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José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum

Coordinates: 18°25′39.78″N 66°3′41.01″W / 18.4277167°N 66.0613917°W / 18.4277167; -66.0613917
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José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico
Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot
Choliseo
Choli
Logo
Front (north) view of the Choliseo and side (east) view from the Hato Rey Station of the Urban Train
Map
Full nameJosé Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico
Address500 Arterial B St.
LocationHato Rey, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Coordinates18°25′39.78″N 66°3′41.01″W / 18.4277167°N 66.0613917°W / 18.4277167; -66.0613917
Public transitMainline rail interchange Tren Urbano Hato Rey Station
Local Transit AMA  C1   C22   D15   T2 
Ferry Service AcuaExpreso: Hato Rey Terminal
OwnerPuerto Rico Convention Center District Authority
OperatorASM Global[1]
TypeArena
Genre(s)Music, concerts, sporting events
Seating typeReserved seating
Executive suites2 party suites
26 corporate suites
Capacity18,500[2]
Record attendance18,749 – Bad Bunny: Un Verano Sin Ti (July 28, 2022)[3]
Field shapeOval rectangular
SurfaceConcrete
ScoreboardFour-sided LED
Construction
Broke ground1998 (1998)
BuiltJuly 1998 (1998-07)–2004 (2004)
OpenedSeptember 4, 2004 (2004-09-04)
Construction costUSD $252.6 million
ArchitectSierra Cardona Ferrer
HOK
Project managerGovernment of Puerto Rico
Structural engineerQB Construction
Tenants
Puerto Rico men's national basketball team
Cangrejeros de Santurce (BSN) (2004–2011; 2021)
Puerto Rico Tip-Off (NCAA) (2007–2011)
Website
www.coliseodepuertorico.com

The Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot (English: José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico) is the largest indoor entertainment and sports arena in Puerto Rico. Located in the Hato Rey business center of San Juan, the capital municipality of the archipelago and island, the venue is colloquially known as the Choliseo (often shortened as Choli), which is a portmanteau of the words coliseo (coliseum) and "Cholito", a reference to Don Cholito, a character created by the eponymous Puerto Rican comedian José Miguel Agrelot and his own adopted nickname. It was inaugurated in 2004 with a seating capacity of 18,500[4] spectators, making it the biggest indoor arena in the Caribbean, 7th in Latin America, 37th in the United States, and 60th in the world.[5][6]

The José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico has consistently been ranked among the highest ticket-selling and grossing venues globally.[7][8][9][10][11] With 743,983 ticket sales and $51,585,340 grosses in the fiscal year of 2023, the arena ranked 23rd in tickets and 42nd in revenue out of 200 venues worldwide listed by Pollstar, making it the 3rd highest-ticket-selling and 2nd highest-grossing arena in Latin America.[12] In the fiscal year of 2023, the Choliseo recorded $7.5 million in net income, the highest in a given year since its opening in 2004.[13] In July 2022, the arena saw its largest attendance during Bad Bunny's World's Hottest Tour for the Un Verano Sin Ti album, with a record of 18,749 spectators, exceeding 249 over the venue's capacity. As of 2022, the Choliseo has received over 10 million spectators.[14]

The arena has suffered two major closings. In September 2017, scheduled events were cancelled due to the devastating impacts caused by Hurricane Maria. It was used as a warehouse and collection center by the Government of Puerto Rico to prepare and distribute emergency supplies,[15][16] before it resumed hosting events in March 2018.[17] During the COVID-19 pandemic, events at the venue were cancelled or postponed from March 2020 until June 2021, when events were resumed with attendance modifications.[18]

The arena is owned by the Puerto Rico Convention District Authority, a public corporation of Puerto Rico, and managed by ASM Global.[19] Situated about 3 to 6 miles (4.8 to 9.7 km) from the Old San Juan historic quarter, Condado and Isla Verde resort areas, and SJU airport, it can be reached by public transport via the Hato Rey Station of the Tren Urbano and the Puerto Rico Metropolitan Bus Authority from nearby stops.

