A Spanish music industry initiative has raised nearly half a million euros for victims of the catastrophic floods that swept the country last November.

Valencia was the hardest-hit region in Spain’s worst flooding disaster in modern history and the deadliest to hit Europe in 50 years. At least 224 have died due to the weather phenomenon, known in Spain as DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos).

Under the banner Som València (We are Valencia), the music industry has since held 68 concerts in 32 cities featuring 480 artists, in less than a month.

More than 26,700 tickets were sold to these shows, raising more than €469,000 for the non-profit organisation Horta Sud Foundation, which will distribute the funds.

More than 26,700 tickets were sold to these shows, raising more than €469,000 for the non-profit organisation Horta Sud Foundation

Som València is just one fundraising element of the the Spanish music industry’s response. In late November, a charity concert held in Barcelona raised €775,000 for victims of the floods. Barcelona amb València took place at Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi on 29 November, with tickets priced between €38-80, and attracted almost 15,000 people.

The Spanish sector also united for the sold-out Music from the Heart benefit gig at Madrid’s WiZink Center (cap. 17,456) on 24 November. More recently, Live Nation Spain president Pino Sagliocco teamed up with Teatro Pereyra Ibiza to present a further charity gig: Ainhoa ​​Arteta and Ramón Vargas together for the DANA.

Valencia’s live music industry recently reported material losses exceeding €5 million and the cancellation of 300 concerts and festivals.

The Valencian Federation of the Music Industry, which represents 60 companies including venues, promoters, artistic agencies and festivals, has requested the creation of a short, medium and long-term recovery plan that includes financial aid, logistical support and fiscal measures that allow the reactivation of the sector.

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A charity concert held in Barcelona has raised €775,000 for victims of the Spanish flooding disaster.

Barcelona amb València took place at Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi on 29 November, with tickets priced between €38-80, and attracted almost 15,000 people.

The event, which was coordinated by Barcelona-based promoter TheProject, featured acts such as Joan Manuel Serrat, Estopa, Andrea Motis, Judit Neddermann and Lucia Fumero.

The concert was co-organised by Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat with the support of ARC (Professional Association of Representatives, Promoters and Managers of Catalonia), ASACC (Association of Concert Halls of Catalonia) and APM (Association of Music Promoters). Donations can still be made here until 5 December.

The Spanish sector also united for the sold out Music from the Heart benefit gig at Madrid’s WiZink Center (cap. 17,456) on 24 November. Performers included Amaral, Arde Bogotá, Dani Fernández, David Bisbal, Hijos de la Ruina (Natos, Waor & Recycled J), Malú, Manuel Carrasco, Pablo Alborán, Raphael, Rozalén, Sole Giménez, Vanesa Martín and Viva Suecia.

Promoter Pino Sagliocco is teaming with Teatro Pereyra Ibiza to present a further charity gig on 14 December

Collaborators included Valencia-based promoter The Music Republic, as well as other Spanish event organisers, record labels, artist managers and music associations. The amount raised from the show is yet to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, Live Nation Spain president Pino Sagliocco is teaming with Teatro Pereyra Ibiza to present a further charity gig: Ainhoa ​​Arteta and Ramón Vargas together for the DANA. The show will be held at the theatre on 14 December.

The fundraisers come in the wake of the weather phenomenon known as DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos), which caused the deadliest flooding catastrophe to hit Europe in 50 years and led scores of events to be cancelled.

Valencia was the hardest-hit region, with the death toll exceeding 200, with fatalities also reported in the Castilla La Mancha region and Andalusia. Valencia’s live music industry reported material losses exceeding €5 million and the cancellation of 300 concerts and festivals.

The Valencian Federation of the Music Industry, which represents 60 companies including venues, promoters, artistic agencies and festivals, has requested the creation of a short, medium and long-term recovery plan that includes financial aid, logistical support and fiscal measures that allow the reactivation of the sector.

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Valencia’s live music industry has reported material losses exceeding €5 million due to the recent catastrophic floods in the region.

Valencia was the hardest-hit region in Spain’s worst flooding disaster in modern history and the deadliest to hit Europe in 50 years.

