Renovation of iconic Luna Park venue approved by commission
Controversial proposal to renovate Luna Park venue in Buenos clears first round of approval; Heritage organisations voice warning for iconic symbol of city’s cultural and athletic history.
The National Commission for Monuments has approved a grand renovation of Buenos Aires’ historic Luna Park music venue, prompting criticism from opponents of the project.
The approval process for the US$34-million renovation scheme proposed by leaseholder DF Entertainment, which can sometimes take years to complete, took a matter of months. The sign-off also arrived just after the summer holiday season, when such bodies are in recess.
The commission made no modifications when reviewing the plan, which many fear could put an emblem of Argentine athletic and musical history at risk, changing its appearance forever.
The iconic venue – which is located just a few hundreds metres from the Casa Rosada and upmarket Puerto Madero – has borne witness to countless stars over the past century. Global icons like Frank Sinatra have headlined it and iconic sportsmen have performed in it – it even hosted Carlos Gardel’s funeral and, among others, Diego Maradona’s wedding.
“Luna Park is a mito that is particularly sensitive for many,” said Fundación Ciudad Programme Coordinator Mora Arauz. “It is a place that is almost a temple of the city.”
DF Entertainment owner Diego Finkelstein — the force behind Argentina’s annual Lollapalooza festival and Taylor Swift’s 2024 smash hit performances at River Plate stadium — hopes to expand the venue’s capacity by 53 percent from 8,500 to 13,000 spectators, according to the plans.
While the property itself is co-owned by the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires and the Catholic Salesian Society, through Stadium Luna Park SA, it was recently handed to DF Entertainment on a 20-year lease, with the option to extend for an additional two decades.
Under the lease, the entertainment firm has agreed to pay the archbishop’s office US$1 million up-front and continually each year thereafter, according to reporting by the Noticias Argentinas news agency.
As a registered National Historic Monument in a Historic Protection Area of Buenos Aires City, modifications to the structure of the building are prohibited by law.
While the action is not officially considered a “demolition,” it will nonetheless change the building’s structure, Arauz said.
DF Entertainment's plan involves altering the façade, replacing the upper roof, building two new floors above ground for seating and two additional underground floors for parking, according to Noticias Argentinas.
Such a move will require the blessing of Buenos Aires City Mayor Jorge Macri and – via the Catholic ownership – none other than Pope Francis, who is currently bedridden in Rome with double pneumonia.
Luna Park — with its orange exterior and classic vintage sign — was inaugurated in 1932 and functioned first as a boxing stadium and then as a music venue for nearly a century. It was declared a National Historic Monument in 2007.
The National Commission for Monuments has been approached for comment.
DF Entertainment declined to comment.
* This article has been edited to correct an error in the headline.