The first show at Macao’s new open-air performance venue in Cotai will be held at the end of this year or early next year, according to remarks by Cultural Affairs Bureau chief Leong Wai Man cited in local media.
Leong said that the inaugural performance would be organised by the government and would likely be a gala event in joint celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao SAR and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
The venue, which is being constructed on a 94,000-square-metre site next to the Lisboeta resort, has a price tag of almost 85 million patacas and is scheduled for completion in November.
[See more: Macao needs a big, outdoor venue for shows, say officials]
While the final capacity of the venue will be 50,000 people, Leong told public broadcaster TDM that the first show would be a test run only and that the venue would not be operating at full capacity.
Officials have been under pressure to build an alternative outdoor performance venue for the city after a concert by K-pop group Seventeen at the beginning of this year caused a public backlash.
The show, at the Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, sparked noise and traffic complaints from nearby residents and caused extensive damage to the pitch.
