‘Among The Most Advanced Venues In Europe’: Q’s With Roig Arena GM Víctor Sendra

Venues make the circuit: a core truth of the live biz. The emergence of new touring markets is often directly linked to the opening of a new building, and one of the most recent examples of this phenomenon is Valencia, Spain, where Roig Arena commenced operations last September.

Since then, it has already amassed a more than impressive box office history on Pollstar, and we reached out to general manager Víctor Sendra to talk about some of the highlights that took place at Roig Arena so far, as well as arena specs that make this building unique in Europe.

Pollstar: How would you sum up the first seven months since opening Roig Arena from a business perspective?
Víctor Sendra: From a business perspective, we are extremely satisfied with the arena’s performance during its first months of operation, having clearly exceeded our initial expectations. In just six months, Roig Arena has hosted more than 200 events, including concerts, live entertainment shows, professional basketball games, and corporate gatherings, welcoming over one million visitors to the venue.

Beyond the strong attendance figures, the qualitative feedback has been equally positive. We have received excellent responses not only from audiences, but also from promoters and industry professionals, who consistently highlight the venue’s operational efficiency and versatility.

Roig Arena was conceived and designed with agility and flexibility at its core, enabling fast and seamless changeovers between events and ensuring efficient setup and dismantling processes. This operational focus allows us to accommodate a wide range of formats while maintaining high standards of quality and safety.

We firmly believe that creating a positive environment for artists and their production teams is essential to delivering outstanding experiences for audiences. Ensuring comfort, efficiency, and reliability for all stakeholders has been a fundamental principle since day one, and it is already proving to be a key factor in the arena’s early success.

Any events that stand out to you from that period, any personal highlights or favorites?
We are delighted that both major national and international tours are choosing to include Roig Arena in their itineraries. This strong interest from leading artists and promoters is in itself one of the most significant highlights of our first months.

Just two months after opening, we hosted the LOS40 Music Awards, Spain’s most important music awards ceremony. The event featured performances by internationally renowned artists such as Ed Sheeran and Myles Smith and was particularly memorable as it marked the moment when Rosalía premiered the first single from her new album. Looking ahead, it is also a great source of pride for us that music legends such as Rod Stewart, Pet Shop Boys, and Bryan Adams will be performing at Roig Arena this year.

What makes the arena special in your eyes? Feel free to elaborate on all aspects from accessibility to sustainability to sound design to facilities…
From a technological standpoint, Roig Arena stands among the most advanced venues in Europe. The arena features the continent’s highest‑resolution video cube, the longest indoor videowall in Europe, and a large‑scale immersive exterior screen that welcomes visitors upon arrival. In addition, the building’s façade—comprising 8,600 video‑illuminated ceramic panels—enables large‑scale video-mapping, allowing the arena itself to become part of the live experience.

From an operational and client perspective, however, what truly sets Roig Arena apart is its exceptional adaptability. The venue has been designed to transform seamlessly and be precisely tailored to the specific requirements of each event, regardless of scale or format. This flexibility is critical for promoters, artists, and production teams, and it significantly enhances both efficiency and overall event quality.

Another defining element is sound design and acoustic performance. The arena is enveloped in multiple layers of sound‑insulating materials, with a total thickness exceeding one meter. Each layer is engineered to absorb different sound frequencies, ensuring outstanding acoustic quality inside the venue while providing excellent sound insulation for the surrounding area. We also installed four indoor loading dock bays, allowing all loading and unloading operations to take place entirely inside the building. This decision significantly reduces external noise and minimizes the venue’s impact on nearby residential areas.

Taken together—advanced technology, operational flexibility, acoustic excellence, and a strong commitment to urban integration—these elements define what makes Roig Arena truly special and set it apart within the European arena landscape.

What has it added to the Spanish market in general and Valencia in particular that the region was lacking?
Until now, Valencia lacked an indoor venue of this scale and capacity, and Roig Arena has filled that gap in a very meaningful way. One of our core objectives was to develop a highly adaptable arena capable of hosting major international touring productions, top‑tier sporting competitions, and a broad range of entertainment and corporate events.