Name

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The official name of the arena is the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot (English: José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico). However, the venue is most commonly known locally as the Choliseo (often shortened as Choli), which is a portmanteau of the words coliseo (coliseum) and "Cholito", a reference to Don Cholito, a character created by the eponymous Puerto Rican comedian José Miguel Agrelot and his own adopted nickname.

During the construction phase, plans called for the coliseum to be named simply El Coliseo de Puerto Rico (The Coliseum of Puerto Rico). It was also suggested to have a private entity sponsor the facility and lend its name to it. Most local politicians objected to the idea, due to the 2001 Enron financial scandal, which made the company go bankrupt at a time when their corporate sponsorship named the Houston Astros' home ballpark as the Enron Field.

Legislators argued over the naming of the Coliseum after a celebrity from Puerto Rico. Some of the names mentioned were that of pop star Chayanne, boxer Félix "Tito" Trinidad and actor Raúl Juliá. Puerto Rican law demanded that no facility could be named after a living individual, but there were talks of making an exception to the law should a living Puerto Rican icon be honored with the name. However, the name of beloved local comedian José Miguel Agrelot was chosen in 2004, the same year of his death, when the Coliseum was near its completion. Agrelot himself had suggested the name of Rafael Hernández Marín to be used, and when someone suggested his name instead he was surprised.[citation needed]

Construction

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Aerial view of the Choliseo in 2005

Origins

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From 1992 to 1995, the construction of the Coliseum of Puerto Rico was first introduced during the administrations of Governors Rafael Hernández Colón and Pedro Roselló as part of the unsuccessful bid of the capital municipality of San Juan to host the 2004 Olympic Games.[20][21][22] The facility was to be built in Hato Rey, the central business district of Puerto Rico in San Juan, in the same complex where the Roberto Clemente Coliseum and the Hiram Bithorn Stadium are located, which is about 1.75 miles (2.82 km) west from the current site of the arena.

Roselló administration

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The first plan to build the Coliseum was introduced by the Roselló administration in 1996.[23] When the International Olympic Committee selected Athens to host the Olympics in 1997, the administration of Roselló decided to start the construction of the Coliseum at a nearby site in the Milla de Oro financial district of Hato Rey in 1998. As the new location was adjacent to the then-planned Hato Rey Station of the Tren Urbano station, no parking facilities for the arena were initially designed to induce visitors to use public transportation.[citation needed]

Political opponents of the Roselló administration raised various objections to the plan, claiming that the plot of land purchased for the construction would benefit financial contributors of his political party, the New Progressive Party (PNP). They also objected to the lack of parking space, claiming that private parking operators, supposedly also donors to the PNP, would extort high parking fees from people unable to use public transportation. At the time, the Tren Urbano was in its initial stages of construction and by the time the Coliseum opened it was still unfinished.

Opponents also objected to the privatization of the operations of the arena under contract from the government of Puerto Rico that was perceived as highly expensive. The Rosselló administration countered by stating that previous experience with public facilities in Puerto Rico, which could quickly fall into disrepair at an accelerated rate requiring due to weather, demanded that a resourceful private entity should manage the facility. The contract's expense would be justified by bringing in an operating partner with international experience managing world-class facilities, whose reputation would ensure that entertainment and sporting events unable to be staged in Puerto Rico before could now be take place in the main island.[citation needed]

Calderón admistration

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From 2001 to 2002, the construction of the Coliseum was halted during the administration of Governor Sila María Calderón, the leader of the opposition party Popular Democratic Party (PPD). Calderón claimed that the government of Puerto Rico had spent $242 million for a facility but only 42% of the scheduled project plan had been completed when she took office.

