KJC King Dome

KJC King Dome
Kingdome
Facade of the Kingdome
Interactive map of KJC King Dome
Full name
Kingdom of Jesus Christ King Dome
LocationSasa, Barangay Buhangin, Davao City, Philippines
Coordinates7°8′5″N 125°38′50″E / 7.13472°N 125.64722°E / 7.13472; 125.64722
OwnerKJC
Capacity75,000
ScoreboardYes
Construction
GroundbreakingSeptember 3, 2012; 14 years ago (2012-09-03)
OpenedSeptember 1, 2026; 57 days ago (2026-09-01)
Cost₱13 billion
Project manager
ACQ Solomonic Builders Development Corporation

The KJC King Dome, also known as KOJC King Dome or simply Kingdome, is a multipurpose indoor arena and cathedral in Davao City, Philippines. With a stadium-like seating capacity of 75,000, it is the largest indoor arena in the world, surpassing the 55,000-capacity Philippine Arena owned by the Iglesia ni Cristo in Bocaue, Bulacan.

The structure is owned by the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and situated beside the Francisco Bangoy International Airport. Construction began in September 2012; and it opened on September 1, 2026 in commemoration of the religious group's 41st founding anniversary. The KJC itself has billed the arena as "the world's largest indoor cathedral".

History

Construction

The Kingdome under construction in 2022

The construction of the KJC King Dome was managed by the ACQ Solomonic Builders Development Corporation, a subsidiary of the Christian church, Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name (or KJC) of Apollo Quiboloy. ACQ Solomonic Builders was headed by president Nelida L. Lizada, who also served as KJC's CEO and Quiboloy's spokesperson. The groundbreaking ceremony of the facility being built beside the Francisco Bangoy International Airport complex commenced on September 3, 2012.

In January 2018, Zhejiang-based Chinese sports firm Dafeng formally entered in a partnership with KJC in a signing ceremony in Hangzhou. The project was included in the Belt and Road Initiative by the Chinese Ministry of Culture.

The construction was delayed due to difficulty in shipping in materials from Vietnam and China but the structure was already 60 to 70 percent complete by November 2019. Initially projected to cost ₱6 billion, the construction cost for the KJC King Dome increased to ₱13 billion due to delays. In November 2023, the indoor arena was reported as almost complete.

2024 arrest of Quiboloy

On August 9, 2024, operatives from the Davao Region branch of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) entered the KOJC Compound where the Kingdome is located in order to serve the arrest warrant against pastor Quiboloy and four others on charges of child abuse and human trafficking. On August 24, a standoff between the Philippine National Police and KJC members began, which was briefly paused on September 1 to allow the KJC to celebrate its founding anniversary in front of the unfinished arena. By September 8, Quiboloy was arrested by authorities, with his lawyers claiming that he surrendered to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and was not captured by the police force.

2026 inauguration

The building was inaugurated on September 1, 2026, coinciding with the KJC's 41st founding anniversary which the organization celebrates as "the Feast of the Passover". AI-generated videos of Quiboloy were shown to attendees during the inauguration ceremony; the actual church leader remains detained at Pasig City Jail facing criminal charges.

More than 80,000 people attended the ceremonies which also include numerous Duterte supporters.

Use and facilities

Inside during the Opening of the Kingdome

Originally planned solely as a cathedral for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) of pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the KJC King Dome is also used for other events such as concerts and sports events. The facility hosts a cube scoreboard.

The Kingdome is part of the Kingdom Global City Commercial Complex, a mixed-used development registered as a Tourism Enterprise Zone (TEZ). The complex houses a condominium, a hotel, a museum, a hangar, a water park, a commercial center, and an administration complex.

Bigger than the 55,000-capacity Philippine Arena, the Kingdome itself has a capacity of 75,000, making it the largest indoor arena in the world. Initially, it was planned that the seating capacity of the Kingdome was to be 50,000.

Architecture and design

The Kingdome at night.

An Australian architect firm is reportedly behind the design of the KJC King Dome while Manuel de Luna claims to be the principal architect of the arena. Its exterior is reminiscent of durian; while the golden canopies are inspired by the Philippine eagle. Its interiors combine "American, European, Oriental and modern design elements". The building has a floor area of 58,400 square meters (629,000 sq ft); with its roofing covering 25,000 m2 (270,000 sq ft) and its center arena occupying a space of 6,616 m2 (71,210 sq ft).

The design has been compared to the Crypto.com Arena by KJC leader Apollo Quiboloy, with one level of the Kingdome excavated down 9 meters (30 ft) below due to its proximity to Davao City's international airport in compliance to Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines regulations. Its foundation is supported by 140 bored piles and 32 footings, being designed to withstand an Intensity IX earthquake. It has 24 "self-starting" escalators and 8 elevators.

Dafeng, a firm involved in the project will provide the lighting, seating, curtain wall, and stage machinery of the indoor arena. The KJC Kingdome will have a double-curved glass curtain wall, a cellular aluminum panel system, and flood lighting. Its facade will look like a crown. The structure has six layers of insulation and waterproofing.

