Semmel Concerts acquires theatre in Oberhausen
Semmel Concerts has acquired the Metronom Theater in Oberhausen, a 1,800-capacity venue in northwest Germany that has been closed since 2020.
The German promoter hopes to reopen the venue before the end of the year, after making “extensive” investments in its technology and equipment.
The CTS Eventim-backed firm, which also operates the Arena Berlin, will appoint a new team to manage the theatre, led by director of operations Timo Hoppen.
The Metronom Theater was previously owned by Stage Entertainment, the leading producer of musicals in Europe.
Stage bought the venue, formerly known as TheatrO CentrO, in 2005 and extensively modernised it. It became the venue for many popular musicals before it closed in March 2020.
“We will bring people from all over North Rhine-Westphalia and delight them with great national and international productions”
“Oberhausen has a great tradition as a cultural location,” says Dieter Semmelmann, managing partner, Semmel Concerts. “This makes the task of bringing the theater back to life after a four-year slumber all the more exciting. With changing musicals and shows from our dynamically growing touring business, we will bring people from all over North Rhine-Westphalia and beyond to Oberhausen and delight them with great national and international productions. We would like to thank Stage Entertainment for their partnership in handing over the theater and look forward to making the Metronom Theater a new hotspot for live entertainment in the Ruhr area.”
Daniel Schranz, mayor of the city of Oberhausen: “The restart of the Metronom Theater is very good news for the people of Oberhausen and for our guests. The entry of Semmel Concerts strengthens Oberhausen and our Neue Mitte as a center for culture and entertainment in the entire region. I would like to thank Stage Entertainment for the long-standing and good cooperation. The new owner Semmel Concerts also has a lot of experience in live entertainment and will certainly soon expand the cultural offerings in our city with his programme.”
Semmel recently announced that award-winning film composer Hans Zimmer would perform in North America for the first time in seven years.
The smash-hit Hans Zimmer Live tour will visit North America this autumn, following a sold-out European run that shifted more than 300,000 tickets.
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CTS becomes ticketing partner for Rudolf Weber
Rudolf Weber Arena (cap. 12,650) in Oberhausen, Germany, has become an official ticketing partner of CTS Eventim.
From today (16 August), it is possible to book tickets for any event at Rudolf Weber Arena directly through the venue’s website with the same level of service and the same scope of use offered by CTS Eventim, according to a release.
This includes an expansion of availability for handling individual questions and issues raised by visitors to the arena.
“Unrestricted availability of tickets directly via our website and a strong service concept for our visitors were key criteria”
Benefits for those purchasing tickets through the arena’s website include a free choice of seats from the entire seating plan.
General manager of Rudolf Weber Arena, Mirco Markfort, says: “The partnership with CTS Eventim is the next step in the development of our arena. Unrestricted availability of tickets directly via our website and a strong service concept for our visitors were key criteria for us in the selection of our future ticketing partner.”
“We are delighted that this new partnership further strengthens our position as a service partner for large arenas in Germany such as Lanxess Arena, Barclays Arena and Mercedes-Benz Arena,” says Karsten Elbrecht, vice president of sales at CTS Eventim.
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König Pilsener Arena appoints new general manager
ASM Global has announced the appointment of Mirco Markfort as general manager of the König Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany.
Markfort is currently managing director of the Nürburgring circuit, a position he has held since 2016, and was formerly head of events and event design at Koelnmesse, the exhibition centre in Cologne. He succeeds Hrushida Kamthe, who has been interim GM since November 2020.
“Mirco is a great addition and brings with him a wealth of experience as a successful executive and strong relationships in the German market,” says John Sharkey, executive vice-president of ASM Global Europe.
“Mirco is a great addition and brings with him a wealth of experience as a successful executive”
“We are very excited to have him join our team. He will lead the reopening of the arena and the growth of the company together with our team in Oberhausen and our clients and partners.
König Pilsener Arena – operated by SMG before its merger with AEG Facilities to form ASM – has a maximum capacity of 12,650. Artists who have performed at the arena include Prince, Iron Maiden, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Take That, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Beyoncé and Linkin Park.
Markfort will take up his new position in November this year.
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