Paul McCartney Scheduled To Rock Chichén Itzá, Mexico Later This Year

By Astrid Rivera

2012 is a HUGE year for the Mayans, I mean besides the whole world coming to an end thing! It has just been confirmed that ex-Beatle and musician extraordinaire Sir Paul McCartney will be performing at the historic site of Chichén Itzá.

Although a specific date has not yet been set, the mega artist is working together with the local governor and plans to appear sometime late March or early April. McCartney will join the prestigious list of incredible artists who have performed in this historic site including fellow Brits Elton John and Sara Brightman.

The local government of Yucatán as well as the board of tourism has been working tirelessly to bring Sir McCartney since 2008, after Chichen Itzá was named an official World Wonder in 2007.

The governor, Ivonne Ortega Pacheco, spoke to journalists about the upcoming concert:

"To be able to get the attention of an artist of his caliber is very complicated, but McCartney is convinced of the project and he wants to sing in Chichén Itzá, and naturally it is a fact that the concert will take place", she said.

Not only is the area celebrating their newfound World Wonder status but they are celebrating the coming end of the Mayan calendar. Although Hollywood has made us believe that the world is indeed coming to an end, experts point out that this is just the end of a cycle that occurs ever 5,125 years.

The first artist to ever perform in Chichén Itzá was the late Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti in 1997. After this historic performance many other luminaries were soon following in the tenor's footsteps. These performances, however, were not always welcome and caused controversy among the National Anthropological and Historical Association, who pointed out that concerts could negatively affect the archeological site itself.

But this is not stopping the local Yucatán government, which is taking ever precautionary method to protect the Mayan World Wonder. This is sure to be a spectacular concert that will entertain millions worldwide and, more importantly, showcase an important piece of Mayan history.

What do you think of Sir Paul McCartney performing in Chichén Itzá?

Tags Astrid Rivera, Chichén Itzá, Elton John, Luciano Pavarotti, Modern World Wonders, Sara Brightman, Sir Paul McCartney, The Beatles