The government yesterday announced the fees for companies, organisations or acts to host shows in its newly-built Macau Open-Air Performance Venue in Cotai.
The fees were announced in an executive order published in the Official Gazette (BO) yesterday, which was signed by Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U on Thursday last week.
Construction of the facility used for hosting large-scale performances was completed last month. It was set up on a large plot, covering 94,000 square metres, next to the Lisboeta Macau resort in Cotai.
The construction cost 89.9 million patacas in total.
However, the Macau Open-Air Performance Venue will only be operated on a trial basis first, with its trial operation period to last one year, running between January 1 and December 31 next year.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) is now accepting applications from companies, organisations or acts to organise and host shows at the venue during its trial operation period. The bureau will assess the applications to determine whether to greenlight the performances, based on different factors such as the group’s reputation, international clout and its positive effect on Macau’s culture and tourism, an IC statement said last week.
According to yesterday’s executive order, the groups will be required to pay 500,000 patacas for a performance with 30,000 or more spectators on the day of the performance. They will be required to pay 250,000 patacas for each day they are setting up equipment or holding rehearsals in the run-up to the performance.
For a performance with an audience of fewer than 30,000, according to the order, the groups will be required to pay 350,000 patacas per performance day, while they will be required to pay 175,000 patacas per day when setting up their equipment or holding rehearsals in the run-up to the performance.
However, according to the order, the groups will enjoy a 25-percent discount during the venue’s trial operation period next year.
The local government, in collaboration with a Hong Kong TV station, will organise the facility’s first trial concert on December 28, in the run-up to the official commencement of the facility’s trial operation period which will start on January 1.
This undated handout photo downloaded from the Cultural Affairs Bureau’s (IC) website yesterday shows the new Macau Open-Air Performance Venue in south-east Cotai.
