Stones Get Maximus On The Cheap

The UK’s Daily Telegraph reckons the show at the 2,000-year-old Circus Maximus will generate revenues of around euro 6 million ($8.1 million), while claiming the venue rental is less than $11,000.

The Circus Maximus, once the Roman Empire’s biggest stadium with a capacity of 250,000, was originally used for chariot acing and other forms of mass entertainment.

“We’ve been giving away the use of ancient monuments at cut-price costs for years,” said a statement from consumer association Codacons. “The city council needs to set more appropriate prices for the use of Rome’s prestigious cultural heritage.”

Local opposition city councilor Alessandro Onorato told Rome daily Il Messagero the act should have been charged from June 11, when prep work started at the venue.

The city council has said the cost of the Circus Maximus is fixed and laid down by law, and that the band paid an additional $240,000 for extra police to provide security for the event, waste management and other logistical costs.

It also said it was looking at the possibility of, in the future, increasing the cost of renting the arena by as much as 250 percent.

The city’s plan to protect the site includes two teams monitoring crowds at the Circus Maximus and the Palatine Hill overlooking it. They’ll be under the direction of the culture ministry, which originally raised the alarm over possible damage.