The planners had overlooked the fact that a water pumping station next to the arena had been built over unstable land, resulting in the reconstruction of a portion of the foundations of the facility. Some called for the arena to be completely redesigned and reconstructed, which infuriated supporters of Roselló, who dismissed the suggestion as merely an excuse to spend more government revenue to benefit the financial backers of the PPD.[citation needed]

Opening

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Costing over $300 million, the Coliseum was inaugurated on September 4, 2004 with a maximum seating capacity of 18,500 spectators.[23] The first major show was Van Halen, on September 13, 2004.

In 2004, local producer Angelo Medina spearheaded a group that unsuccessfully urged the legislature of Puerto Rico to curb the managing powers of operator SMG (merged into ASM Global since 2019), fearing that the company's relationship with non-local television companies would limit the participation of local talent in the arena. SMG officials stated that the company would only manage the arena and not produce events.[23]

Maintenance and repairs

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As of 2023, there was an investment of $8.3 million in 19 ongoing projects, mainly involving repairs and maintenance that are vital for the optimal functioning of the arena and aim to enhance the experience of spectators when attending events. In 2023, Mariela Vallines, executive director of the Puerto Rico Convention District Authority, which is the owner of the Coliseum, indicated that from 2018 to 2023, $6.8 million had been invested in the arena, amounting to 42 improvement projects completed.[8]

Parking and transportation

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The Choliseo from the parking lot in the northeast

There are privately-owned parking lots around the Coliseum of Puerto Rico, including a large parking garage. Originally, a public parking garage was not included in the original construction for the arena. Instead, only three small parking lots were built: one for the backstage entrance in the south reserved for authorized talent, production, equipment, and props., one in the western side entrance mostly for handicapped individuals, and another in the northeast directly across from the box office, which is situated next to the main entrance in the north.

Night view of the Choliseo from the Hato Rey Station of the Tren Urbano

The Tren Urbano is widely used method of transportation to and from the Choliseo, as the Hato Rey Station, located at a immediately next to the arena, is the only station to extend operating hours after nighttime events end until all passengers using the system have exited at the station of their respective destinations.

Ticketing service

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The current booking and ticketing service provider for the Coliseum of Puerto Rico is Ticketera.[24]

Ticketpop, established in San Juan in 1999, remained the sole ticketing distributor, from the opening day of the arena until August 28, 2019, when rising competitor Ticketera, established in San Juan in 2016, was given the exclusive contract.[25][26] In April 2021, the entire subsidiary operations of Ticketpop were sold by its owner, the electronic transaction company Evertec, to Ticketera, whose founder also created Ticketpop.[27][28]

With the opening of the Coliseum in 2004, an exclusive contract was awarded to Ticketpop, ignoring the bid presented by its competitor, TicketCenter. The original ticket vendor bidding controversy almost went to trial, as both parties argued over who would receive the contract, but the government of Puerto Rico stood by their original contract with Ticketpop.

Notable events

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See also: List of events at José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum

The largest attendance record for the Choliseo was achieved on July 28, 2022, with Bad Bunny's World’s Hottest Tour for the Un Verano Sin Ti album. The singer established an all-time record of 18,749 spectators, 249 spectators over the venue's capacity, on the first night of his three-night performances, breaking a previous record that was also achieved by him in 2019. This was the first time a concert was fully broadcast live on national television in Puerto Rico, which was exclusively through the airwaves of Telemundo Puerto Rico.

Wisin & Yandel hold various records, some of which they have previously broken as well, including most performances at the Choliseo, by any performing artist, duo or group, increasing it to 39 and largest number of shows sold out in 24 hours.