KJC claims that the building has the country's largest air-conditioning load with its cooling system having a capacity of 10,800 tons of refrigeration. The facility uses 272-km main feeder cables and nearly 12-km chilled-water and condenser pipes. Meanwhile, its electricity supply is said larger than the demand of the nearby city of Samal, Davao del Norte.

The property has a separate 7,000-sqm mechanical and electrical building housing eight cooling towers, 24 water pumps and eight chillers. It also has two main transformers connected from Davao Light; and eight standby generators.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 GRS (August 26, 2026). "No traffic closures on KOJC King Dome opening". SunStar. Archived from the original on August 26, 2026. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Ocampo, Yas (September 1, 2026). "KOJC's 75,000-seater Kingdome opens nearly 2 years after siege that led to Quiboloy's arrest". MindaNews. Davao City: Mindanao Institute of Journalism. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  3. ↑ Padillo, Maya (September 1, 2026). "75,000-seat Kingdome to open in Davao City, set to become major events venue". Edge Davao. Archived from the original on September 3, 2026. Retrieved September 2, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Fusilero, Kristianne (June 24, 2015). "'Kingdome' to be finished by 2025". Mindanao Times. Mindanao Times. Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  5. ↑ Serquina, Celine (August 9, 2024). "KOJC members vow to stand ground in next police operation vs. Quiboloy". GMA News Online. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2026. KOJC CEO Nelida Lizada denied the accusation[...]
  6. ↑ SMNI News Channel (April 28, 2025). "Visayan voters are intelligent voters —Sis. Nelida Lizada, tagapagsalita ni Pastor Apollo". YouTube (in English and Filipino). Retrieved September 2, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Caña, Paul John (July 22, 2021). "The Philippines Already Has the World's Biggest Indoor Arena. We're About to Have One That's Even Bigger". Esquire philippines. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  8. 1 2 大丰与菲律宾KJC签约仪式在杭举行 [Dafeng and KJC Philippines signing ceremony held in Hangzhou] (in Simplified Chinese). Zhejiang Dafeng Industrial Co., Ltd. January 11, 2018. Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  9. 1 2 Revita, Juliet (November 15, 2019). "World's biggest arena in Davao 70% complete". Sun Star Davao. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  10. ↑ Muli, Angie (November 7, 2023). "FPRRD, namangha sa laki at ganda ng KJC King Dome; Pastor ACQ ipinasyal ang Dating Pangulo" [FPRRD (Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte) in awe of the scale and beauty of the KJC King Dome, Pastor ACQ (Apollo C. Quiboloy) toured the Former President]. SMNI News Channel (in Filipino). Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  11. ↑ Mendoza, John Eric (August 9, 2024). "NBI enters Quiboloy's indoor arena in Davao". Inquirer.net. Archived from the original on August 10, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  12. ↑ Espinosa, Ian Carl (August 24, 2024). "Police raid KOJC compound anew to arrest Pastor Quiboloy". MindaNews. Archived from the original on October 9, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  13. ↑ Daguno–Bersamina, Kristine (August 24, 2024). "KOJC member dies during police raid on Quiboloy's Davao compound". Philstar.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  14. ↑ Casilao, Joahna Lei (August 26, 2024). "Harry Roque, KOJC supporters ask Marcos to resign". GMA News Online. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  15. ↑ Lacorte, Germelina; Badilla, Joselle; Rosauro, Ryan (September 2, 2024). "Sara joins KJC anniversary rally amid police watch". Inquirer.net. Davao City, Philippines. Archived from the original on September 2, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2026.
  16. ↑ Argosino, Faith (September 8, 2024). "Apollo Quiboloy has been arrested – DILG chief Abalos". Inquirer.net. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  17. ↑ Roxas, Aaron (September 1, 2026). "Kingdome ng KOJC, bagong landmark ng Davao; Turismo, trabaho at negosyo, inaasahang sisigla" [KOJC's Kingdome, new landmark of Davao; Tourism, work and business expected to improve]. SMNI News Channel (in Filipino). Archived from the original on September 2, 2026. Retrieved September 2, 2026.
  18. ↑ Pechay, Isabelle (May 3, 2026). "Quiboloy rally leader gets jail term for blocking PNP manhunt". Inquirer.net. Manila, Philippines. Archived from the original on May 3, 2026. Retrieved September 2, 2026. The Davao-based pastor [Apollo Quiboloy], a staunch ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, was facing charges in the Pasig and Quezon City courts[....] He is currently detained at the Pasig City Jail.
  19. ↑ DEF (September 3, 2026). "KOJC's Kingdome opens with 80K visitors, guests". SunStar (Davao). Archived from the original on September 2, 2026. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
  20. 1 2 "'King Dome', largest indoor cathedral to rise in Davao City". Edge Davao. September 15, 2012. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013.
  21. ↑ Palicte, Cherry Mae (May 24, 2014). "P3-B sports facility up in Davao". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  22. 1 2 Bravo, Neilwin Joseph (April 26–27, 2015). "The King Dome Come". Edge Davao. 8 (17): 2. Archived from the original on October 26, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2018.