Gladiatorial Roma

With roughly the same area (2ha), both the MCG and the Colosseum are elliptical stadiums with tiered seating designed for patrons to view a variety of sports, concerts and activities. However the Colosseum was opened in 80AD. On average the Colosseum was only open 10 times a year, though over it’s 400 years of gladiatorial stagings the frequency changed according to the moods of the Emperor.
The Colosseum was first opened by Titus after the volcano in Pompeii erupted the previous year in an effort to appease the Romans who were referring to him as the bad luck emperor. Recruiting in Grecian gladiators to entertain the crowds this was intended as a political campaign to win back the favour of the Roman people.
Over the years games were often financed by politicians in order to distract people from bad tidings or to reinforce good public opinion. Although the crowd had a say in whether the loser of a duel lived or died, it was Caesar who would give the final verdict. Most often events were held during the colder months where the smell of the animals was better masked. The events eventually stopped due to the high running costs, much like many modern day music festivals.