x

The latest industry news to your inbox.


I'd like to hear about marketing opportunities

    

I accept IQ Magazine's Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Wizink Center’s music marathon to mark 1,000 shows

Madrid’s Wizink Center is to celebrate its 1,000th show with a 1,000-minute macro-concert featuring rising talent from across Spain.

A total of 317 emerging acts – 75% of them from Madrid – have signed up for the chance to perform on stage at the 17,456-cap venue for The 1,000 of the Wizink Center – a 16 hour, six minute music marathon on 24-25 October.

The successful 100 entrants will be revealed on 16 October, with 100 performances by the chosen bands to take place uninterruptedly, interspersed with musical performances by already established groups.

The event will serve as a celebration of the 1,000 concerts held at the WiZink Center since the venue was reopened in 2005, Its 1,000th concert, headlined by Spanish singer Raphael, will take place on December 16.

Upcoming shows at the venue include Greta Van Fleet, Jason Derulo, The 1975, IDLES, Depeche Mode and Niall Horan

Pop group Miss Caffeina will be in charge of opening this musical marathon on 24 October at 7pm, with Spanish band Marlon to close it on 25 October 25.

Upcoming shows at the venue include Greta Van Fleet, Jason Derulo, The 1975, IDLES, Depeche Mode and Niall Horan.

In the spring, Wizink Center opened new 1,000-cap concert lounge La Sala inside the complex. which is located at the same level as the main floor of the arena.

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Madrid’s WiZink Center to open new concert space

Madrid’s WiZink Center is to open new 1,000-cap concert lounge La Sala inside the complex next month.

The space will be located at the same level as the main floor of the 17,456-cap venue and has been made possible via a significant investment effort to soundproof it from other events held at the larger arena, as well as independent access offered by Goya Street.

Targeted at emerging artists, it can also be used for audio and video recordings, soundchecks and artist rehearsals, having been equipped – in a Spanish first – by Clair Brothers, supplier of loudspeaker products for tours by the Rolling Stones, U2, Maluma and Paul McCartney, among others. It also offers a 21 sq m LED screen at the back of the stage in addition to cutting-edge lighting.

La Sala del WiZink Center will launch on 19 May with a headline performance by Ice Nine Kills

La Sala del WiZink Center (The Room of the WiZink Center) will launch on 19 May with performances by Ice Nine Kills, Skynd, Lansdowne and Defying Decay, promoted by Doctor Music.

The Wizink Center’s main 2023 calendar, meanwhile, includes arena shows by Hans Zimmer (16 May), Maroon 5 (15 June), Feid (2 July), Romeo Santos (6-9 July), Arctic Monkeys (10-11 July), Rod Stewart (12 July), Andrea Bocelli (20-21 September), Blink-182 (3 October), Louis Tomlinson (5 October) and Greta Van Fleet (4 December).

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Maluma breaks WiZink’s attendance record

Colombian singer Maluma last night (5 April) broke the attendance record for Madrid’s WiZink Center, with an audience of 17,412.

The Latin superstar, who is undertaking his Papi Juancho Europe Tour 2022, opted for a 360º format which meant the venue’s maximum capacity of 17,453 could be used.

The record was previously held by American heavy metal legends Metallica, who also used the 360º format and drew 17,267 fans to their 2018 concert.

The record was previously held by American heavy metal legends Metallica, who also used the 360º format and drew 17,267 fans

The WiZink Center says it deployed its maximum organisational capacity, including 704 workers, to make the Maluma concert possible.

This included 226 technical professionals, lighting, sound, assemblers, loading and unloading operators, 252 people in the security device, health services, fire prevention technicians, ushers and access controllers; and another 172 in restaurant services, bars, and kitchens; in addition to another 54 professionals in other different tasks.

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Madrid’s WiZink Centre to reopen to 2,000 attendees

Madrid’s WiZink Centre is due to reopen tomorrow (27 November) to 2,000 attendees for the Spanish Padel Tennis Championship with a number of new Covid-19 health and safety precautions in place.

The 16,000-capacity indoor arena, which will open at less than the authorised 40% capacity, has improved its ventilation systems to nullify the recirculation of air and guarantees that its 160,000 cubic meters of air will be completely renovated every 12 minutes.

Scientists from Germany’s Restart-19 project recently found that poor ventilation can significantly increase the number of people exposed to a risk of infection.

WiZink will top its maximum attendance so far with a concert by Spanish star Raphael in December with up to 5,000 fans

The venue’s other health and safety measures include taking spectators’ temperature on arrival; blood tests for staff; and leaving at least two seats between groups when regulations only ask for one seat distance.

