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The Ticketpro Dome has come full circle as it becomes The WeBuyCars Dome; an impressive motor vehicle showroom in northern Johannesburg.

To most South Africans, the Dome, which is located in Northgate, Johannesburg, is a music venue. Having opened in April 1998 with a concert by Diana Ross that was attended by thousands of people, it later hosted all sorts of live music acts, including Katy Perry, Pink, Lauryn Hill, Faithless, Post Malone and Rammstein.

But ironically it was always supposed to be a car showroom. It was a conceptual building by Viamax Fleet Solutions who wanted to house multiple car brands under one roof. However, when competing brands could not come to an agreement, the plans were paused. This original plan was closer to Fourways and then relocated to where the Dome is now. The car showroom plans were scrapped and the building was repurposed as an entertainment venue.

It just so happened that South Africans were starved for live entertainment. The venue did well even if the sound quality at shows was notoriously subpar. Then the pandemic hit SA and live entertainment was ruined by the lockdowns imposed in response to Covid-19.

WeBuyCars, the largest second-hand retailer in SA, then bought the property from the Sasol Pension Fund in 2021 and has since converted it into a swanky showroom. It can house more than 1500 cars and is open Monday to Sunday. It also has a supporting coffee shop and children’s play area.

The gauntlet has been laid down for used car dealers, as WeBuyCars Dome looks to attract customers from across SA.

WeBuyCars is partly owned by JSE-listed Transaction Capital, has eight branches located nationally, of which four are in Gauteng.

Alistair Anderson

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