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The ''Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot'' ( English: José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico) is the largest indoor entertainment and sports
arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
in
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
since its inauguration in 2004. Located in the Hato Rey business center of
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...
, the capital
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
of the archipelago and island, the venue is colloquially known as the ''Choliseo'' (often shortened as ''Choli''), which is a
portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.
of the words ''coliseo'' (coliseum) and "Cholito", a reference to ''Don Cholito'', a character created by the
eponymous An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
comedian José Miguel Agrelot and his own adopted nickname. It has a maximum seating capacity of 19,500 spectators, making it the biggest indoor arena in the insular
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
, 6th in
Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
, 18th in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, and 38th in the world. The José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico has consistently been ranked among the highest ticket-selling and grossing venues globally. With 743,983 ticket sales and $51,585,340 grosses in the
fiscal year A fiscal year (also known as a financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. La ...
of 2023, the arena ranked 23rd in tickets and 42nd in revenue out of 200 venues worldwide listed by ''
Pollstar ''Pollstar'' is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry. The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017. ''Pollstar'' holds an annual award ce ...
'', making it the 3rd highest-ticket-selling and 2nd highest-grossing arena in
Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
. In the fiscal year of 2023, the ''Choliseo'' recorded $7.5 million in net income, the highest in a given year since its opening in 2004. In July 2022, the arena saw its largest attendance during
Bad Bunny Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (; born March 10, 1994), better known by his stage name Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer. Known as the " King of Latin Trap", Bad Bunny is credited with helping Spanish-language rap music achieve m ...
's World's Hottest Tour for the ''Un Verano Sin Ti'' album, with a record of 18,749 spectators. As of 2022, the ''Choliseo'' has received over 10 million spectators. The arena has suffered two major closings. In September 2017, scheduled events were cancelled due to the devastating impacts caused in Puerto Rico by
Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that affected the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which accounted for 2,975 of the 3,059 deaths. It is the ...
. It was used as a warehouse and collection center by the
Government of Puerto Rico The government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, organized under the Constitution of Puerto Rico since 1952, is a republican democracy modeled after the Federal Government of the United States. Under a system of separation of powers, the ...
to prepare and distribute emergency supplies, before it resumed hosting events in March 2018. During the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, events at the venue were cancelled or postponed from March 2020 until June 2021, when events were resumed with attendance modifications. The arena is owned by the Puerto Rico Convention District Authority, a public corporation of Puerto Rico, and managed by ASM Global. Situated about from the
Old San Juan Old San Juan () is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the San Juan Islet, islet of San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Old San Juan, Ballajá, Catedral, Old San Juan, ...
historic quarter, Condado and Isla Verde resort areas, and SJU airport, it can be reached by
public transport Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...
via the Hato Rey Station of the
Tren Urbano The ''Tren Urbano'' (English language, English: Urban Train) is a List of automated urban metro subway systems, automated rapid transit system serving the San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area, main metropolitan area of Puerto Rico ...
and the
Puerto Rico Metropolitan Bus Authority The Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses (AMA, English: Puerto Rico Metropolitan Bus Authority) is a government-owned corporation and public transport bus service based in the San Juan metropolitan area. It is part of the Puerto Rico Department o ...
from nearby stops.


Name

The official name of the arena is the ''Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot'' ( English: José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico). However, the venue is locally most commonly known as the ''Choliseo'' (often shortened as ''Choli''), which is a
portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.
of the words ''coliseo'' (coliseum) and "Cholito", a reference to ''Don Cholito'', a character created by the
eponymous An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
Puerto Rican comedian José Miguel Agrelot and his own adopted nickname. During the construction phase, plans called for the coliseum to be named simply ''El Coliseo de Puerto Rico'' (The Coliseum of Puerto Rico). It was also suggested to have a private entity sponsor the facility and lend its name to it. Most local politicians objected to the idea, due to the 2001 Enron financial scandal, which made the company go bankrupt at a time when their corporate sponsorship named the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
' home ballpark as the Enron Field. Legislators argued over the naming of the Coliseum after a celebrity from Puerto Rico. Some of the names mentioned were that of pop star Chayanne, boxer Félix "Tito" Trinidad and actor Raúl Juliá. Puerto Rican law demanded that no facility could be named after a living individual, but there were talks of making an exception to the law should a living Puerto Rican icon be honored with the name. However, the name of beloved local comedian José Miguel Agrelot was chosen in 2004, the same year of his death, when the Coliseum was near its completion. Agrelot himself had suggested the name of composer Rafael Hernández Marín to be used, and when someone suggested his name instead he was surprised.