WiZink Center was one of the first international venues to reopen its doors to the public after the first lockdown, holding its first show on 3 July, with Spanish rockstar Loquillo performing to more than 1,700 fans.

The arena has since hosted a number of music events including Madrid Summer Fest, a nine-concert series featuring Spanish and international artists, with an audience of up to 2,000 people for each show.

WiZink will top its maximum attendance so far with a concert by Spanish star Raphael on 19 December with up to 5,000 attendees, while Spanish dancer and choreographer Joaquín Cortés will perform on 23 December.

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Multiple summer concert series kick off in Spain

Promoters Live Nation and the Music Republic are kicking off new, open-air concert series in Spain this week, as venues including the Wizink Center and Ifema prepare to host live shows over the next few months.

The Music Republic, which promotes festivals Arenal Sound, Viña Rock, Granada Sound, Madrid Salvaje and the Festival Internacional de Benicàssim (FIB), announced its Republic Alive concert series this week, with 800-capacity outdoor shows taking place throughout July, August and September in Valencia, Granada, San Fernando, Seville and Toledo.

Artists performing as part of the series, which kicks off tomorrow (17 July), include Andrés Suárez, Miss Caffeina, Diego El Cigala, M Clan, Viva Suecia and Cepeda. Tickets for the shows are available here.

This week has also marked the start of Live Nation’s Crew Nation Presents concert series, which is taking place at the 2,500-capacity La Riviera in Madrid until mid-September.

The first sold-out show of the series took place last night with a performance by Spanish singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente. Other acts playing as part of the Crew Nation Present series, which raises money for Live Nation’s Crew Nation relief fund, include El Kanka, Sex Museum, Muchachito and Triángulo de amor bizarro.

Tickets for the Crew Nation Presents shows are available here.

Madrid’s 15,500-capacity Wizink Center, the largest arena in Spain, is also preparing to welcome back artists and fans, with the Proactiv- and Voltereta Tour-promoted Truss Madrid Madriz Summer Fest, which will see performances from over 30 artists from 15 August to 15 September.

Promoters Live Nation and the Music Republic are kicking off new, open-air concert series in Spain this week, as venues including the Wizink Center and Ifema prepare to host live shows over the next few months

The arena will operate at a reduced capacity, with between 1,200 and 2,200 attending each concert, sitting at tables and chairs around a 360° stage.

Spanish techno-rumba group Camela will kick off the concert series, with other performance coming from acts including Funambulista, Despistaos, Izal, Stay Homas, Pablo López, Ara Malikian, Sara Baras and Sofía Ellar.

Tickets will become available here over the coming days.

Fellow Madrid venue, the Ifema conference and exhibition centre, is also returning to live music after a bout serving as Spain’s largest ‘hospital’. Abre Madrid! (Madrid Opens) began on 7 July and is running until 6 September, with acts performing to up to 1,000, seated fans on two open-air stages in the Ifema grounds, which usually plays host to Live Nation’s Mad Cool festival, DGTL Madrid and Río Babel festival.

Artists performing as part of Abre Madrid! include Xoel Lopez, La Habitación Roja, Carlos Sadness, Diego el Cigala, Mala Rodríguez and Miguel Poveda.

Ifema has been recognised as a safe space by the Community of Madrid and the World Travel and Tourism Council, allowing the venue to host events at up to 75% of its full capacity, provided that the configuration of space allows for 1.5 metres to be maintained between individuals.

In addition to the Abre Madrid! Shows, the venue plans on hosting 60 fairs and congresses in the last six months of 2020.

Tickets for the Ifema shows, which also span comedy, theatre, cinema and family entertainment, can be found here.

 


This article forms part of IQ’s Covid-19 resource centre – a knowledge hub of essential guidance and updating resources for uncertain times.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Crew Nation Presents to debut in Madrid in July

Live Nation has announced the Crew Nation Presents concert series, which will take place in Madrid from 15 July, as Spain prepares to allow outdoor concerts of up to 800 people.

Taking place at 2,500-capacity La Riviera, the series of reduced-capacity concerts will raise funds for artists’ technicians, musicians and touring staff affected by the live event shutdown, with €1 from every ticket donated to Live Nation’s Crew Nation relief fund.



Starting on 15 July, the shows will run until mid-September. Confirmed acts include singer-songwriter El Kanka, pop group Miss Caffeina, rock band Sex Museum, psychedelic rumba band Tu Otra Bonita and alternative rock musician Xoel López.

Tickets for Crew Nation Presents concerts go on sale on 22 June at 10 a.m. here.

