San Diego Sports Arena among inspiration for Clark stadium project — CIAC

MANILA, Philippines — Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC), the developer of Clark aviation complex that oversees the functions of Clark International Airport (CRK), on Saturday gave context to the viral slide about its proposed Clark stadium that is eyed to host big artists like Taylor Swift and Coldplay.

The viral slide featured an image of a stadium with the text “Taylor Swift ready by 2028.” It was taken during the Clark Technical Working Group meeting led by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Department of Tourism officials, with Civil Aeronautics Board Executive Director Carmello Arcilla, Manila International Airport Authority Assistant General Manager Rafael Regular, Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corp. President Noel Manankil and CIAC President and Chief Executive Officer Arrey Perez on Thursday.

Perez clarified in a message to Philstar.com that Taylor’s concert is just the standard the CIAC will use to design and build the Clark arena to attract artists like the American pop star.

The stadium, eyed to be completed by 2028, is pegged to measure 40 hectares and to cost around P32 billion. It is also expected to be a walking distance from CRK to increase traffic in the airport.

“The design and build plans for the Clark Entertainment Center must attract musical events of world-renowned artists, including the likes of Taylor Swift,” Augusto Sanchez, Chief Strategic Communications and Events Officer of CIAC, told Philstar.com in an email exchange on Friday.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, CIAC once again cited its seven flagship projects, which include the stadium or the massive Clark World Convention and Events Hub.

“MUCH ADO OVER TAYLOR SWIFT. And for good reason. CIAC is thrilled that its seven (7) flagship projects, which includes a massive Clark World Convention and Events Hub, has stirred up much excitement at the idea of building a world-class arena where we can host the likes of Taylor Swift and Coldplay,” CIAC’s post read.

“Indeed, the 'Eras Tour' has shown everyone the incredible potential of tourism and the MICE industries (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions) to boost national economies,” it added.

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