Outdoor concerts could return to Memorial Centre this summer
The city may be installing a stage for three months this summer in the Peterborough Memorial Centre parking lot for a series of drive-in performances.
City councillors will consider it on Monday at a virtual committee meeting.
If council goes for it, there could be a series of outdoor live shows this summer, even if smaller performance venues must stay closed and festivals are postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
These types of drive-in shows — which allow people to see a concert from the isolation of their cars, in the pandemic — were tried outdoors at the Memorial Centre in September 2020.
The Sheepdogs performed with the Jim Cuddy Band on one evening, while country singer Tim Hicks performed with guest Jason McCoy on another.
The parking lot can handle about 225 cars; spectators pull up in cars to hear the show.
Now there’s a plan to have further shows like these in the summer.
A new city staff report proposes at least six concerts organized by the Memorial Centre, plus others put on by Market Hall, the Peterborough Theatre Guild, Showplace Peterborough or the MUSE film festival.
The report states that “it does not seem realistic” that smaller indoor venues such as Market Hall will be reopening this summer, or that the Memorial Centre will be able to offer indoor concerts.
Instead, city staff proposes to erect an outdoor stage at the Memorial Centre from June to August.
The cost for the stage would be $75,000, the report states, and each show would cost an additional $35,000 to put on (including expenses such as artist fees and security, for example).
The city could break even financially on all its costs through ticket sales, sponsorships and the redirection of funding that would normally be
spent to help keep small venues and arts organizations afloat, the report states.
Although there’s no concert lineup proposed and it isn’t clear exactly how many shows could be offered this summer, the report promises there would be several performances and lots of variety.
Live music events scheduled for last summer, including MusicFest, the Havelock Jamboree and Memorial Centre concerts, were cancelled due to COVID-19.
Meanwhile, concert venues such as Market Hall and Showplace have been closed during the entire pandemic, and it’s unclear what entertainment — if any — will be offered this year.
The virtual committee meeting starts at 6 p.m. Monday and can be viewed on the city’s website.