Construction


Origins

From 1992 to 1995, the construction of the Coliseum of Puerto Rico was first introduced during the administrations of
Governors A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Rafael Hernández Colón Rafael Hernández Colón (October 24, 1936 – May 2, 2019) was a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1973 to 1977 and 1985 to 1993 for a total of three terms. An experienced politician, Hernández held the ...
and Pedro Roselló as part of the unsuccessful bid of the capital
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
of
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...
to
host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County * Host Island, in the Wilhelm Archipelago, Antarctica People * ...
the 2004 Olympic Games. The facility was to be built in Hato Rey, the central business district of Puerto Rico in San Juan, in the same complex where the
Roberto Clemente Coliseum Roberto Clemente Coliseum (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Coliseo Roberto Clemente'') is a sports and concert arena located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was, for many years, Puerto Rico's largest indoor event facility, and remains one of the large ...
and the Hiram Bithorn Stadium are located, which is about west from the current site of the arena.


Roselló administration

The first construction plan for the Coliseum was introduced by the Roselló administration in 1996. When the
International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...
selected
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
to host the Olympics in 1997, the administration decided to start the construction of the Coliseum at a nearby site in the Milla de Oro financial district of Hato Rey in 1998. As the new location was adjacent to the then-planned Hato Rey Station of the
Tren Urbano The ''Tren Urbano'' (English language, English: Urban Train) is a List of automated urban metro subway systems, automated rapid transit system serving the San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area, main metropolitan area of Puerto Rico ...
station, no parking facilities for the arena were initially designed to induce visitors to use public transportation. Political opponents of the Roselló administration raised various objections to the plan, claiming that the plot of land purchased for the construction would benefit financial contributors to his political party, the New Progressive Party (PNP). They also objected to the lack of parking space, claiming that private parking operators, supposedly also donors to the PNP, would extort high parking fees from people unable to use public transportation. At the time, the
Tren Urbano The ''Tren Urbano'' (English language, English: Urban Train) is a List of automated urban metro subway systems, automated rapid transit system serving the San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area, main metropolitan area of Puerto Rico ...
was in its initial stages of constructio, and by the time the Coliseum opened, it was still unfinished. Opponents also objected to the privatization of the operations of the arena under a contract from the government of Puerto Rico that was perceived as highly expensive. The Rosselló administration countered by stating that previous experience with public facilities in Puerto Rico, which could quickly fall into disrepair at an accelerated rate due to weather, demanded that a resourceful private entity should manage the facility. The contract's expense would be justified by bringing in an operating partner with international experience managing world-class facilities, whose reputation would ensure that entertainment and sporting events unable to be staged in Puerto Rico before could now be take place in the main island.


Calderón admistration

From 2001 to 2002, the construction of the Coliseum was halted during the administration of Governor Sila María Calderón, the leader of the opposition party, the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). Calderón claimed that the government of Puerto Rico had spent $242 million for a facility but only 42% of the scheduled project plan had been completed when she took office. Part of the delay was due to the fact that the planners had overlooked a water pumping station next to the arena that had been built over unstable land, which resulted in the reconstruction of a portion of the foundations of the facility. Some called for the arena to be completely redesigned and reconstructed, which infuriated supporters of Roselló, who dismissed the suggestion as merely an excuse to spend more government revenue to benefit the financial backers of the PPD.


Opening

Costing over $300 million, the Coliseum was inaugurated on September 4, 2004 with a maximum seating capacity of 18,500 spectators. However, the safety certification by ''Negociado de Bomberos de Puerto Rico'' (Puerto Rico Fire Department) assigned a maximum seating capacity of 19,500 spectators in 2021. The first major show was
Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...
, on September 13, 2004. In 2004, local producer Angelo Medina spearheaded a group that unsuccessfully urged the legislature of Puerto Rico to curb the managing powers of operator SMG (merged into ASM Global since 2019), fearing that the company's relationship with non-local television companies would limit the participation of local talent in the arena. SMG officials stated that the company would only manage the arena and not produce events.


Structural security

In 2010, an audit conducted by the ''Oficina del Contralor'' (
Comptroller A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accountancy, accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior- ...
Office) regarding the physical condition of the ''Choliseo'' had revealed that the edifice exhibited construction defects related to cracks and exposed reinforcing steel in slabs, columns, and beams. The Puerto Rico Convention District Authority, owner of the arena, indicated that all observations arising from the report were duly addressed in a timely manner, adding that inspections and certification processes are carried out annually. As of 2023, there was an investment of $8.3 million in 19 ongoing projects, mainly involving repairs and maintenance that are vital for the optimal functioning of the arena and aim to enhance the experience of spectators when attending events. Mariela Vallines, executive director of the Puerto Rico Convention District Authority, indicated that from 2018 to 2023, $6.8 million had been invested in the arena, amounting to 42 completed improvement projects. In 2025, ASM Global, operational manager of the arena, explained that the arena has an advanced intelligent and continuous monitoring system supervising the structural behavior of the edifice in real time during earthquakes, hurricane-force winds, and the natural aging of the structure. This system integrates digital accelerometers, recording stations, specialized piping and wiring, as well as computerized data analysis and visualization programs, allowing for instant visual alerts regarding the condition of the edifice ("safe", "alert", or "danger"), which facilitate critical decisions such as evacuations. The arena also utilizes the services of structural engineer David McCloskey, who has been the structural engineer of the venue since its inauguration, to ensure that production designs adhere to accepted safety standards and do not compromise the structural capacity of the edifice.


