Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Madrid Plans Movistar Arena Expansion to Overtake Valencia's Roig Arena by Eight Seats

Regional leaders present the capacity boost as protection of a cultural asset worth €577 million in 2024 with more than 13,000 jobs.

Overview

  • President Isabel Díaz Ayuso unveiled a remodel that would raise Movistar Arena’s capacity to 20,008 seats, eight more than Valencia’s Roig Arena.
  • Roig Arena, inaugurated on September 6, 2025, seats 20,000 and is currently the largest closed event venue in Spain outside football stadiums.
  • Madrid officials report the Movistar Arena generated €577 million and over 13,000 direct and indirect jobs in 2024, accounting for 1.7% of the region’s cultural GDP, and fear losses from new competition.
  • Before opening, Roig Arena had 200 events booked; three months in, it lists 76 music shows still to come with 27 already sold out and it hosted the Los40 Music Awards.
  • Movistar Arena is projected to finish 2025 with 230 events, including 157 concerts and 64 sporting fixtures, underscoring the high-stakes booking race.