Minsiter St Ange reveals plans for the new stadium

For the past ten years, the Seychelles’ community of artists have been asking for a music stadium for expression of all forms of arts.

In 2012, when Alain St Ange, the minister for tourism and culture, was mandated with the portfolio of culture, he made it his mission to give the artists a musical stadium, one which he said “they truly deserve”.

“It is now three years since I was mandated to head the ministry responsible for tourism and culture, and after series of consultations, and blessings from main government bodies such as Christian Lionnet, the minister for land use and housing, and Vincent Meriton, the minister for social affairs, community development and sports, the green light is given by the Seychelles cabinet of ministers to allocate the playing field opposite Krishna Mart at English River to artists.”

Minister St Ange said the announcement is great news for the music industry and for the performing artists of the islands.

“Today, as we start 2015, it is with great pleasure that we announce that Seychelles will once again have a music stadium in the heart of Victoria,” the minister said.

The ministry of tourism and culture has set a deadline of June 2015, for the musical stadium to become operational in its first phase.

In the meantime, the first phase to convert the playing field into a musical stadium will start soon, with the building of a sound proof wall, replacing the initial fence at the playing field.

The first phase of the musical stadium is expected to take about 8,000 spectators.

The musical stadium will also be built with its main amenities such as a restaurant and changing rooms.

It will be oriented to the sea to control sound pollution.

Jimmy Savy, the chief executive of National Arts Council, said the playing field is appropriate for the musical stadium, because it is spacious.

He added that artists need an appropriate catchment area for their artistic expression.

The second phase of the musical stadium will be the reclamation of a plot of land attached to the playing field.

Upon completion of the second phase, the musical stadium will have the capacity to take 13,000–15,000 spectators.

Ralph Amesbury, the chairperson of SEYMAS, welcomes the government’s decision to give artists a music stadium.