At the end of April, Mayor José Luis Martínez Almeida presented what he described as “the best and largest leisure, education, and sports complex in Europe.” Now, Live Nation has announced via social media that the concert venue will be named Madrid Arena, sparking a new debate about this project. In addition, the project has revived the specter of the old Olympic Aquatic Center next to the Metropolitano thanks to a 75-year concession that will allow for the construction of a massive arena with over 20,000 seats, a university campus, and a large sports center.
The City Council has granted the Barsento consortium (Atlético de Madrid, Live Nation, and OVG) the right to develop the municipal plot of the former Aquatic Center, covering nearly 67,000 square meters with approximately 90,000 m² of buildable area, under a public-private concession model until approximately 2100. The projected investment ranges from 360 to over 400 million euros, with a significant portion allocated to the indoor arena, and the city council maintains that the project will generate millions in revenue for the city over the life of the concession.
Reuse of the “Olympic skeleton”
The new complex will be built on the unfinished structure of the Aquatic Center from the failed Olympic dream, a project that had already consumed nearly 100 million euros and had stood for over a decade as a symbol of neglect in San Blas-Canillejas. By transforming it into an arena, campus, and sports facilities, the goal is to turn that urban void into a hub of permanent activity linked to Atlético’s so-called City of Sports.
The heart of the project will be a large indoor arena seating over 20,000 spectators, designed specifically for major international tours and shows, which aims to position Madrid on the European circuit of major indoor venues and to compete de facto with the Movistar Arena. Surrounding it will be a campus of the Alfonso X el Sabio University for some 2,300 students and a GOfit sports center for up to 9,000 users, consolidating the Metropolitano area as a new year-round destination for leisure, education, and sports.
Controversy over the name and public debate
Live Nation has begun promoting the future venue as Madrid Arena, a brand that already belongs to the City Council for the current Casa de Campo venue, linked to a tragic accident in which three people died at an event in 2012, which has opened a legal and political front regarding the use of the name and the communication of the project.
The magnitude of the investment, the long-term nature of the concession, and the transfer of a key municipal asset to a private operator have also sparked debate about the city’s development model, the role of event tourism, and the distribution of future economic benefits.