Auditorio Monte do Gozo
Encyclopedia
Auditorio Monte do Gozo is an outdoor concert venue in Santiago de Compostela
, Galicia, Spain
. It is an amphitheatre
-like setting, with a stage, an open area, and then rows of concrete bench seating arranged in a semicircle. It has a capacity that has been stated as anywhere from 30,000 to 40,000 people, with one account stating an official capacity at 37,800.
The venue is sited on the Monte do Gozo
("Hill of Joy"), about three kilometers (two miles) outside city centre, which is known for being the hill where Christian pilgrims
on the Way of St. James
get their first views of the spires of their destination, the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
. It is reachable by local bus that goes on a small road up the hill; it can also be walked.
It was initially constructed in 1993 for use by the pilgrims. Sponsored by the local government in conjunction with that year's local Holy Year for St. James' Day, the development drew the ire of the Church, which preferred a greater focus on the religious meaning of the area. The concert facility is part of the much larger Ciudad de Vacaciones Monte do Gozo (Monte do Gozo Holiday City), which includes a spread-out, bungalow-style hotel, a hostel, a camping ground, and gardens and walking paths, all on 65 hectares (160.6 acre).
Auditorio Monte do Gozo has been the venue for major music acts to appear in Santiago de Compostela. It its first year it saw the Bruce Springsteen and the "Other Band" Tour. In subsequent years came such as The Rolling Stones
in 1999 on their Bridges to Babylon Tour
. With 2004 being another Jubilee Year, the Xacobeo Festival was held over several days in July, with Bob Dylan
, The Cure
, and David Bowie
all slated to appear (the last of whom cancelled due to illness). The summer also saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers
on their By the Way Tour
. Following that year, the venue was not used for concerts again until the 2007 Amar es Combatir Tour
by Maná
. Xacobeo Festival returned for a Holy Year again in August 2010, featuring Muse
, Pet Shop Boys
, and Jónsi
. The site has been used for other music festivals as well, such as MTV Galicia 2010, which headlined Arcade Fire and Echo & the Bunnymen
.
A Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band show on their 2009 Working on a Dream Tour
at the Monte Do Gozo was marred by disorganized security and overbooking by the promoter, leaving some of the approximately 40,000 ticket holders unable to get in. Dozens of complaints against the promoter were filed to police, city, and consumer authorities the following day. Ticket availability for the Xacobeo and MTV Galacia festivals the following year were consequently limited to 25,000 people.
The effect of Auditorio Monte do Gozo's existence on Santiago de Compostela has been enough for The New York Times
to write, in 2004, "Christian pilgrims and pop stars. ... This city in northwest Spain is full of contradictions, especially in a Jubilee year like this one, when David Bowie, Bob Dylan and other modern idols will descend upon the city's ancient squares."
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
, Galicia, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It is an amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
-like setting, with a stage, an open area, and then rows of concrete bench seating arranged in a semicircle. It has a capacity that has been stated as anywhere from 30,000 to 40,000 people, with one account stating an official capacity at 37,800.
The venue is sited on the Monte do Gozo
Monte do Gozo
Monte do Gozo is a hill in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. It is known for being the place where Christian pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago get their first views of the three spires of their destination, the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela...
("Hill of Joy"), about three kilometers (two miles) outside city centre, which is known for being the hill where Christian pilgrims
Christian pilgrimage
Christian pilgrimage was first made to sites connected with the ministry of Jesus. Surviving descriptions of Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land and Jerusalem date from the 4th century, when pilgrimage was encouraged by church fathers like Saint Jerome and established by Helena, the mother of...
on the Way of St. James
Way of St. James
The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried....
get their first views of the spires of their destination, the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral of the archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial-place of Saint James the Greater, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. It is the destination of the Way of St...
. It is reachable by local bus that goes on a small road up the hill; it can also be walked.
It was initially constructed in 1993 for use by the pilgrims. Sponsored by the local government in conjunction with that year's local Holy Year for St. James' Day, the development drew the ire of the Church, which preferred a greater focus on the religious meaning of the area. The concert facility is part of the much larger Ciudad de Vacaciones Monte do Gozo (Monte do Gozo Holiday City), which includes a spread-out, bungalow-style hotel, a hostel, a camping ground, and gardens and walking paths, all on 65 hectares (160.6 acre).
Auditorio Monte do Gozo has been the venue for major music acts to appear in Santiago de Compostela. It its first year it saw the Bruce Springsteen and the "Other Band" Tour. In subsequent years came such as The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
in 1999 on their Bridges to Babylon Tour
Bridges to Babylon Tour
The Bridges to Babylon Tour was a worldwide concert tour by The Rolling Stones in support of their then-latest album Bridges to Babylon, followed by 1999's No Security Tour.-History:...
. With 2004 being another Jubilee Year, the Xacobeo Festival was held over several days in July, with Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
all slated to appear (the last of whom cancelled due to illness). The summer also saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
on their By the Way Tour
By The Way Tour
The By the Way tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers to support the band's eighth studio album, By the Way. The band was at a commercial peak, having only been off the road for a short amount of time after touring in support of their 1999, best-selling...
. Following that year, the venue was not used for concerts again until the 2007 Amar es Combatir Tour
Amar es Combatir Tour
Amar es Combatir Tour 2007 - 2008 was a concert tour by Mexican rock band Maná in support of their 2006 album, Amar es Combatir. The tour took place in 2007 and 2008. On this tour, Maná brought a technological arsenal that includes a hydraulic superplatform, a console of V2 sound of the highest...
by Maná
Maná
Maná is a pop rock band from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, whose career has spanned more than three decades. They have earned three Grammy Awards, seven Latin Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards Latin America, five Premios Juventud awards, nine Billboard Latin Music Awards and 13 Premios Lo...
. Xacobeo Festival returned for a Holy Year again in August 2010, featuring Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
, Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
, and Jónsi
Jón Þór Birgisson
Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson is the guitarist and vocalist for the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. He is known for his use of a cello bow on guitar and his falsetto voice. He is also blind in his right eye and is openly gay. His boyfriend Alex Somers has done much of the graphic design for...
. The site has been used for other music festivals as well, such as MTV Galicia 2010, which headlined Arcade Fire and Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
.
A Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band show on their 2009 Working on a Dream Tour
Working on a Dream Tour
The Working on a Dream Tour was a concert tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which began in April 2009 and ended in November 2009...
at the Monte Do Gozo was marred by disorganized security and overbooking by the promoter, leaving some of the approximately 40,000 ticket holders unable to get in. Dozens of complaints against the promoter were filed to police, city, and consumer authorities the following day. Ticket availability for the Xacobeo and MTV Galacia festivals the following year were consequently limited to 25,000 people.
The effect of Auditorio Monte do Gozo's existence on Santiago de Compostela has been enough for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
to write, in 2004, "Christian pilgrims and pop stars. ... This city in northwest Spain is full of contradictions, especially in a Jubilee year like this one, when David Bowie, Bob Dylan and other modern idols will descend upon the city's ancient squares."