Colombia’s MedPlus Coliseum welcomes 550k fans
Colombia’s MedPlus Coliseum is celebrating its second anniversary, having welcomed more than 550,000 people and a raft of international stars since its Covid-delayed opening.
The 24,000-cap multi-purpose venue in Bogotá is the brainchild of Colombian-born US promoter Henry Cardenas, president and executive director of US-based promoter Cárdenas Marketing Network (CMN).
“It’s about time that Colombia had a building that was able to offer more and better shows,” said Cárdenas at the time.
Artic Monkeys, Imagine Dragons, Roger Waters, Twenty One Pilots, Swedish House Mafia and Luis Miguel are among the 180-plus acts to have graced the building since it launched with a show by Latin singer Marc Anthony in August 2022.
As well as its 20,000+ capacity main room, the Coliseum houses more than 750m2 of LED screens, ten loading and unloading docks and a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces. Healthcare company MedPlus agreed a five-year sponsorship deal with the venue last year.
“This alliance with the MedPlus Coliseum has been fundamental in promoting well-being beyond the physical,” says MedPlus CEO Hernando Botero, as per La Republica. “Through this collaboration, we have been able to show that well-being is not only about health, but also about enjoying high-quality experiences and balance, essential aspects for a full life.”
“Inflation here in Colombia is hitting pretty hard, but the big names are selling out, both in stadiums and in arenas”
Upcoming acts set to perform at the US$100 million entertainment and sports venue include Travis Scott, Eric Prydz and Feid.
CMN entered into a “historic” partnership with AEG Presents in March this year in a strategic alliance to create “the world leader in live Latin music”, with ambitions to develop “elevated and expanded experiences” for artists and audiences globally.
The Colombian capital is also home to the 13,000-capacity Movistar Arena, operated by Colombiana de Escenarios – a joint venture between Movistar Arena Chile owner HLR Group and Colombian ticketing market leader Tuboleta.
“Inflation here in Colombia is hitting pretty hard, but the big names are selling out, both in stadiums and in arenas,” Movistar Arena Colombia general manager Luis Guillermo Quintero told IQ‘s 2024 Global Arena Guide.
The country is South America’s fourth-biggest economy, and its second city of Medellín is also set to gain a 16,000-capacity multipurpose arena by 2026. Built by CLK Group, the company behind Tuboleta and promoter TBL Live, Arena Primavera is projected to host 600,000 spectators across 75 events each year.
“We are convinced of the potential of the entertainment market in Medellín and [the administrative department of] Antioquia, which has become a musical and cultural reference for the country, a must-stop for national and international artists,” said Hernando Sánchez, CLK general manager. “Therefore, a venue is needed to place the department as a leader in the global arena circuit.”
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Promoters unite for Colombia’s La Eterna festival
Promoters Cárdenas Marketing Network (CMN) and Breakfast Club are partnering with booking and management agency La Industria Inc to launch new one-day Colombian festival La Eterna.
The Latin music event will debut at Atanasio Girardot Stadium in Medellín on 3 August as part of the traditional Flower Fair. General sale tickets start at COP135,000 (€33).
“La Eterna is a festival-type experience never before seen within the framework of the Flower Fair,” says Henry Cárdenas, CEO of CMN. “We will have capacity for more than 42,000 people at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium with two alternate areas of the stadium with differential experiences, two stages – one of them on a 360º platform – and infinite experiences that will allow us to have an eternal party in the city.”
Artists will include Marc Anthony, Ana Gabriel, Nicky Jam, Xavi, Fonseca, Elder Dayán Díaz, Proyecto Uno and Nath, reports Revista DC.
“The Flower Festival was born to proudly celebrate our Antioqueñidad, our music and our culture,” says Breakfast Club CEO Carlos Franco. “Medellín is an abundant land, of vibrant people who have no restraints when it comes to enjoying themselves. Without a doubt, it is the eternal capital of music. That is why we will present rhythms from reggaetón, salsa, rancheras, merengue and much more.”
“Medellín is the home of the great urban artists, the square of the great concerts and festivals”
Founded by music entrepreneur Cárdenas in 2001, Chicago-based CMN promotes global tours by artists such as Marc Anthony, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Chayanne, Ana Gabriel and Nicky Jam. Most recently, it launched the largest global Latin music tour with Luis Miguel.
Breakfast Club was launched in 2013 and currently holds 15 to 20 events per year including electronic music festival La Solar, which was held at Parque Norte Medellín in February.
Both companies announced major moves back in March, with US-based CMN forming a strategic alliance with AEG Presents to create “the world leader in live Latin music”, and Colombia’s Breakfast Club and TBL Live joining forces to create new entertainment company Breakfast Live.
Medellín-based La Industria Inc, meanwhile, has helped launch the careers of acts such as Nicky Jam, Manuel Turizo and Chocquibtown.
