UNA NUEVA ERA: Foro Sol, a beloved stadium in Mexico City built for concerts nearly 30 years ago, went through extensive renovations this year and reopened with new features as well as a new name: Estadio GNP Seguros. Bruno Mars opened the venue with shows on Aug. 8, 10 and 11. (Rendering courtesy OCESA)

Bruno Mars Reopens 65,000-cap Mexican Venue 

MEXICO CITY — It’s a new era for Mexico City’s beloved 65,000-capacity Foro Sol, which not only has gone through a name change, now called Estadio GNP Seguros, but also extensive renovations to modernize the venue.

Estadio GNP Seguros reopened its doors on Aug. 8 with the first of three performances from Bruno Mars, marking the first time the artist is playing a show in Mexico in six years, and showed off the new amenities that enhance the fan experience, including individual seating in every section, hospitality areas and spaces for people to gather and consume food and beverage, and new internal and peripheral LED lighting that improves visibility and security. It also updated its box seating with gold, platinum and diamond ticket packages.

Construction began on the OCESA-operated venue in February following a sold-out two-night stand from the K-pop group TWICE, which grossed $11.18 million across both concerts, according to Pollstar Boxoffice reports. OCESA, which is the country’s largest promoter and owned by Live Nation, has invested 2.3 billion pesos (approximately more than $130 million) into the stadium since opening in 1993, Mexico City’s Head of Government Martí Batres said in a conference Aug. 7. OCESA did not specify how much the most recent upgrade cost.

With música Mexicana elevating to unprecedented heights in the entertainment industry, OCESA felt it was time to invest in the one property that is emblematic of the country’s passion for music, and the company turned to architect Pepe Moyao, who originally designed Foro Sol in the early ’90s.

Moyao said that they performed “major surgery” on the venue, which now boasts a 139,930-square-foot roof that collects rainwater and stores it in a large cistern for subsequent usage such as flushing toilets, washing floors and watering local plants. It not only serves as a new sustainable feature for the venue but also a design choice that further connects the artists and their fans.

“The essence [of the roof] is that the public felt secure, and the other thing is that when the artist stood on stage, they felt contained, that they’re being embraced by the public,” says Moyao. “With this roof and arms that stretch around, the dialogue between artist and fans dials up.”

A SIGHT TO BEHOLD: 65,000 fans fill up Estadio GNP Seguros for the stadium’s first show since February. The venue is emblematic of Mexico’s growth musically and in the live industry. (Courtesy OCESA)

Even after three decades worth of shows from the biggest artists in the world, the stadium’s foundation was strong, and Moyao relied on his creativity to make the venue more accessible, easing entry and egress for both artists and fans with the addition of a mezzanine. The renovations also facilitated fan traffic by reducing the distance to restrooms and hospitality areas, and elevators have been added to assist those with limited mobility.

Another note about restrooms, which will have water-free urinals, is that there are more of them with a total that is required of an 85,000-cap venue.

Estadio GNP now boasts 280 screens across the venue, so fans don’t miss a performance and receive up-to-date information about the event.

Just about every facet of a venue was considered by Moyao, and he wanted to ensure that the stadium lives on for another 30 years in the ever-evolving live music industry. He said that his studio, Moyao Arquitectos, always looks to give entertainment centers “multifunctionality” as well as “versatility” so that a venue like Estadio GNP Seguros “born for 60,000 people can also evolve and have a modernity.”

Even though it’s been out of commission for six months, it wouldn’t be farfetched to see Estadio GNP Seguros on VenuesNow’s Year End charts with 20 shows already booked from now through December, including Feid, Natanael Cano, Metallica, Eric Clapton, blink-182, The Killers, Iron Maiden and Paul McCartney.