconic sport in the Philippines for hundreds of years. As such, it is no surprise that the cultural heritage of the sport is visible throughout the country. The most noticeable way cockfighting influence is visible is probably through its impact on architecture, giving way to dozens of cockfighting arenas that shape the landscape.


In this article, we will look at some of the most popular Sabong cockpits in the Philippines. But, while this article covers offline cockfigthing matches, the importance of these arenas to online Sabong should not be understated. If you are interested in the online vertent of the sport, you can learn more about online Sabong at SabongBets.

Ready for a tour through the most iconic Filipino Sabong arenas? Let’s get started.



Manila Cockpit Arena

Manila Arena seats 50,000 people and it’s home to the biggest sport events in the Philippines. Although the arena is home to many Sabong competitions, Manila Arena is most popular for its huge basketball matches and music concerts, which fill the entire arena’s capacity.

Here are some facts about this arena:

Completed in 2014.

Hosts several sport events, concerts, and more.

An architectural landmark of Manila due to its huge dome.

Manila Cockpit Arena, one of Manila’s most popular landmarks, should not be missed if you are a true Sabong enjoyer.


Araneta Coliseum

Araneta Coliseum is located in Quezon City, in the Manila metropolitan region, and it’s a testament to both Sabong’s offline and online popularity. Besides being the centerpiece to the most important cockfighting tournaments, the Araneta Coliseum was also very popular in online Sabong bets.

The Araneta Coliseum was built in the early 1960s and it opened with a total of 25,000 seats. At first, the arena was mostly used for basketball matches, but as Sabong’s popularity grew, Araneta Coliseum became the de facto home to Sabong tournaments.

This arena hosts the annual World Slasher Cup, among other smaller tournaments.



Pasay City Cockpit

Pasay City Cockpit is a smallish arena with a capacity of 2,500 spectators. However, do not let its small size fool you—Pasay City Cockpit hosts hundreds of Sabong matches per week. This arena is open every single day and it hosts cockfighting matches pretty much every day.

Besides hosting smaller Sabong tournaments, Pasay City Cockpit also hosts some stages of the biggest Sabong tournaments in the Philippines. Pasay City Cockpit hosts The Derby, a few World Slasher Cup matches, and the Bakbakan.

It is an arena worth visiting if you are looking for important Sabong arenas in the Philippines.



Iloilo Coliseum

Since World War II, Iloilo has been a very important city for Sabong enjoyers. The city used to have over 20 cockfighting arenas, but most of them had poor infrastructure and were not fit to meet the sport’s popularity.

To better accommodate the growing interest in the sport, in 1960’s the Iloilo Coliseum was built. Since then, the arena has become one of the most iconic arenas in the entire country. In fact, it is said that Sabong rules used in Manila first originated in the Iloilo Coliseum.



New Davao Matina Gallera

New Davao Matina Gallera is the most known cockfighting pit in Davao City. Besides hosting boxing tournaments and some other events, New Davao Matina Gallera is home to a number of smaller cockfighting competitions.

Although it was closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, as it was ground zero for most of the infections in the region, New Davao Matina Galera reopened in 2023. Today it is still one of the most important cockfighting pits in Davao City.