At least 224 have died due to the weather phenomenon, known in Spain as DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos), with the vast majority of those tragedies in Valencia.

The disaster has also had a ‘profound impact’ on the live music industry, according to preliminary data collected by the Valencian Federation of the Music Industry.

Over 30 companies operating across the supply chain have reported more than €5m in losses and the cancellation of 300 concerts and festivals.

Cancellations in November are said to represent a direct loss of €1.7m but the total economic impacts on the Valencian economy amount to €35.2m in sales not made by companies, €9.2m of GDP loss and the loss of 310 jobs.

Over 30 companies reported an excess of €5m in losses and the cancellation of 300 concerts and festivals

It is estimated that the total impact could be much higher, as the damage to public spaces dedicated to music, such as auditoriums and municipal theatres, has not yet been quantified, nor has the impact on music education in schools, music societies and conservatories in the area.

The Valencian Federation of the Music Industry, which represents 60 companies including venues, promoters, artistic agencies and festivals, has requested the creation of a short, medium and long-term recovery plan that includes financial aid, logistical support and fiscal measures that allow the reactivation of the sector.

Meanwhile, the Spanish sector is uniting for a benefit gig at Madrid’s WiZink Center on 24 November in aid of those affected worst by DANA.

Music from the Heart will feature artists such as Amaral, Arde Bogotá, Dani Fernández, David Bisbal, Hijos de la Ruina, Malú, Manuel Carrasco, Pablo Alborán, Raphael, Rozalén, Sole Giménez, Vanesa Martín and Viva Suecia.

A separate charity concert, Barcelona amb València, will take place at Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi on 29 November. Tickets are priced between €38-80 for the event, which will star Joan Manuel Serrat, Estopa, Andrea Motis, Judit Neddermann and Lucia Fumero.

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Scores of events have been cancelled in Spain amid the catastrophic floods that have killed more than 200 people in the country.

Reuters reports it is already Spain’s worst flooding disaster in modern history and the deadliest to hit Europe in 50 years. The country began three days of mourning yesterday (31 October), with prime minister Pedro Sánchez urging residents to stay at home and flags flown at half-mast.

Valencia has been the hardest-hit region, with the death toll in the Valencian Community has risen to 202, according to the Interior Ministry’s Integrated Operational Coordination Centre (CECOPI), following a year’s worth of rainfall in just eight hours due to a weather phenomenon known in Spain as DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos).

Two people have also died in the Castilla La Mancha region, while another fatality has been reported in Andalusia. Fresh weather warnings have been issued.

The Palau de la Musica de Valencia has cancelled concerts scheduled for 31 October to 3 November, saying: “We want to express our condolences and solidarity to all the families of the victims of the terrible Dana that devastated the Horta Sud.”

“We join the sadness and solidarity that the Valencian Community walks through in these difficult days”

Live music venue Radio City Valencia has rescheduled a gig by bands Diversos and Bisonte to 14 December, with other venues such as the Valencian Institute of Culture and La Plazeta Teatro also cancelling or postponed several events.

“We join the sadness and solidarity that the Valencian Community walks through in these difficult days,” says a social media post by the latter. “We know that this tragedy is devastating and we want to sincerely thank the effort of firefighters, security forces, healthcare personnel and neighbours of the affected populations.”

Additionally, all football matches in the region, including Real Madrid’s trip to Valencia in LaLiga, have been postponed, and Valencia will no longer host the MotoGP season finale, which was set for 17 November.

Elsewhere in the country, artist Xavi Sarrià has postponed his show at La Copa in Girona, slated for tonight (1 November), out of respect for the victims and the personal impact on the members of the group.

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Superstruct Entertainment has bought The Music Republic, the promoter behind iconic Spanish festivals Arenal Sound and Benicàssim (FIB).

Providence Equity-backed Superstruct reportedly acquired 100% of the Valencia-based organiser for around €120 million, to be paid over the next five years.

Following the purchase, The Music Republic founders, brothers David and Toño Sánchez, will “continue to have full control and power in decision-making”.

