Concert ticket sales at Fiserv Forum down $30M
Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee managed to be the 50th top-selling arena for concert ticket sales in the world in 2020, according to trade magazine Pollstar’s year in review issue, out Friday.
But like practically every venue this year, business was horrendous because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tours swiftly stopped in mid-March across the United States, and the majority of venues around the world will continue to be dark for the foreseeable future. Before the industry shutdown, Fiserv Forum managed to host a few concerts, with acts like the Lumineers and Brantley Gilbert, grossing just shy of $4 million from 117,135 tickets sold.
But ticket sales dropped 88% from 2019, when Fiserv Forum sold 440,060 tickets, and hosted more concerts in a single year than any other arena in Milwaukee’s history. That amounts to a $29.6 million drop in revenue.
Fiserv Forum general manager Raj Saha was expecting to top 2019’s event numbers before the pandemic hit. After the Lumineers’ show on March 11, every other announced concert at the arena for 2020 was either canceled or postponed, including Elton John, Roger Waters and Blake Shelton. Michael Bublé is the next scheduled concert at Fiserv Forum, set for Feb. 24, but that date is looking doubtful.
Another Wisconsin arena, the Resch Center in Green Bay, also made Pollstar’s top 200 arenas list for 2020, grossing $992,228 from 20,039 tickets, and clocking in at number 180. But again business was drastically down, from a $6.9 million gross the year prior.
On Pollstar’s top 200 promoters list, Madison-based FPC Live was once again one of the biggest players, ranking 27th, and grossing $15.1 million from 293,291 tickets. That’s an 85% drop from 2019, when FPC made $99.2 million from 1.5 million tickets.
FPC’s venues in Madison also made Pollstar’s top clubs lists. The Sylvee grossed $930,667 from 25,736 tickets, ranking 32nd; that’s an 82% drop from 2019, when it raked in $5.1 million. And FPC’s High Noon Saloon in Madison, No. 193 on Pollstar’s clubs list, saw an 86% drop at the box office.
The dire state of the industry prompted the formation of the National Independent Venue Association in April, co-founded by Gary Witt, CEO of the Pabst Theater Group in Milwaukee.
The group has been lobbying Congress for financial aid, but so far a relief measure endorsed by NIVA has yet to be passed.
NIVA’s Wisconsin chapter did successfully lobby Gov. Tony Evers to create a $15 million grant program to help Wisconsin venues. Nevertheless, six live entertainment venues in Milwaukee — Fire on Water, the Underground Collaborative, Up and Under, Riverwest Public House Cooperative, Walker’s Point Music Hall and the Captain Pabst Pilot House — have shut down or announced their impending closure because of the coronavirus crisis.