Thailand’s The Mall Group is to partner with US live entertainment company AEG to develop two world-class arenas – Em Live and Bangkok Arena – that will anchor two new entertainment districts in the city.
The two projects will represent a 10 billion baht-plus (US$303 million) investment.
The Mall Group operates 12 shopping complexes in Thailand, including Bangkok’s Emporium and EmQuartier malls and the Bluport Hua Hin Resort Mall.
The company is developing a third property in the Em district, called EmSphere, close to Emporium, where the newly announced Em Live will be located. That is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2022 and have a capacity of 6000.
The Bangkok Arena will be built at the Bangkok Mall which is currently under construction and is scheduled to open at the same time as the other new property. This venue will be much larger with a capacity of 16,000.
Supaluck Umpujh, chairwoman of The Mall Group, said the company’s mission and goal is “to elevate Bangkok and Thailand to the leading retail and entertainment hub in Asia”.
Adam Wilkes, president and CEO at AEG Asia, said Southeast Asia is going through a transformation with rising incomes and spending power leading to consumers demanding more sophisticated entertainment experiences.
“In The Mall Group, we have not only found an outstanding partner but also an innovative company that is led by an insightful and forward-thinking leader, Khun Supaluck. The company shares our vision for creating best-in-class destination experiences and our partnership will bring unique entertainment districts to the city that will redefine and revolutionise Bangkok’s leisure and entertainment scene.”
The Mall Group is endeavouring to continue to expand beyond traditional retail experiences and lead a trend into more immersive lifestyle and entertainment-focused destination experiences, the company said in a statement.
“Over the last decade, Bangkok and Thailand have seen rapid urbanisation and changing consumption trends, and today it is a market with great potential, driven by an expanding middle-class with growing spending power and demand for premium experiences,” the statement said.
“Bangkok and Thailand have also been named the world’s most-visited tourism destinations, welcoming more than 38 million international travellers last year, with that number expected to reach 42 million international travellers this year.”
As co-owner and operator of both entertainment venues, AEG will also work with The Mall Group and its partners in offering and marketing a wide range of events including entertainment, concerts, live performances, family shows, sports competitions, Mice and arts and cultural events.
Over the past decade, AEG has brought to Asia artists including Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Metallica and the Rolling Stones.