In just a few months, we have already welcomed international artists such as Hans Zimmer and 5 Seconds of Summer, with upcoming concerts by Thirty Seconds To Mars, TINI or Eros Ramazzotti.
More broadly, our ambition is to become an active, reliable contributor within the European arena ecosystem. We want Valencia to be firmly established as a regular stop on major international touring circuits and as a destination city for high‑profile sporting events. Our goal is not to compete for leadership positioning at any cost, but rather to add value to the market, strengthen the touring circuit, and build long‑term, trust‑based relationships with promoters, artists, and sports leagues.

What are the three most important questions, the operator of a live entertainment arena in Spain needs to ask himself/herself in 2026?
From our perspective, the first key question is how to ensure long‑term sustainability and profitability. This includes not only financial performance, but also operational efficiency, responsible resource management, and minimizing environmental impact.

The second question is how to deliver programming that consistently generates interest and relevance, balancing global touring acts, local content, sports, and diverse forms of live entertainment. In a competitive market, relevance and audience engagement are essential.

Finally, operators must ask how to position their venue internationally. Being visible, trusted, and well‑understood by the global live entertainment industry is crucial.

It must be amazing to have one private sponsor putting funding the entire project, instead of having to secure alternative funding like venture capital or state aids etc. What is Juan Roig’s stake in the building?
Juan Roig, president of the supermarket chain Mercadona, has made a €400 million philanthropic investment in what we call a “City Project.” This initiative goes far beyond the construction of the Roig Arena itself and represents a comprehensive effort to revitalize the Quatre Carreres district of Valencia.

Thanks to this investment, the project has delivered not only the arena, but also a 21,000‑square‑meter public park, a parking facility with more than 1,000 spaces, and a public school. Altogether, these elements form part of a broader vision known as “Proyecto Legado,” whose purpose is to give back to the city everything it has given to him and his family.

For us, it is a true privilege to be part of a project driven by such a long‑term, thoughtful commitment to the city. Juan Roig’s involvement ensures that Roig Arena is not just a venue, but a lasting civic contribution, designed to generate social, cultural, and economic value for Valencia over decades.

Do you work with multiple ticketing companies?
Yes, we do. Roig Arena’s aim is to work with all promoters and artists, so it is essential that our ticketing services are open to all systems. The key to managing this successfully is maintaining close communication with the various stakeholders (promoters, ticketing companies and artists) and ensuring that our access control system is capable of processing tickets from any ticketing operator.

Any parts of the arena that haven’t opened yet but will soon? Or is the full Roig Arena experience open and ready?
Roig Arena opened its doors just over six months ago, so the venue is fully operational and in excellent condition. From day one, the complete Roig Arena experience has been available to audiences, artists, and promoters.

That said, we remain highly self‑critical and place great importance on listening to feedback from our users. Constructive input from audiences, promoters, and partners helps us continuously refine operations and improve the overall user experience. Even with a brand‑new facility, we believe ongoing optimization is essential to long‑term success.

Do you have the possibility to host smaller events, as well?
Absolutely. In addition to the main arena, Roig Arena offers a range of flexible spaces designed to host small and medium‑scale events without the need to use the main bowl.

A standout example is the Roig Arena Auditorio, an independent hall with a capacity of up to 2,000 people, which is performing exceptionally well. The Auditorio has already hosted concerts by artists such as Biffy Clyro, Loboda, The Waterboys, and Suede, among others. This versatility allows us to accommodate a wide spectrum of events while maximizing the venue’s year‑round activity.

What’s next for Roig Arena? Any upcoming shows or projects you’d like to highlight?
Roig Arena is a dynamic and exciting long‑term project, and we are very much focused on continuing to grow our programming and visibility within the international live entertainment industry. We are actively working on expanding our concert and event calendar, strengthening relationships with promoters and artists, and positioning the venue as a must‑play stop for major tours.

Looking ahead, we have several high‑profile events in the pipeline, and our priority is to keep building momentum while delivering consistently high‑quality experiences for audiences, artists, and partners alike.

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