“Medellín is the home of the great urban artists, the square of the great concerts and festivals,” adds La Industria Inc CEO Juan Diego Medina. “That is why we will celebrate with Eterna, a party for everyone.”
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AEG partners with CMN to create Latin music titan
AEG Presents has entered into a “historic” partnership with US-based Latin music promoter Cárdenas Marketing Network (CMN).
The two companies say the strategic alliance will create “the world leader in live Latin music” and will lead to the development of “elevated and expanded experiences” for artists and audiences globally.
“We are excited to partner with AEG Presents, one of the most powerful global forces in live entertainment,” says CMN founder and CEO Henry Cardenas. “I have known Jay Marciano for over 40 years and have deep respect for all his accomplishments and the tremendous business that he has built at AEG Presents. Together, we look forward to making an even greater impact on the explosive growth in the Latin market.”
Founded by music entrepreneur Henry Cárdenas in 2001, Chicago-based CMN promotes global tours by artists such as Marc Anthony, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Chayanne, Ana Gabriel and Nicky Jam. Most recently, it launched the largest global Latin music tour with Luis Miguel.
“We have been looking to expand our presence in Latin music and concerts for quite some time”
It has also promoted sports matches in the US, including the international football friendly between Argentina and Brazil at East Rutherford, NJ’s MetLife stadium, as well as the first soccer game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, between Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
“Henry is a true entrepreneur and visionary, and what he and his team have built is simply awe-inspiring,” adds AEG Presents chair and CEO Jay Marciano. “We have been looking to expand our presence in Latin music and concerts for quite some time, and it was important that we took the time to find the right partner; we found it in Henry and CMN.
“AEG Presents has always placed a premium on preserving the identity and unique voice of our partner brands while providing them with the support and infrastructure to expand their reach and influence. Cárdenas Marketing Network is the most recognised and trusted name in Latin concert promotion, and we are so proud to welcome Henry and his team to the family.”
Marciano recently starred in ILMC’s (Late) Breakfast Meeting at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, where he shared stories from his career in an interview with Ed Bicknell.
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Henry Cárdenas acquires new Arena Bogotá
Henry Cárdenas, president and executive director of US-based promoter Cárdenas Marketing Network (CMN), has acquired Arena Bogotá, a 24,000-seat entertainment and sports venue under construction in Bogota, Colombia.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though Colombia-born Cárdenas says he has made a “multimillion-dollar investment” in the arena, which will occupy a million-square-foot (93,000m²) site on Calle 80 (80th Street) in the Colombian capital.
Founded in 2002 and based in Chicago and Miami, CMN produces tours by Latin stars including Marc Anthony, Bad Bunny, Maluma, Nicky Jam, Chayanne, Becky G and Sech, as well as ¡Viva Latino! Live, the package tour based on the Spotify playlist of the same name. Cárdenas also leads Cárdenas Entertainment and Marketing Group (CEMG), founded in 2018 to manage the Arena Bogotá project.
According to Cárdenas, Arena Bogotá will have a number of unique features, including a 131’ (40m)-high roof which can support 110 tons – allowing for bigger production than is currently possible in Colombia – and over 40,000sqft (3,700m²) of storage space, allowing ten trucks to load in simultaneously (more than anywhere else in Latin America).
“I am very proud to be able to become the entertainment ambassador in my native country, and to be able to welcome everyone to Arena Bogotá, which will be the home to all Colombians, businessmen and promoters, artists and live music events, business conventions and sports that our country deserves,” says Cárdenas.
“It’s about time that Colombia had a building that was able to offer more and better shows”
“For the first year of operations we plan to perform between 130 and 140 shows, which means about three events per week, including family events, corporate, live music, sports – for example, motocross, Olympic sports, indoor soccer, boxing, volleyball, tennis, basketball, et cetera – esports, parades and equine events, among others.
Cárdenas says there is no space in Latin America comparable to Arena Bogotá. “There are some similarities with Arena Mexico [16,500-cap.], but even so there are none that have the qualities and grandiosity of Arena Bogotá.
“As a way to compare the relative size, we can look to the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, which includes 17,000 seats, whereas Arena Bogotá will have 24,000. This great space gives us the flexibility to perform events and shows that we otherwise may not have been able to do.”
A percentage of the arena’s profits will go the Maestro Cares Foundation, founded by Cárdenas and Marc Anthony, to support charitable projects in Colombia.
“It’s about time that Colombia had a building that was able to offer more and better shows,” concludes Cárdenas. “In the second half of 2020, we will have access to a dream venue to enjoy shows like Marc Anthony, Carlos Vives, Maluma, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny, Becky G, Silvestre Dangond, Wisin and Yandel, Ricardo Arjona, Maná and Romeo Santos, among others, with our family and friends.
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