Considered one of the most important tourist attractions in São Paulo, the
Pacaembu Stadium – now called
Mercado Livre Arena Pacaembu – is undergoing renovations, which are scheduled to be completed in June of this year. With an investment of
R$600 million in the renovation of the site, the proposal for the reopening is that the space will be more than "just" a stadium and will become a complex equipped for
sports, leisure, culture, entertainment and many experiences .
The project is being admired both here in Brazil and abroad. Proof of this is that it won one of the most prestigious awards in Europe, the
AR Future Projects , from
The Architectural Review in
2023 in the
Old and New category
. With the support of the city of São Paulo, the company leading the renovation, Concessionária Allegra Pacaembu, intends to deliver a
multi-arena complex . Starting with the
modernization and restoration of the stadium , with a capacity to hold 25,000 people, the creation of an
event space in the basement for up to 8,500 people, and much more.
A complex for culture, leisure and innovation
Although Pacaembu's main focus is to be an arena to host football matches, the new project goes much further, and plans
to create various facilities and more spaces for socializing .
Restaurants, a gastronomic market, an art gallery, an innovation hub and even a
hotel are some of the new facilities that are part of the new Pacaembu project.
In addition to hosting football matches, the project has new options for athletes: a
multi-sports gym for 3,000 people, a tennis court, and also an Olympic-sized swimming pool that can be used for other sports.
In addition, there is also a proposal to modernize and embrace
eSports (electronic games) , and to this end, the
largest Battle Royale arena in the world will be created under the stands. The construction of the
multipurpose building will use the space where a slide previously stood (in the south grandstand) and will integrate different parts of the arena, including a
Boulevard . The expansion will include around
40,000 m² of new areas – which will make Pacaembu capable of receiving up to
60,000 people simultaneously .
The brands that give the face of the new Pacaembu
At the beginning of the year, Pacaembu reached an agreement with
Mercado Livre to sell
naming rights for R$1 billion – which became known as the largest deal of its kind for a football stadium. The partnership was agreed for the
next 30 years , and the retailer will have a strong presence in the new stadium. But other brands will also make an appearance, such as
Universal Music , responsible for managing the new hotel, and the
Albert Einstein Hospital – which will have a structure for the sports rehabilitation center. In an interview with Meio & Mensagem, Eduardo Barella, CEO of Allegra Pacaembu, stated that there are already
ten gastronomic offerings that will be available in the new building, which are yet to be confirmed.
