PS advisers in opposition calculated on Tuesday that the total cost of Coldplay’s Câmara de Coimbra concerts would be one million euros, as the mayor says it’s “the best deal ever”.
“According to our calculations, direct and indirect global support for Coldplay’s concerts will amount to around one million euros,” PS adviser Carina Gomes, who spoke during the discussion at the executive meeting of the agreement between the Chamber of Coimbra, the promoter of Everything is New and Associação Academica de Coimbra, said on Tuesday – – Autonomous Football Organism (AAC/OAF) for the shows on 17, 18, 20 and 21 May by an English band led by Chris Martin.
The agreement was approved on Tuesday with a vote in favor of the Juntos Somos Coimbra coalition (PSD, CDS-PP, Nós, Cidadãos!, PPM, Aliança, RIR and Volt) and one vote against a member of the CDU council in a vote in which four socialist advisers withdrew. , considering it “a semblance of democracy”, since the agreement was discussed 19 days before it came into force.
The agreement, in addition to establishing a €440,000 support for the promoter, obliges the municipality to be responsible for replacing the stadium’s turf after the concerts, ensuring that the stadium is cleaned before, during and after the show, and exempting All New from any fees. , having the right to use the stadium from 1 to 25 May.
Karina Gomes stressed that PS has no doubt that the four concerts will “bring Coimbra to prominence”, but criticized the “hidden data” about the business, namely global ticket revenue and the associated global production costs or the amount the promoter will pay. AAS/OAF.
The adviser, who took over the management of the culture in the previous term (where PS had the majority), emphasized that the support given to the promoter had no criteria or reasons associated with it, and asked why the cost of fee exemptions was not taken into account. .
“It makes no sense, with such healthy bills as those of the Council, to spend 440,000 euros on these concerts, canceling the superspecial run of the rally. [que teve um custo para a autarquia de 630 mil euros em 2022] and the Estação Imagem award, which cuts the budget for joint cultural events in the city and has not created a single measure of emergency social support for families in this period of severe financial shortage,” he protested.
CDU board member Francisco Queiroz also thinks bringing a band the size of Coldplay to Coimbra is a “great idea” but questioned the terms under which the concerts take place and even questioned the legality of the deal discussed on Tuesday.
“The allocation of 110,000 euros to a private company for the exhibition is a large direct subsidy from the Chamber to a large private company producing cultural events,” he stressed.
For Francisco Queiroz, the agreement is “unacceptable” given that, apart from the box office, more than catering companies or hotels, “this advertising company actually makes a profit and is cruel.”
Mayor José Manuel Silva stressed in a response to PS that the agreement made with Everything is New is “exactly the same” as the protocol made by the previous socialist chief for Andrea Bocelli’s 2021 concert, minus direct payment. to the promoter.
“Those who criticized the failure to conduct superspec. [do rali], the same ones that are now criticizing the holding of Coldplay concerts. Instead of 20,000, we bring more than 200,000 people to Coimbra. The financial returns are incomparably higher,” he stressed.
According to the mayor, a certain amount of support was received on the basis of negotiations with the promoter, who assured that there are other municipalities interested in four Coldplay concerts.
“We negotiated well and, failing what we were asked for, we managed to get a competitive offer and put Coimbra on the route of major international events in the arts,” he said.
According to José Manuel Silva, these concerts are “one of the best offers in the area for the city of Coimbra and its region”.
“If each person left 500 euros, there would be a tangible return of 100 million euros. 20 and 100 million euros,” he said.
The mayor justified his support by also pointing to the example of other municipalities that also support or exempt large cultural events from fees.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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