The brothers founded the company in 2010 with the launch of Arenal Sound, a 60,000-capacity festival that takes place annually in the providence of Castellón, eastern Spain.

In 2019, the brothers took over FIB (cap. 50,000) from owner Maraworld (majority owned by MCD Productions and SJM Concerts) and festival director Melvin Benn (Festival Republic).

That same year, there were rumours of Live Nation attempting to buy the company but the deal never crossed the line.

Superstruct reportedly acquired 100% of the Valencia-based organiser for around €120 million

Over the years, The Music Republic has added numerous festivals to its stable of events, including Festival de Les Arts de Valencia, Granada Sound, Interstellar Sevilla, Madrid Salvaje, Love the 90’s Valencia, Metal Paradise and Bahía Sound.

The company also functions as an artist management agency, organising tours and events throughout the country, as well as a creative agency.

One of the company’s latest projects is a collaboration with Licampa 1617, a holding company of Spanish entrepreneur Juan Roig that has was founded especially to build Valencia’s Arena Roig, the new area that will replace L’Alqueria del Basket.

The €220m multi-purpose arena will sit on 21,500 square metres of land, with a capacity of 15,000 for basketball matches and up to 18,600 for concerts.

The Music Republic has been tasked with programming the arena’s concerts, which it will do via its specially created subsidiary Arena Alive. The arena, set to be the largest in Spain, is expected to be complete this year.

Along with The Music Republic, Superstruct’s presence in Spain includes festivals Sónar (Barcelona) and Monegros Desert Festival (Aragon).

The live entertainment behemoth owns and operates more than 70 major events and music festivals in Europe and Australia, including elrow, Sziget, Wacken Open Air, Mysteryland, Hideout, sonar, Flow, Defqon1, Parookaville, Zwarte Cross, Arenal Sound, Øya, O Son do Camiño and Tinderbox.

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Festival promoter The Music Republic will run the under-construction Casal España Arena in Valencia, Spain’s biggest indoor arena, when it opens later this decade.

The Music Republic – whose festival portfolio includes Arenal Sound (60,000-cap.) in Burriana, Viña Rock (60,000-cap.) in Villarrobledo and Festival Internacional de Benicàssim (50,000-cap.), which it acquired from MCD/SJM last summer – will manage the arena alongside Juan Roig, whose Licampa 1617 holding company is leading the project, through a new operating company, València 5 Estrellas.

As well as managing the arena, València 5 Estrellas will oversee all partnerships with promoters, suppliers, service companies and other stakeholders, with the goal of making Casal España Arena a venue where “promoters can [stage] any kind of sports or entertainment events, regardless of their nature or format”, according to The Music Republic (TMR).

With a capacity of up to 18,600 for concerts, the new arena will be the largest in Spain, with space for over 3,000 fans more than Madrid’s WiZink Center.

https://www.iqmagazine.com/2019/10/valencia-arena-to-be-biggest-in-spain/#.X7KLBdP7QlJ

Construction began on Casal España Arena, funded by €220m in public–private investment, earlier this year.

Víctor Sendra, CEO of Licampa 1617, comments: “A significant milestone has been reached in this project, which allows us to move forward in the management of the venue alongside partners that are highly specialised in the organisation and creation of music and entertainment experiences…

“It is a great opportunity for Valencia and Spain, having the first arena of such a magnitude”

“In addition, we share the same vision regarding the future of Casal España Arena de València. We have long way to go, and we are very excited to create a team that will help us succeed with a project that is so important for Valencia, and to which Juan Roig’s patronage is fully committed.”

TMR David Sánchez adds: “It is a great opportunity for Valencia and Spain, having the first arena of such a magnitude and capabilities, designed to host all kinds of cultural, sports and corporate events, [positioning] itself as an attractive venue for users and the maximum number of event promoters.

“Valencia will be able to host many events that could not be accommodated to date due to the lack of equipped and specialised spaces. We are very pleased and grateful for contributing to the management of this great project, together with Licampa 1617.”

Casal España Arena is projected to open in 2023.

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Increased investment in a new arena in the Spanish city of Valencia aims to make it the largest venue of its kind in the country.

