The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) announced on Monday the location of the future “Macau Open-Air Performance Venue” in Cotai, and Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U said yesterday that the government aims to hold a trial show there at the end of the year to test various aspects such as crowd control, traffic arrangements and security management, expecting the first fully-fledged performance to be held at the facility in the first two months of next year.
The government announced earlier this year the setting up of a 15-member special task force to oversee the preparation and staging of large-scale performances, with the secretary for Social Affairs and Culture as its head, the president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) as its coordinator and the director of the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) as its deputy coordinator.
The 94,000-square metre “Macau Open-Air Performance Venue”, with a capacity of about 50,000 spectators, is located on a government-owned plot at the junction of Avenida do Aeroporto and Rua de Ténis, adjacent to the Grand Lisboa Palace (GLP) and Lisboeta resorts as well as the public Macau East Asian Games Dome.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a public event at the Bank of China Building, Ao Ieong stressed that the site was selected by the government after a “full assessment”, such as ensuring that it is “not too close” to residential neighbourhoods and big enough for large-scale performances, adding: “As it is close to the resorts, it’s easier to disperse crowds, facilitating spectators to arrange food and beverages, accommodation and transport”.
The “Macau Open-Air Performance Venue” is currently in the preparatory stage, according to Ao Ieong, who said that the government, as the next step, will carry out infrastructural work, including the provision of a suitable number of seats and toilets, among other basic facilities, and supporting facilities for large-scale performances which, however, will not include the setting up of the stage and other performance facilities, which will be set up by the respective event organisers.
According to the policy secretary, after deliberations by the inter-departmental task force, it was decided by the government that event organisers should reveal the details of the relevant equipment and facilities, safety regulations and their arrangements for crowd and traffic control measures when submitting their permit applications through the government’s platform system.
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U talks to the media on the sidelines of a public event at the Bank of China Building yesterday. – Photo: GCS
