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Live Nation backs new Bangalore arena complex

The venue, comprising a 9,000-cap. arena plus several smaller spaces, will be ‘on par with MSG and the O2’, predicts Phase 1’s Oum Pradutt

By IQ on 28 Jan 2020

The Bangalore arena team. L–R: Embassy's Aditya Virwani; Phase 1's Oum Pradutt; BIAL's Rao Munukutla and Hari Marar

L–R: Embassy's Aditya Virwani; Phase 1's Oum Pradutt; BIAL's Rao Munukutla and Hari Marar


Live Nation will lend its “global expertise” to a new entertainment arena project in Bangalore, India’s third most-populous city and an emerging touring destination.

Located at Kempegowda International Airport (BLR), the venue – developed by a consortium led by events firm Phase 1 Experiences and property developer Embassy Group – will be the first major “experiential and entertainment destination” in Bangalore (Bengaluru), a megacity home to more than ten million people currently only served by smaller sports arenas.

Live Nation will act as consultant to the consortium, while Nikhil Chinapa, co-founder of the Sunburn and Supersonic EDM festivals, serves as strategy and communications lead.

Paul Antonio, president of Asia and the Middle East for Live Nation, comments: “We’re pleased to be able to contribute to the establishment of this world-class venue, both in terms of supporting the mobilisation and subsequently the programming of international artists.

“The venue will be a state-of-the-art, must-play arena”

“The venue will be a state-of-the-art, must-play arena and we look forward to bringing our touring artists and live events here as soon as the doors open, and for years to come.”

The venue will comprise four distinct “experience zones”, according to Embassy:

  • A 9,000-capacity dome for concerts and large-scale events
  • A smaller dome that will host corporate events for up to 2,000 people
  • An outdoor venue for open-air events
  • A ‘pop-up’ zone, constructed using recycled shipping containers, that will “imagine an amalgamation of social networking, gastronomy, music and culture”

The project is expected to cost around ₹1 billion (US$14m) and be ready within two years (by the end of 2021).

“The venue will be on par with iconic international concert arenas such as Madison Square Garden and the O2”

Oum Pradutt, founder and managing director of Phase 1 Experiences, says: “Our vision is to radically enhance the live experience quotient of the Indian consumer. Just like multiplexes transformed the cinematic experience and 5G is about to reshape the digital experience, we aim to take the live entertainment experience to the next level in India.

“The venue will be on par with iconic international concert arenas such as New York’s Madison Square Garden and London’s O2 Arena, enabling us to import the biggest shows and best of global talent to India. This will attract audiences and fans from not just across India, but across south Asia, and establish Bengaluru’s position as a live concert and entertainment capital globally.”

Currently, India’s largest indoor arenas are sports facilities, such as the 14,348-cap. Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi and 12,000-cap. Netaji Indoor Stadium in Calcutta (Kolkata).

“BIAL is pleased to announce the partnership with two market leaders in their respective areas of expertise,” says Rao Munukutla, chief real estate officer of Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL). “This is a significant stepping stone towards making the BLR Airport a hub of entertainment, not just for Bengaluru, but for the entire country.”

 


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