At the beginning of the twentieth century, Buenos Aires was inhabited by thousands of immigrants from Europe. Additionally, there was an abundance of tourists from throughout the Americas. In 1910, Italian merchant Domingo Pace built Luna Park, an open street fairin the heart of the city. By the 1920s, the amusement park became the playground of the aristocrats and wealthy in Argentina. With the change of scenery, the park began to decline and by 1929, many of the rides were abandoned. In 1931, Ismael Pace and boxing legend Jose Pepe Lectoure purchased land from the city. With the decline of Luna Park, Pace envisioned creating a sports arena in the likes of Madison Square Garden and the :de:Berliner Sportpalast|Berliner Sportpalast. Before opening in 1932, the arena went through three names: Estadio de Corrientes y Bouchard, Catedral del Boxeo then Palacio de los Deportes before settling on Estadio Luna Park. Opening February 1932 as an opening air venue and carnival. The arena hosted a boxing match every Saturday, with first match being held on 5 March 1932. At this time, the arena could sit 22,000 spectators. During the off season, the arena ran rampant with the homeless, causing the venue to become an enclosed space in 1934. During the Second World War, the arena became the site of many Nazi and Fascist rallies. In 1944, during a charity event, Eva Duarte and Juan Perón met for the first time. In the 1950s, the arena began to decline. Lectoure and Pace were pressured by the city to seek better revenue. In 1951, renovations began for the arena in the style of Art Deco, substantially, the capacity of the arena was reduced. Before construction ended, Pace and Lectoure died. Ownership of the venue was given to Lectoure's son, Juan Carlos Lectoure. Known as Tito, he convert the arena into the site for concerts and it became a major venue for the Argentine rock scene. In 2007, the arena was declared a Monumento Histórico Nacional. After 80 years, the Lectoure family no longer owned the historic venue. After the death of Tito's wife, Ernestina Devecchi de Lectoure, ownership of the arena was transferred to Sociedad Salesiana de San Juan Bosco and Cáritas Argentina.
Other artists that have performed at Luna Park include: Blue Man Group, Harlem Globetrotters, other events include Diego Maradona's wedding and the funerals of Carlos Gardel, Julio Sosa and Ringo Bonavena.
