Macau plans to build concert venue that can accommodate up to 50,000 attendees

According to Elsie Ao Ieong, Macau’s Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, the government is actively searching for a sizable open space big enough to accommodate performances for 20,000 or even 50,000 attendees.

Her remarks come in the wake of controversy over the location of Korean K-pop group Seventeen’s recent January 20–21 concerts in Macau’s Taipa Stadium. The loudness and light effects of the performances on the surrounding residences, together with the inconvenient temporary traffic control measures, caused complaints from the locals.

Ao Ieong suggested the creation of a government interdepartmental group to look into the incident and provide solutions after it seriously damaged Taipa Stadium’s grassed area.

“The administration has realized the limits of Taipa Stadium and would look into alternate locations for future large-scale outdoor events,” Ao Ieong said in a Tuesday media briefing. To identify a suitable location, a coordinating group has been established.”

She emphasised that an arena is not necessary for the outside location, stating that “a large outdoor open space would suffice.”

The reclaimed land of the Macau Tower New Reclamation on the Macau peninsula is one potential location that Ao Ieong mentioned. Ao Ieong observed that while a large music festival (2023 TMEA) was held nearby in July 2023, the Seventeen performance did not utilize this location as they did not foresee sufficient economic benefits to the community. She was unable to explain why Taipa Stadium will have different economic benefits than the Macau Tower New Reclamation.

However, Ao Ieong emphasized that one of the few feasible options is the Macau Tower New Reclamation, since the government hopes to locate musical venues in Macau that can hold audiences of 20,000, 30,000, or even 50,000.

“It will take time for the government to secure a suitable venue for concerts, and I hope the community will be patient,” she said.

Large-scale shows have proven to be a big attraction for both domestic and foreign visitors since Macau’s borders were reopened last year. But there’s increasing consensus that if the city wants to regularly attract world-class performers, it needs an open air venue or stadium-style setup that can hold 50,000 spectators.

Original story by: IAG