The multi-purpose arena will sit on 21,500 square metres of land, with a capacity of 15,000 for basketball matches and up to 18,600 for concerts.

The budget for the Valencia Arena has been expanded from €192 million to €220, with building work expected to start in summer 2020 for a completion date in 2023.

The project is led by Spanish entrepreneur Juan Roig and his holding company Licampa 1617.

The arena’s capacity will surpass that of Madrid’s WiZink Center (15,500-cap.), which celebrated its 500th concert in 2018 and has seen performances from the likes of Queen, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Ed Sheeran and Beyonce.

“The arena will give Valencia a multi-use space which will position the city as a world-class destination for national and international entertainment events”

Upcoming shows at the Madrid arena include Nicky Jam, the Lumineers, Enrique Iglesias, Rosalia, Bryan Adams and Halsey. Other major indoor arenas in Spain include Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi (17,000-cap.) and Madrid’s Palacio Vistalegre (15,000-cap.).

The Valencia Arena project is a “personal and altruistic initiative” for Juan Roig, who is the president of Spanish supermarket chain Mercadona.

The aim, says Roig, is “to give Valencia a multi-use space which will position the city and the wider region as a world-class destination for national and international sporting, cultural and entertainment events.”

Valencia Arena is designed by sporting architects Hok and Valencia-based firm Erre.

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Viagogo has been slapped with another fine – this time to the tune of €1 million – by the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) for alleged unfair commercial practices.

The Italian version of the ever-controversial secondary ticketing platform, Viagogo.it, is accused of hosting ticket listings that fail to display the face value of each ticket, the seat/row number and the total ticket price (after fees and charges) – all in violation of articles 20, 21 and 22 of the Italian consumer code.

The AGCM investigation dates to April 2017, when Swiss-based Viagogo and three other resale sites were fined a collective €700,000 for similarly failing to provide complete ticket information to consumers. At the time, the company was given sixty days to comply with consumer law – and claimed it would do so, according to AGCM – but a year later, many consumers and associations are still complaining of opaque ticket pricing and unclear information on seating location, leading to the €1m fine.

Although a blow for Viagogo, it should be noted that CTS Eventim’s TicketOne recently successfully appealed a €1m fine of its own, for allegedly passing tickets directly to secondary sites, and will be reimbursed by AGCM.

Viagogo is accused of violating the Italian consumer code

Almost concurrently with the AGCM action, Viagogo has also come under fire in Spain, with the Valencian public prosecutor’s office announcing it has opened an investigation into whether price gouging on Viagogo.es for U2’s two shows in Madrid in September constitutes “abusive conduct” under Spanish law.

According to 20 Minutos, the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalía) of Valencia has received several complaints from consumers after U2 tickets sold out “in a few minutes” and were listed on Viagogo for up to €1,500 shortly after.

Concerns over ticket prices for U2’s 2018 Experience + Innocence European tour have similarly spurred authorities in the Netherlands into action, with Dutch culture minister Ingrid van Engelshoven announcing last month she is to consult the local live music business on potential regulation of the secondary ticket market.

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Tickets to the 2017 edition of Spain’s biggest music festival, Arenal Sound, are selling historically well – despite still being without a venue.

Promoter Imusic was forced to move the festival from its traditional beachside home in Burriana, a seaside town in Valencia, to new venues in nearby Villarreal and Nules last year after local authorities ruled the its location was in violation of Spain’s Ley de Costas (Coastal Law) of 1988.

It has yet to announce where the eighth Arenal Sound will take place, despite having already confirmed a host of local and international acts, including Bastille, Jake Bugg, Martin Garrix, Fedde Le Grand and Icona Pop.

“It is the best year yet for Arenal Sound”

Speaking to Spanish daily El Mundo, an spokesperson declined to provide specific numbers, but said in terms of tickets “it is the best year [yet] for Arenal Sound”. Imusic expects the festival to be sold out by April.

Sales of tickets for buses to and from the festival are also selling well, with more than 3,400 people having bought a bus ticket – “a historic record for these dates”, says the promoter.

An estimated 300,000 people attended Arenal Sound 2016 – up from 260,000 the previous year.

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