Recife: Host city for the World Cup 2014

31 May, 2014

Read in English below | Leia em Português aqui
 
By Wellington Medeiros
Translated by Graham Douglas

Recife is the major conurbation of the Northeast and the oldest capital of Brazil, founded in 1561.The city is maintain its place in the vanguard with projects like the Digital Gateway, with about a hundred companies, which make the city one of the principal hubs of information technology in the country; and with its intense and original cultural output, in which the modern and the traditional work together. With almost 1.5 million inhabitants, on the sea and river coastlines, the capital of Pernambuco is characterised by a happy combination of beaches, an average temperature of 25 degrees, and a history and culture which attract millions of tourists.

It has less than 200 km of coastline, but for Pernambuco this more than enough to accommodate some of the most paradisiacal views in Brazil. For example to the north, where a little away from the coast there is a dolphin sanctuary: with its warm blue waters, at Fernando do Noronha. Or it could be closer to Recife, the capital, where Boa Viagem lies, one of the most established destinations for Brazilians and foreign visitors alike.  Or again, it could be walking on the white sands and beautiful and popular beaches, like Porto Galinhas, where each year tourists discover new amenities to enjoy in a region which maintains the tradition of cultural preservation and good food.
The city is known for the festivities of Carnival and St. John, and for the famous theatrical show of the Passion of Christ, in Holy Week, which for over 40 years has brought people from around the world to be excited by the production. Recife is still the cradle of popular street shows and regional culinary events, being the primary gastronomic centre of the North and Northeast and the third most important in Brazil.

The Stadium

The stadium built in São Lourenço da Mata, within the metropolitan area of Recife, was opened on the 14 April 2013. The first kick in the Pernambuco Arena was taken by the President Dilma Rousseff, before a friendly match between the workers who took part in the construction. After that it was the venue for three games of the Conferations Cup. It had a budget of 532 million Reais, of which 400 million came from federal finance via the National Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES), and the stadium has capacity for 46,000 spectators.
The main challenge is to make the ‘new city’, the City of the Cup, viable environmentally and in terms of urban planning. In economic and business terms the project is certainly viable, since the two biggest city clubs – Sport and Náutico have agreed to play in the new stadium. Finally, but no less important: as a host City, Recife will have to improve its whole urban infrastructure, public safety and transport.