Spanish circuit gains new indoor venue

The Spanish live music circuit has been bolstered with the arrival of the newly-launched Gijón Arena.

The 2,700-cap dome has been built into the north-western city’s El Bibio bullring, and is bidding to entice both domestic and international artists, as well as sporting and cultural events and exhibitions.

Opening last month with a performance by local singer Mateo Eraña, the venue is being promoted by 2Monkeys, Bring The Noise and Mega.

“We’ve been pursuing this idea for seven to ten years,” 2Monkeys’ Marino González tells MiGijon. “We wanted to de-seasonalise events with more than 700 people. Unless you put together a one-day production, which would be very expensive, Gijón wouldn’t be able to access international tours.”

“The Bibio is not only a landmark of the city, but a landmark of the future, now called Gijón Arena”

Events so far have included national indie gathering Fascinado Club, which featured the likes of Quinto B, Zoe, and Lucía Dilema, in addition to Brothers in Band and a Lion King tribute family show.

Upcoming concerts include Marlena, Illegals and Marko Hietala & Tarja Turunen.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Oliver Suárez, director of municipal company Divertia, said the launch marked the “beginning of a new era for the leisure offerings of our city and the bullring”.

“The Bibio is not only a landmark of the city, but a landmark of the future, now called Gijón Arena,” he said.

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