The Choliseo will host the first concert residence at the arena, as well as in Puerto Rico, for Bad Bunny's No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí, which will also be the singer's first residency. The 30-date residency will take place July 11–September 14, 2025.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Coliséo de Puerto Rico". asmglobal.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015.
  2. ^ https://www.elnuevodia.com/entretenimiento/musica/notas/estos-son-los-records-del-coliseo-de-puerto-rico-en-sus-20-anos/
  3. ^ Hernández Mercado, Damaris (July 29, 2022). "Bad Bunny rompe récord de asistencia en el Coliseo de Puerto Rico". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  4. ^ "20 años después: estos son los extraordinarios récords del Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). 2024-09-22. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  5. ^ Ticketera. "Coliseo de Puerto Rico". Ticketera. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  6. ^ "Diez años del Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot - El Nuevo Día.com". Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Punching Above Their Weight: How One Small Island Is Having A Huge Impact On Touring - Pollstar News". news.pollstar.com. 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  8. ^ a b "Puerto Rico Coliseum sees record-breaking net income". News is My Business. 2023-06-28. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  9. ^ "EL CHOLISEO BOUNCES BACK, AGAIN". Venues Now. May 26, 2022. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  10. ^ "Coliseo de Puerto Rico has record-breaking Fiscal '16". News Is My Business. August 11, 2016. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  11. ^ El Coliseo de Puerto Rico entre los más taquilleros del mundo Archived 2014-09-06 at the Wayback Machine El Nuevo Día
  12. ^ "Barclays Center's unimpressive ranking of 25th in Pollstar's 2023 ticket sales list may help explain the return to Ticketmaster". Barclays Center's unimpressive ranking of 25th in Pollstar's 2023 ticket sales list may help explain the return to Ticketmaster. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  13. ^ "El Choliseo cerrará este año fiscal con $7.5 millones en ingresos". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). 2023-06-27. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  14. ^ Hanley, James (2022-05-23). "Puerto Rico arena welcomes 10 millionth visitor". IQ Magazine. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  15. ^ "Abren centros de ayuda del gobierno en seis pueblos de la Isla". Primera Hora (in Spanish). 2017-09-28. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  16. ^ "Iniciativa de la primera dama recauda más de un millón de libras en donaciones". Primera Hora (in Spanish). 2017-10-26. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  17. ^ Fernandez, Suzette (2018-03-21). "Six Months After Hurricane Maria, Luis Fonsi Says 'Puerto Rico Is Ready for Visitors'". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  18. ^ "Gilberto Santa Rosa se presentará en el Coliseo de Puerto Rico el 26 de junio". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). 2021-05-28. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  19. ^ "SMG World - SMG Latin America". Archived from the original on November 16, 2012.
  20. ^ "MENSAJE DEL GOBERNADOR DEL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO HONORABLE RAFAEL HERNANDEZ COLON EN LA FIRMA DEL P. DE LA C. 1567 QUE ESTABLECE LA CASA OLIMPICA Y EL FIDEICOMISO OLIMPICO" (PDF). Fundación Rafael Hernández Colón. 12 June 1992. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  21. ^ "ORDEN EJECUTIVA DEL GOBERNADOR DEL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO PARA CREAR EL COMITE PUERTO RICO 2004, PARA COORDINAR EL ESFUERZO GUBERNAMENTAL INTERAGENCIAL Y APOYAR LAS GESTIONES QUE REALIZA LA COMISION PRO SEDE OLIMPIADA 2004 EN PUERTO RICO" (PDF). Departamento de Estado de Puerto Rico. 16 January 1995. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  22. ^ "Atenas 2004: ¿hubiera sido distinto en Puerto Rico?". Primera Hora (in Spanish). 2014-08-14. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  23. ^ a b c "PUERTO RICO HERALD: San Juan Coliseum Almost Ready". puertorico-herald.net. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  24. ^ Ticketera. "Coliseo de Puerto Rico Events | Ticketera". www.ticketera.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  25. ^ Pacheco Santa, Gabriel (2019-08-28). "Ticketera se queda con la boletería del Choliseo". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2019-09-04. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  26. ^ "Coliseo de Puerto Rico partners with Ticketera for new box office service". News is My Business. 2019-08-28. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  27. ^ "Evertc vende Ticketpop a Ticketera". Sin Comillas (in Spanish). 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  28. ^ "Evertec sells box office service Ticketpop to rival Ticketera". News is My Business. 2021-04-30. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
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