Live Nation agrees exclusive Brazil stadium deal

Live Nation has reportedly agreed an exclusive deal with São Paulo FC to run concerts at the Brazilian football club’s Morumbi Stadium.

According to The Stadium Business via Folha de S.Paulo, the agreement, which is yet to be officially confirmed, is for five years and will see the club receive R$60 million (€11.2m), plus additional commercial income.

The football giants are also said to be close to sealing a naming rights deal for the 75,000-cap venue, which has previously hosted acts such as Madonna, U2, Beyoncé, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Bruno Mars, Coldplay and Lady Gaga.

São Paulo is also home to two other Campeonato Brasileiro Série A stadiums – Palmeiras’ Allianz Parque and Corinthians’ Neo Química Arena, but does not currently house an indoor arena.

Live Nation is partnering with Oak View Group (OVG) and GL events on the development of a brand new 20,000-capacity arena in the city, which has a population of 12.4 million. The Arena São Paulo project was announced in 2021, but its launch date remains under wraps.

“São Paulo doesn’t have an indoor arena at all, which is hard to believe”

The state-of-the-art building will host live events such as concerts, sports games, family entertainment and more. It will be located within São Paulo’s premier entertainment destination, the Anhembi District.

“São Paulo doesn’t have an indoor arena at all, which is hard to believe,” Wesley Cullen, OVG’s VP of international venue development told ILMC’s Globetrotters Guide last year. “It’s the fourth-largest city in the world and the largest in this hemisphere; the wealthiest city in Latin America. It is illogical not to have an arena – but it doesn’t even have an old one. So, it is really nice to have the opportunity to fill a void in the market and offer something new to fans and performers.”

Cullen has promised the arena will be music-forward, with no sports team initially in residence, and with sustainability at the top of the agenda.

“This will be the greatest arena in Latin America, with a design worthy of the city and location,” she said.

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