The pavilion opened in 1954 on the site of Porto's Crystal Palace (Palácio de Cristal), demolished in 1951 to make room for the pavilion.

In 1991, it was renamed after Portuguese, European, World and Olympic marathon running champion Rosa Mota.

In 2014, after a public call for tenders, a consortium between Lucios and PEV Entertainment was responsible for the rehabilitation of the arena.

[1] In November 2018, Porto's Municipal Chamber announced that following a naming agreement with Super Bock, the company's name was to be added to the arena, in the course of the 20-year private concession of the space.

[3] Besides cultural and sports events, the arena can now also function as a congress centre.