Atanasio Girardot Sports Complex

Coordinates: 6°15′24.48″N 75°35′24.62″W / 6.2568000°N 75.5901722°W / 6.2568000; -75.5901722

Atanasio Girardot Stadium

El Atanasio
Location	Medellín, Colombia
Owner	INDER
Capacity	40,043[1]
Surface	Grass
Construction
Opened	19 March 1953
Renovated	2010-2011
Tenants
Atlético Nacional Independiente Medellín (Colombian Professional Football)

Atanasio Girardot Sports Complex (Unidad Deportiva) is a sports complex including multi-purpose stadium and coliseum in Medellín, Colombia. It includes the Atanasio Girardot Stadium, Medellín Sports Coliseum, a tennis court and baseball field. There is also a track and field stadium at the site: the Estadio Alfonso Galvis Duque.

Atanasio Girardot Stadium is currently used mostly for football matches by two local teams, Atlético Nacional and Independiente Medellín. The stadium was built in 1953 and was renovated for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia reaching a maximum capacity of 40,043.^[1] The stadium was named after Atanasio Girardot, a Colombian revolutionary leader who fought alongside Simón Bolívar.

Sporting events held

Atanasio Girardot Stadium before it was remodeled.

The stadium has hosted many sporting events

• Copa America 2001
• 2010 South American Games
• 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup^[2][3]

Concerts

The stadium has been the venue of important musical events. Since 2012 concert producers started to see the venue as a great place for the biggest international singers to perform. Due to its great capacity and the support of Medellín's mayor it is a better venue than the Estadio El Campin in Bogotá.

• On March 24, 2012 Digital Universal Music Andina's director Alberto Marchena and entertainment group Colombia Shows confirmed through their Twitter accounts that Madonna will be performing at the stadium in her 2012 Madonna World Tour in November, 2012. Later on April 17, 2012 concert producers Ocesa Colombia and Live Nation confirmed the concert to be held in the stadium on November 28, 2012. Earlier that morning Madonna confirmed the concert through her official web site.^[19][20] Due to high demand for tickets for the first show, OCESA entered to negotiate a second date for the city and it won against the proposed negotiation by producers in Montevideo, Uruguay. On July 9 Digital Universal Music Andina's director Alberto Marchena and entertainment group Colombia Shows confirmed through their Twitter accounts, again, that on July 10 Madonna and OCESA will be confirming the second date for Medellin in the MDNA Tour.

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc6WatN9q64 (Spanish)

References