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Entertainment City

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Entertainment City
Project
Opening date2007 (2007)
OperatorPhilippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation
OwnerPhilippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation
WebsiteOfficial website
Location
LocationTambo, Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines

Entertainment City, also known as E-City (formerly PAGCOR City and Manila Bay Tourism City), is a gaming and entertainment complex under development by PAGCOR spanning an area of 8 km2 (3.1 sq mi) in Bay City, Metro Manila. It was first envisioned by PAGCOR in 2002. Alongside the Aseana City business development, it lies at the western side of Roxas Boulevard and south of SM Central Business Park (SM Mall of Asia), part of Parañaque.[1]

The project is officially named as the Bagong Nayong Pilipino–Entertainment City through an executive order by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and has been called several other names by the press. The most common name being referenced is "Entertainment City". The site has been declared a PEZA-approved economic zone, and in 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte renamed Entertainment City to Expo Pilipino Entertainment City after the exposition for the centennial celebration of Philippine independence in 1998 called Expo Pilipino.

Hotels and casinos

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Five Integrated Resort projects have been qualified to date in accordance with the terms of reference and are under construction by phases.[2]

  • Solaire Resort & Casino is the first integrated resort casino complex to open in Entertainment City, with a lavish grand launch at a cost of $1 million on March 16, 2013. Built at a cost of US$1.2 billion, the resort casino sits on 8.3 hectares of land. It is owned by Bloomberry Resorts Corporation of port magnate Enrique Razon.
  • City of Dreams Manila is the second resort casino complex to open at Entertainment City. It is owned by Melco Resorts and Entertainment (Philippines) Corporation, a joint venture between Melco-Crown and its local partner Belle Corporation of mall magnate Henry Sy of SM Investments Corporation. It was soft-launched on December 14, 2014, with a grand opening on February 2, 2015. Built at a cost of $1.3 billion, the resort casino sits on a 6.2-hectare property at the Entertainment City gaming complex, featuring three luxurious hotel brands: Nobu, Nüwa, and Hyatt Regency with an aggregate of 950 rooms. The Fortune Egg structure is its most prominent featured design.[3]
  • Okada Manila (formerly Manila Bay Resorts) is the third resort casino complex to open in Entertainment City. It is owned by Tiger Resorts Leisure and Entertainment, Inc., the Philippine subsidiary of Universal Entertainment Corporation. It features a large fountain and an indoor beach club. The resort casino opened on December 30, 2016.
  • Westside City Resorts World (formerly Resorts World Bayshore) is the upcoming integrated resort casino complex within the Entertainment City casino and entertainment complex. The gaming resort owing to its location on the west side of the Entertainment City complex, was renamed as such in 2014. When completed, it will include Hotel Okura Manila, Westin Hotel, Kingsford Hotel, Genting Grand and Crockfords Tower offering some 1,500 guest rooms. It is expected to start initial operations in 2021.[4] The resort casino is owned by Travellers International Hotels Group and its partner the Genting Group, which owns the Resorts World Brand and the real estate developer, Megaworld Corporation of Andrew Tan.
  • NayonLanding will be built by Landing Resorts Philippines Development Corp. and is the upcoming integrated resort casino complex to operate an integrated resort casino in the complex, which will include the new Nayong Filipino cultural theme park as part of its features. The new operator is expected to groundbreak on August 9, 2018.[5] The project is currently stalled due to the five-year moratorium on new casinos in Entertainment City.[6]

SMDC Festival Grounds

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The Eraserheads during their reunion concert at the SMDC Festival Grounds on December 22, 2022

The SMDC Festival Grounds is a two-hectare[7] urban open space in Entertainment City, directly opposite Solaire Resort. Owned by the SM Development Corporation (SMDC), it can accommodate over 55,000 attendees, making it an ideal venue for large-scale events, including concerts and music festivals featuring both local and international acts.[8]

