Features
Live Nation, Oak View Group & GL Events Develop 20,000-Cap Arena São Paulo
Courtesy of OVG – Planning to create a state-of-the-art events venue in São Paulo (from left):
Brian Kabatznick (executive vice president, Oak View Group), Olivier Ginon (founder and chairman, GL events), Ricardo Nunes (Mayor, São Paulo), Milena Palumbo (CEO, GL events Brazil), Rafael Lazarini (senior vice president, head of business development & advisor, Live Nation Latin America).
As Ricardo Nunes, the mayor of São Paulo, announced today, the city will receive a new 20,000-capacity arena, Arena São Paulo, developed through a partnership between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group (Pollstar’s parent company), and French event services experts GL events.
GL events operates worldwide and is Brazil’s largest operator in the events sector, by its own admission. It, for instance, runs the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The company has been awarded a 30-year lease by the City of São Paulo for the 186,000-square-meter Anhembi Campus.
Live Nation and Oak View Group, in addition to developing the new building, will operate it and oversee event bookings of both international and domestic artists.
Live Nation already has a significant presence in Brazil through major festivals like Lollapalooza and Rock in Rio, while also promoting local and international tours.
Like other OVG projects around the world, Arena São Paulo will feature environmental sustainability programs, VIP seating, hospitality lounges, diverse food & beverage offerings, and premium acoustic technology.
The design comes from world-renowned architectural firm Gensler. The building is expected to break ground in 2022 and open in 2024.
Mauricio Santana/Getty Images – São Paulo’s Anhembi District has a history of hosting concerts, like Green Day, Nov. 3, 2017.
It never had a dedicated live entertainment venue like the planned Arena São Paulo, thought.
The Anhembi District, located in in the northern part of the city is already well-known for hosting many different events, including the world-famous São Paulo Carnival.
The new Arena São Paulo will continue the spirit of hosting a wide variety of event genres, including concerts, sports games, family entertainment, and more.
According to the official announcement, the construction of Arena São Paulo “marks the beginning of the re-development of the whole Anhembi District, which will include a large program of real estate investments.
“Anhembi will be transformed into a global benchmark for events, featuring the indoor arena, a cultural boulevard, an exhibition center, and São Paulo’s first next-generation international convention center. The agreement marks the most significant step towards the modernization of the complex in its 50-year history.”
The parties involved estimate that the redevelopment of the complex will contribute some BRL 5 billion ($907 million) to the city’s economy, benefitting local businesses in particular.
“This development creates a historic opportunity for São Paulo, the 4th largest city in the world and the wealthiest economy in Latin America, to continue maximizing its prominence as one of the world’s top destinations for concerts, sports, e-sports, family events, exhibitions, and conventions,” the announcement states.
– Tim Leiweke.
CEO of OVG (Pollstar’s parent company).
Comments:
Mayor Rocardo Nunes commented, “Today is a historic day for our city because we are starting the implementation of the Arena São Paulo, a project leaded by the three best companies in the world in their industry. We are going to build the best arena in Latin America. It will be a major achievement for the city of São Paulo and for the world.”
Live Nation president and CEO Michael Rapino said, “As the leader in live, we’re excited to be expanding our footprint in Latin America by creating a world-class arena in São Paulo. This new venue will add to our portfolio of 200-plus venues worldwide and we are proud to contribute to the growth of São Paulo as a live music hub and international touring destination.”
Tim Leiweke, CEO of OVG commented, “We’re honored to include São Paulo in our global portfolio of entertainment destinations and look forward to working with GL events and Live Nation Entertainment to transform Anhembi District into the largest entertainment destination in Latin America.”
Olivier Ginon, founder and chairman of GL events, added, “We are excited to partner with OVG and Live Nation Entertainment, two global entertainment leaders to invest in Arena São Paulo. Entertainment is a major component of Anhembi Districtr. We look forward to capturing synergies between Arena São Paulo and our network of venues, including Rio de Janeiro’s Jeunesse Arena.”