Sport ministry lost millions over Madonna concert
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
09.05.2013 13:01
Poland's ministry of sport lost close to 5 million zloty (1.2 million euro) over last year's gig by pop star Madonna at the National Stadium, a report has revealed.
Madonna: photo - wikipedia
Former stadium operator the National Sport Centre (NCS) persuaded the ministry to lend it over 6 million zloty (1.45 million euro) in preparation for the 1 August concert.
The new stadium was Poland's flagship arena for last summer's Euro 2012 football tournament, and the NCS had been set up to manage the complex in the name of the treasury.
However, a report by Poland's Supreme Audit Office (NIK) has revealed that the Madonna concert – the first big event following the football tournament - proved to be a financial disaster.
The National Sport Centre, although not the main organiser of the event, had secured the rights to obtain sponsors for the event, as well as a portion of tickets to be sold.
Yet in spite of the fact that the concert was confirmed a year in advance, and 35,000 people attended, no sponsor was found.
Katarzyna Kochaniak, a spokesperson for the ministry of sport, admitted to the Gazeta Wyborcza daily that the NSC's handling of the event was a key factor in why a new operator has been found.
“Since January, the operator has therefore been the PL.2012 + firm,” she said.
When asked why the ministry had provided such a large sum for the gig, she said that the concert was considered as a test event for the arena following Euro 2012. (nh)
Source: IAR, Gazeta Wyborcza