The grounds' inaugural event, POPstival, occurred on October 21, 2022, showcasing a lineup of K-pop and P-pop performers such as Alamat, BB Girls, Be'O, Bini, Hyolyn, KAIA, Loona, Park Bom, Press Hit Play, SB19, and Viviz.[9] Subsequently, the venue hosted the first multi-day festival, 88rising's Head in the Clouds, on December 9 and 10, 2022, with a lineup including Joji, Got7's Jackson Wang, Niki, Rich Brian, and former Day6 member Jae Park.[10]

Ben&Ben's "homecoming" concert on December 18, 2022, marked the first time a band headlined at the venue, drawing an estimated crowd of 65,000.[11] This record was surpassed just days later on December 22 by the Eraserheads reunion concert, "Huling El Bimbo 2022", attracting around 75,000 attendees.[12]

The final iteration of the Rakrakan Festival took place at the grounds on November 25 and 26, 2023, featuring over 170 rock artists led by Rico Blanco and Ely Buendia.[13] Additionally, the venue hosted a reunion concert for the band Rivermaya on February 17, 2024.[14]

Ed Sheeran performed on March 9, 2024, the first time a solo international artist headlined a concert at the grounds. It was part of his +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour, with Calum Scott and Ben&Ben opening the show,[15] and the latter performing "Maybe the Night" with Sheeran.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ $15-B Pagcor casino complex gets off the ground, Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 4, 2008
  2. ^ Las Vegas of the Philippines, Hong Kong Star, March 4, 2008
  3. ^ "$1.2-B City of Dreams Manila to open in November". Philippine Daily Inquirer. September 29, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  4. ^ Loyola, James (February 27, 2018). "Megaworld hikes capex for Westside City project in Parañaque to P121 B". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  5. ^ "HK's Landing secures license for Entertainment City casino". July 27, 2018.
  6. ^ Blaschke, Ben (April 1, 2019). "Jeju revenue climbs in 2018 but Landing still in the dark on Philippines IR development". Inside Asian Gaming. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  7. ^ "Huling El Bimbo Concert 2022: Everything a Final Iconic Show Is". The Filipino Channel. December 23, 2022. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024. The Eraserheads once again sealed their position as OPM legends with an epic 3-hour concert attended by a 75,000 strong crowd that brought to life the whole 2-hectare space of the SMDC Festival Grounds.
  8. ^ Radovan, Jill Tan (December 20, 2022). "9 Tips to Prepare for a Concert at the SMDC Festival Grounds". Esquire. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2024. The SMDC Festival Grounds in Parañaque City is an enormous outdoor venue that can accommodate at least 50,000 people, making it seemingly ideal for shows headlined by the most popular local and foreign acts and their tens of thousands of followers.
  9. ^ Chuapoco, Paul (October 25, 2022). "POPstival 2022: When K-pop Met P-Pop". Buzzsetter. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  10. ^ Basbas, Franchesca Judine; Castillo, Maddie (December 14, 2022). "Head In The Clouds make their mark with NIKI, Rich Brian, eaJ, Jackson Wang, MILLI, ATARASHII GAKKO!, and more in first Manila edition — festival report". Bandwagon Asia. Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  11. ^ Siazon, Rachelle (December 20, 2022). "Ben&Ben draws "65,000"-strong crowd at homecoming concert". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Archived from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  12. ^ Palumar, Khyne (December 27, 2022). "Eraserheads' 'Huling El Bimbo' reunion: Pinoy rock vets play up punk spirit and wistful aches in epic set". NME. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  13. ^ "The Last Rakrakan Festival 2023 bids farewell, wraps up iconic OPM event on a high note". InqPop!. November 30, 2023. Archived from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  14. ^ Alcantara, Carissa (February 18, 2024). "Rivermaya reunion concert leaves fans hungry for more". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  15. ^ Purnell, Kristofer (February 27, 2024). "Ben&Ben joining Ed Sheeran's Manila 2024 concert as special guest". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  16. ^ Alcantara, Carissa (March 10, 2024). "Ed Sheeran fires up 'Mathematics' Asia tour, jams with Ben&Ben on stage". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
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