“The series of reduced-capacity concerts will raise funds for Live Nation’s Crew Nation relief fund”

Spain is expected to move into the final stage of its reopening plan next week, which will see the reopening of clubs and bars at a third of usual capacity, indoor shows of up 80 people allowed and a capacity limit of 800 for outdoor events.

The news comes as Madrid’s 16,000-capacity WiZink Center announces its intention to open its doors – both virtually and physically – in the coming weeks.

Under the new phase of reopening, the arena will be able to admit a “significant” proportion of its full capacity for seated shows.

More details will be available on the WiZink Center website in the next few days.

Photo: Fermín Rodríguez Fajardo/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) (cropped)

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

WiZink Center reports 1.2k fake tickets in 2019

More than 1,200 fans were denied entry to Madrid’s 16,000-capacity WiZink Center last year, having purchased false or duplicated tickets from unofficial platforms.

According to a report by the venue, there has been an “alarming increase in ticket fraud” in recent months, as fraudsters “capitalise on high demand and sophisticated technology to deceive fans who want to buy tickets at any price.”

In all cases, tickets had been purchased from secondary ticketing sites or through resale between individuals, either online or via street touts.

As reported in the International Ticketing Yearbook 2019, secondary ticketing has long been a controversial issue in Spain and has been raised at government level. However, according to promoters’ association APM, concrete action is yet to be taken.

In May last year, Anatic, the association for secondary ticketing in Spain, warned against the fraudulent behaviour of many resellers and called for regulation and professionalisation of the sector.

To avoid more fans falling foul of fraudsters, the arena – the biggest in Spain – has launched an awareness campaign, disseminating advice to fans through banners on its website and other digital platforms.

“This is a problem that affects us directly, given that we are the ones who end up denying entry”

“This is a problem that affects us directly,” says Almudena Requena, director of ticketing at the WiZink Center, “given that we are the ones who end up denying entry to people with these kinds of tickets. This places a responsibility on us that we are not accountable for.”

Eugeni Calsamiglia, general director of Ticketmaster Spain, says that although it has always been advisable to buy ticket through official channels, it is now “essential”.

“Current access control systems detect 100% of false or duplicated tickets,” explains Calsamiglia, “so the risk of not being able to enter a concert with a ticket bought on an unofficial channel is high.”

The arena reminds fans that, unlike tickets bought through unauthorised channels, tickets purchased from its online box office or through other official sellers also protect against cancellations and date changes.

Upcoming concerts at the WiZink Center include Halsey, Jonas Brothers, Maluma, Bon Iver and Dua Lipa.

Photo: Luis García/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) (cropped)

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Strong start for Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia

Dua Lipa sold more than 15,000 tickets in a single morning yesterday (6 December) when the Spanish leg of her Future Nostalgia European arena tour went on sale, according to promoter Mercury Wheels.

The Spanish dates, beginning at the 15,500-capacity WiZink Center in Madrid on 26 April, mark the start of the tour, which will visit more than 20 European cities before wrapping up at 3Arena in Dublin on 19 June.

In addition to WiZink Center, Lipa (pictured) will play the Palau Sant Jordi (17,000-cap.) in Barcelona two days later, on 28 April.

In addition to WiZink Center, Lipa will play the Palau Sant Jordi Barcelona two days later, on 28 April

A share of all proceeds from tickets sold will go to Unicef and the Sunny Hill Foundation, set up by Dua and her father Dugi in Kosovo.

The Lipas were the keynote interviewees at the inaugural Futures Forum at ILMC this March, where they spoke about the foundation, Dua’s career so far and using Dua’s platform to help her fans and other young women.

Dua Lipa: ‘Women have to work harder to be heard’


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Valencia Arena to be biggest in Spain

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.

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Madrid’s WiZink Center hosts 500th concert

Dani Martín’s show at WiZink Center on Friday (16 November) marked a milestone 500th concert for the 15,500-capacity Madrid arena.

The venue, formerly known as the Community of Madrid Sports Palace (Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid), reopened in 2005 after being gutted by fire four years earlier.

Queen and Paul Rodgers played the first show, on 1 April 2005, with the likes of Beyoncé, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Muse, Elton John, U2, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars having followed in their footsteps over the past 13 years. Spanish flamenco singer El Barrio holds the record for the most sell-outs (18), followed by Bilbao rock duo Fito y Fitipaldis. On average, the Sports Palace/WiZink Center has held 38 concerts per year since 2005.

In 2017, it hosted a record 156 events, leading to its placing tenth in Pollstar’s top 100 arenas worldwide, and fifth in Europe.

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.