‘We Must All Take Better Care Of Fans’: Q’s With Manuel Saucedo, GM, Movistar Arena

Movistar Arena is not just the busiest arena in Spain, but one of the busiest in the world, as Pollstar’s quarterly arena charts regularly prove. In Q1/2025, for instance, the Madrid building ranked seventh in terms of gross, and fourth in terms of ticket sales.

Pollstar reached out to the building’s GM Manuel Saucedo, to catch up for our annual Spain Focus. And, by all accounts, it’s going to a record breaking year for Movistar Arena Madrid.

Pollstar: How’s 2025 shaping up for Movistar Arena? Any particular events you’d like to highlight?
Manuel Saucedo: We face this year with the excitement, thanks to our naming partner, who is more than a sponsor — they are a partner that brings us their expertise as a leader in communication technology as well as in the entertainment industry. And this aligns with an outstanding lineup. We will host Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Maluma, Emilia, Dua Lipa, and several more artists who will be announced soon.

Can you put this year into perspective? Does it look like 2025 will be even busier than 2024? Are there new event formats/music genres on the rise?
It will be a record-breaking year thanks to the already confirmed lineup. We’ll be hosting around 230 events, including sports events, plus over a hundred concerts in our new boutique venue for 750 guests, which is gaining great recognition in Madrid for its sound quality and programming.

This year, we will also introduce the experience of resident artists, with eight concerts by Joaquín Sabina and 10 by Dani Martín — a major new feature in our programming.

What was the ratio between international and domestic artists performing at Movistar Arena when looking at the current event calendar?
We’re approaching a 50-50 ratio, which confirms that Movistar Arena Madrid has become a sought-after destination for artists — an achievement we are incredibly proud of. We believe that any European tour should include a stop in Madrid, and we continue to fight to make that happen, despite the challenges we face in finding available dates on the calendar.

What challenges remain for the Spanish live sector, and what opportunities do you identify?
The main challenge lies in the live experience itself — the staging, the creative design, etc. The opportunities undoubtedly lie in technology, particularly through connectivity in venues. There’s still a long way to go, but, soon, it will be possible to fully integrate fans into the show, allowing them to experience it more intensely.

As for areas of improvement, it’s essential to care for fans who travel great lengths to attend concerts — often traveling from other cities and paying high ticket prices. We need to take care of them. We must stick to schedules, ensure that premium experiences are truly worthwhile. To sum it up, as a sector, we must all take better care of fans when it comes to live events.

Last time we spoke, you said you may be able to reveal news about opening new buildings in other Spanish cities. Do you have any news to share in that regard?
We’ll soon have exciting news to share. We’re working on new locations both within Spain and internationally to support artists’ tours and collaborate with promoters. The live events sector — and not just concerts — continues to show strong momentum.

Anything you’d like to say about the new naming rights sponsor Movistar? Does it have any influence on how the arena operates going forward?
We chose Movistar over other candidates because they will be our partner in enhancing the fan experience at our venue through technology — and that requires connectivity. We’re already working on this with a leading tech company.

Likewise, they will help develop new audience management tools at Movistar Arena, an area with great potential for innovation.

Anything else you’d like to add?
Yes, I’d like to highlight that, fortunately, the live music sector is increasingly recognizing the active role venues play in improving events. We are partners to artists and promoters — a meeting point with fans, providing safety and supporting productions.

We want to be seen as part of the show, part of the overall experience. And, little by little, that recognition is growing. Seeing an artist is important, but where you see that artist is becoming just as important.

Subscribe to Pollstar HERE