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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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Spotify takes another playlist on the road with ¡Viva Latino! Live

Spotify is bringing its popular ¡Viva Latino! Latin music playlist to the stage.

Produced in partnership with US promoter Cárdenas Marketing Network (CMN), ¡Viva Latino! Live will feature performances from what Spotify calls the “hottest artists making a name for Latin music across the globe”, including Daddy Yankee (of ‘Despacito’ fame), Jowell y Randy, Bad Bunny, Becky G and Natti Natasha.

The tour kicks off at Allstate Arena (18,500-cap.) in Chicago on 23 August, with additional cities, both in North America and internationally, and more performers to be announced at a later date.

The launch of ¡Viva Latino! Live follows the successful debut in the UK of Live Nation-backed Who We Be Live, based on the grime playlist of the same name, and similar event RapCaviar Live, also a Live Nation co-production, stateside. Earlier this month it announced Hot Country Live, a show at the newly Live Nation-booked Rooftop at Pier 17 venue in New York, set to debut in early July.

“These are exciting times in Latin entertainment, and we are proud to partner with such a dynamic, music-centric company as Spotify to produce ¡Viva Latino! Live, which brings together some of the biggest names in Latin entertainment for one night,” says CMN chief executive Henry Cardenas.

“The decision to take this playlist on the road is a true testament to the impact Latin music is having around the world”

“This partnership and initiative demonstrates Spotify’s commitment to Latin culture, and the artists that influence it, in a way that brings true engaging live experiences to the hearts of music fans around the world.”

“Since launching our ¡Viva Latino! playlist in 2014, we’ve witnessed the Latin music culture grow beyond even our wildest hopes and expectations,” adds Rocio Guerrero, head of global cultures, shows and editorial at Spotify. “The decision to take this playlist on the road is a true testament to the impact Latin music is having around the world right now.

“This is a really exciting moment for Spotify and Latin music fans everywhere—and we can’t wait to have some fun.”

A presale for the Chicago show opens on Ticketmaster today, with GA tickets starting at US$49.

 


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