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Madrid’s WiZink Center to reopen this weekend with 2,000 attendees

Madrid’s WiZink Center will reopen tomorrow (Friday) to 2,000 spectators for the Spanish Padel Championship, with several new COVID-19 safety and security measures in place.

The 17,453-capacity arena in the Spanish capital has developed its ventilation system to nullify recirculation of the air and to force its complete renovation with external air. It said it guarantees that all the 160,000 cubic metres of the air inside the venue are completely renovated every 12 minutes.

Other measures include temperature testing on arrival for spectators, blood testing for staff, social distancing throughout the venue, with a reduced capacity under the authorised 40 per cent, and leaving at least two seats of distance between groups, despite regulations only asking for one.

Spain is currently under a nationwide curfew and state of emergency until early May 2021 following new measures in October, with venues allowed to open with social distancing of 1.5 metres in place and limited capacity. Therefore, all of its events will be required to finish earlier than usual at around 10pm.

WiZink Center was one of the first international venues to open its doors to the public with music live shows and sporting events in July. It hosted 12 concerts in the summer after the lockdown was lifted.

During the first show on July 3 by Spanish rockstar Loquillo, more than 1,700 people attended, followed by DJ Nano and two shows of Operacion Triunfo 2020 (a Spanish TV singing contest), all of them around 1,000 and 1,500 spectators.

In addition, the Spanish venue hosted a nine concert festival in September, Madrid Summer Fest, with up to 2,000 people in each show.

Following this weekend’s event, the venue will host a concert by Spanish star Raphael on December 19 with up to 5,000 people in attendance, and a show by Spanish dancer and choreographer Joaquín Cortés, on December 23.