Parking and transportation

There are privately-owned parking lots around the Coliseum of Puerto Rico, including a large
parking garage A multistorey car park (Commonwealth English) or parking garage (American English), also called a multistorey, parking building, parking structure, parkade (Canadian), parking ramp, parking deck, or indoor parking, is a building designed fo ...
. Originally, a public parking garage was not included in the construction for the arena. Instead, only three small parking lots were built: one for the backstage entrance in the south reserved for authorized talent, production, equipment, and props., one in the western side entrance mostly for handicapped individuals, and another in the northeast directly across from the box office, which is situated next to the main entrance in the north. The
Tren Urbano The ''Tren Urbano'' (English language, English: Urban Train) is a List of automated urban metro subway systems, automated rapid transit system serving the San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area, main metropolitan area of Puerto Rico ...
is a widely used method of transportation to and from the ''Choliseo,'' as the Hato Rey Station, located immediately next to the arena, is the only station to extend operating hours after nighttime events end until all passengers using the system have exited at the station of their respective destinations.


Ticketing service

The current booking and ticketing service provider for the Coliseum of Puerto Rico is ''Ticketera''. ''Ticketpop,'' established in
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...
in 1999'','' remained the sole ticketing distributor from the opening day of the arena until August 28, 2019, when rising competitor ''Ticketera,'' established in San Juan in 2016, was given the exclusive contract. In April 2021, the entire subsidiary operations of ''Ticketpop'' were sold by its owner, the electronic transaction company ''Evertec,'' to ''Ticketera'', whose founder also created ''Ticketpop.'' With the opening of the Coliseum in 2004, an exclusive contract was awarded to ''Ticketpop'', ignoring the bid presented by its competitor, ''TicketCenter''. The original ticket vendor bidding controversy almost went to trial, as both parties argued over who would receive the contract, but the government of Puerto Rico stood by their original contract with ''Ticketpop''.


Notable events

The largest attendance record for the ''Choliseo'' was achieved on July 28, 2022, with
Bad Bunny Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (; born March 10, 1994), better known by his stage name Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer. Known as the " King of Latin Trap", Bad Bunny is credited with helping Spanish-language rap music achieve m ...
's World's Hottest Tour in support of the singer's 2023 album '' Un Verano Sin Ti''. The event established an all-time record of 18,749 spectators on the first night of his three-night performances, breaking a previous record established by him in 2019. This was the first time a concert was fully broadcast live on national television in Puerto Rico, which was exclusively through the airwaves of Telemundo Puerto Rico.
Wisin & Yandel Wisin & Yandel were a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo consisting of Wisin and Yandel. They started their career in 1998 and stayed together until 2023, winning several awards including a Grammy Award in 2009. They became the first and the only regga ...
hold various records, some of which they have previously broken as well, including most performances at the ''Choliseo'', by any performing artist, duo or group, increasing it to 39 and largest number of shows sold out in 24 hours. The ''Choliseo'' will host Bad Bunny's first concert residency, '' No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí'', the first one at the arena, as well as in Puerto Rico, in support of his 2025 album ''
Debí Tirar Más Fotos ''Debí Tirar Más Fotos'' (; stylized as ''DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS''; ; shortened to ''DtMF'') is the sixth solo studio album (seventh overall) by Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny. It was released on January 5, 2025, through Rimas Ente ...
''. The 30-date residency will take place July 11–September 14, 2025.


See also

* Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez * Puerto Rico Convention Center *
Roberto Clemente Coliseum Roberto Clemente Coliseum (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Coliseo Roberto Clemente'') is a sports and concert arena located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was, for many years, Puerto Rico's largest indoor event facility, and remains one of the large ...


References


External links

*
Coliseo de Puerto Rico Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum Basketball venues in Puerto Rico Boxing venues in Puerto Rico Indoor arenas in Puerto Rico Sports venues completed in 2004 Sports venues in San Juan, Puerto Rico 2004 establishments in Puerto Rico