Roman officials have received a wave of criticism for providing € 6 million for the Rolling Stones concert, a venue for the 2000-year-old Grand Circus for just € 8000
On Sunday, June 22, 2014, the long-awaited concert of the legendary Rolling Stones took place in Rome as part of a world tour in honor of the 50th anniversary of the band "014 On Fire". The only performance in Italy where Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood have not been since 2006. Tickets for this concert were sold out in a few hours. However, the authorities of Rome were severely criticized for providing the territory of the 2000-year-old Great Circus for a concert for only € 8,000, although the estimated income from the performance was more than € 6,000,000.
According to the most conservative estimates, British musicians paid about € 60,000 per night in one of the most expensive hotels in Rome, where the suite costs from € 14,000. It is not surprising that they could afford it, because 70,000 people bought tickets for their Sunday concert - € 90 each.
The performance took place in the Grand Circus - one of the largest stadiums in the capital of Italy. It seats up to 250,000 people - this is a quarter of the population of ancient Rome. In an official statement, the Consumer Association of Italy Codacons states: "We have provided ancient monuments for years at a reduced price. The City Council should set more suitable prices for the use of the rich cultural heritage of Rome."
According to Alessandro Onorato, an opposition member of the city council, British music veterans should have paid not only for the day of the concert, but also for the days preceding it when the stage was built and spectator benches were set up. "They had to pay for the days starting on June 11, when work began on preparing the site for the concert," said Senor Honorato.
Italian journalists quickly estimated that the cost of renting a Grand Circus, where once chariot parades passed in front of the ancient Roman emperors and senators, became a mere trifle compared to the costs of the Rolling Stones for hotel Hotel St Regis, which offers guests rooms with a jacuzzi and a 24-hour butler -service. The group has booked 48 hotel rooms (the cost of each room is from 300 to 1430 euros) for themselves and their escort staff.
In response to the accusations, the mayor emphasized that the cost of renting a Big Circus was fixed by law, and music performers paid an additional € 176,000 for organizing additional security measures, collecting garbage and increasing public transport.
It is worth mentioning that a few days before the concert, a crowd of fans gathered under the walls of the hotel, hoping to catch the silhouette of their favorite artists in the window. And Keith Richards did not disappoint them, every day watching fans from the window of his room. One fan tweeted about him: "He has more wrinkles than the Coliseum."
