Macau to Construct Outdoor Amusement Park Near Cotai Avenue, Accommodating up to 50,000 Visitors
The Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) administration aims to aid the city's six commercial casino operators in expanding the leisure tourism market through a new outdoor entertainment venue.
This week, the Macau SAR Government revealed plans to construct a significant outdoor amphitheater. The venue will be situated south of SJM Resorts' Grand Lisboa Palace integrated resort casino and east of Lisboeta Macau, a non-gaming hotel privately owned by billionaire Angela Leong, the fourth wife of the late Stanley Ho.
Stanley Ho founded what ultimately became SJM Resorts and held a monopoly on casino gambling in Macau for decades until the region was transferred to China in 1999. Macau government officials assert that the 94,000-square-meter (approximately one million-square-foot) outdoor concert venue can accommodate up to 50,000 people and will help the region's efforts to broaden its appeal to more leisure travelers and non-gamblers.
Entertainment Hub
In December 2022, Macau’s six casino operators—SJM, Sands, Galaxy, Wynn, MGM, and Melco—pledged approximately $18 billion to invest in their resorts through non-gaming projects. The Macau SAR Government aims to decrease its reliance on casino taxes, a significant financial source that has been severely impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Macau leaders are attempting to replicate the Las Vegas strategy, making Macau the Asian casino hub where casinos are just part of the overall attraction. The local government is setting an example by announcing the Cotai Strip amphitheater, commonly known as the Macau Outdoor Performance Zone.
The construction of this open-air venue will create favorable conditions for large-scale outdoor shows to be held in Macau, attracting international-caliber performances to the city.
The outdoor events space will be situated in a prime area of Cotai, where Macau's most opulent casino resorts are located. The venue will be roughly half a mile east of the Cotai Strip.
Besides Grand Lisboa Palace and Lisboeta, the outdoor performance zone will be within walking distance of Wynn Palace, MGM Cotai, The Venetian, and Parisian, Studio City, and City of Dreams.
"The Government has taken into account the different spatial conditions of Macau and balanced various factors such as geographic location before selecting the site," the Cultural Affairs statement concluded.
Government officials also mentioned that the bidding for the project development will soon commence. Only contractors who can guarantee the facility will be completed before the end of 2025 should submit bids.
Catering to the Masses
Macau’s casino operators are investing a substantial portion of their non-gaming financial obligations towards growing the mass and premium-mass markets. With fewer VIPs in town due to China's crackdown on junket groups, the casinos aim to fill the reduced high-roller revenue gap by catering to the general public.
Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng stated in April that the casinos should help the city achieve its goal of becoming a “City of Performing Arts.” Ho seeks to establish a “concert economy” where global superstars will bring audiences from across the Pearl River Delta to Macau for entertainment events.
