CITY TO HOST MOTHER OF ALL GREY CUP PARTIES
When CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie was in Edmonton for the Labour Day rematch between the Eskimos and the Calgary Stampeders, he made the promise.
Without revealing any of the plans until they were announced in detail at a planned press conference, Ambrosie guaranteed they’d be “bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger than anybody has done before in the league.”
So, how big is it?
So big, organizers expect it will result in profits going toward the building of a $2.5-million inflatable dome to put up over the field at Commonwealth Stadium every winter as a legacy.
So big, the budget just for the festival part of the production, not including the game itself, will top $12 million and include more than 30 live entertainment acts — in all, about $1 million aimed at entertainment alone.
Ambrosie was the advance man for Wednesday’s press conference at the Shaw Conference Centre, which will be ground zero for the festival that set the bar for Grey Cup hosting the last time it was here in 2010.
“Fans are going to come from all over Canada and around the world, and they’re going to find what this city has always been known for. It’s the City of Champions, and it’s going to be a champions-level experience.”
The unveiling of the plans came as advertised.
Grey Cup organizers manager Duane Vienneau, Eskimos board of directors chairman Brad Sparrow and team president and CEO Len Rhodes laid it all out in great detail Wednesday.
“I think it’s about four times the size as at our last Grey Cup here,” said Sparrow, who chaired the festival committee in 2010.
“In my estimation, this is the largest lineup of events ever for a Grey Cup. There are more than 50 events of entertainment and acts including some 30-plus acts that I’ve ever seen at a festival, let alone a Grey Cup. So, we’re very excited about that. It’s a big deal.”
In 2010, most of the footprint was located at Winston Churchill Square. This year it will stretch for blocks on Jasper Avenue in either direction from The Shaw.
“The entertainment, both at the ticketed events and on the free stage, offers a little bit of everything for everybody,” said Vienneau.
The one thing that wasn’t announced on Wednesday as the halftime show headliner.
It’s taken two-thirds of a season but the CFL has finally settled on a star.
“It’s going to be a top-notch artist. The deal was signed by the league last Friday,” Rhodes said of the entertainer who will be announced next Saturday when the Eskimos host Winnipeg.
“There’s no question about the economic impact. It’s going to be $80 million to $100 million,” said Rhodes.
“As of this morning we’ve sold 53,268 tickets. That would sell out two stadiums in many other cities. We have a capacity of 55,819 so the quick math says there are 2,551 left for sale.”
“We’ll sellout. Once they announce the halftime show and people start expecting their team to maybe get to the game, we expect the last tickets to sell,” he said of the ducats that are mostly single seats or nosebleed locations high in the corners.
Normally a massive production for 1,000 people on the Saturday morning prior to the parade, the Spirit of Edmonton is now a twoday event at The Shaw, seating 2,000 Friday and another 2,000 Saturday.
Only a few tickets remain for Friday while Saturday is sold out.
There are the staple events like the CFL Awards (Winspear), Alumni Legends Luncheon, Grey Cup Gala Dinner, Cheer Extravaganza, many of the team party sites such as Riderville, Touchdown Manitoba and even the Atlantic Schooners all making use of the Shaw.
Recently voted one of North America’s top five performing venues, The Shaw will welcome the Coors Light Concert Saturday night featuring headliners Loverboy, Trooper and Kim Mitchell.
Three separate tailgate events will be held at Commonwealth Stadium with the Trews and Toque at the Boston Pizza Outdoor Party in the parking lot West of Commonwealth and another at Clarke Park featuring Aaron Pritchett and Lindsay Ell, and an indoor event in the field house featuring Platinum Blonde and Guns 4 Roses.
Seventeen musical acts were announced for the free Coopers Outdoor Stage.
Previously announced major activations included a zip line, tube slide, street skiing and a bungee jump.
One of the surprise additions announced Wednesday is the first Grey Cup eSports Tournament, a 40-competitor, eightteam tournament featuring five-member teams.
“It really caught the attention of a lot of non-traditional fans when it sold out Madison Square Garden in New York,” said Vienneau.
Also on-site will be a variety of free-play eSports games with prizes to be awarded for the best scores during the festival.
“From one end of the Jasper Avenue to the other, it’s going to take you a long time to get through there. And then you have everything going on in the Shaw Conference Centre,” said Sparrow. “In addition to our 30,000 visitors, we hope to bring over half a million Edmontonians down there during those four days.”
The financials are impressive. “It’s a business model of more than $12 million. There aren’t many parties out there that entail such an investment,” said Rhodes.