Dublin’s 3Arena has been named as the top venue in the world based on tickets sold to capacity over the past 10 years.
According to VenuesNow, the 13,000-capacity arena has shifted 6.4 million passes since 2010 over 823 shows, grossing $478m (€425).
3Arena has been ranked ahead of Wembley’s SSE Arena, Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, and Hallenstadion Zurich, in a league table of venues with a capacity of 10,000 to 15,000.
Cormac Rennick, general manager at 3Arena, said, according to The Times: “We have a young, urban population and Irish people go out more than other nations. There was a phenomenal amount of gigs on in Ireland last summer, not just in 3Arena.
“If an American tour is shipping their gear across the ocean, it makes sense to collect its trucks here. We’ve also got a rich musical heritage in this country and that appeals to a lot of artists.
“We went from 78 shows a year, during the recession, to an average of 115 now. Using curtains, an artist can play to 5,000 people and the venue looks sold out. A lot of arenas average only 65 to 70 events every year. We’re trying to cater for all sizes.”
“We’ll have to find smarter ways to power our buildings, and bands are going to have to consider smarter ways of touring,”
According to VenuesNow, 3Arena’s highest-grossing year was 2010, when it made €56m in box-office receipts. That year, Lady Gaga grossed €2.9m for a run of three shows.
Image: robinkristianparker
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