WILMINGTON — As weather warms and concert season nears, a few changes are slated to take place heading into the fourth season at downtown’s Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park.
READ MORE: $3M fix: Portion of riverwalk built in 2014 is sinking, needs repairs
City staff presented to Wilmington council Monday morning updates to the season. Live Nation and the city are under a 10-year contract signed when the Riverfront Park and Live Oak Bank Pavilion opened in 2021.
The 2024 season will include closing a northern portion of the riverwalk adjacent to the pavilion during concerts, as well as increasing ADA parking. Though the installation of screens for lawn patrons wasn’t discussed, research is being done to assess the costs.
The goal was always to keep the riverwalk open during concerts, Director of Community Services Amy Beatty told council members at their agenda briefing. Council didn’t have to vote on changes proposed, rather they were a public safety recommendation by Wilmington Fire Department.
In recent years, as shows and audience numbers have increased, more people are setting up on the walkway, often with coolers and chairs congesting the area.
Beatty identified most concerts bring anywhere from dozens to 300 spectators aligning the riverwalk. However, at the Tyler Childers’ concert last year, there was an estimated 1,600 hanging around the outskirts of the venue to catch a glimpse.
“It has become evident to us that there is a public safety consideration that we need to heed,” Beatty said.
This year she suggested the city close the riverwalk near the pavilion to just south of Sawmill Apartments. The riverwalk connector entrance into the venue will continue to be open to ticket holders and it will serve as an exit.
“What we want to do is be proactive,” Beatty added. “The last thing that I or the fire chief or police chief or any of us wants to do is come before you after a catastrophic incident and retroactively make changes. So we are going to be proposing to close the riverwalk during concerts. And this is especially to consider emergency evacuations, whether they be planned or controlled or spontaneous.”
The other main entrances and exits include the promenade on Harnett Street and the roundabout at Cowan Street, the latter often used for VIP ticket holders.
Residents who still need to access the closed riverwalk area to reach their homes at Sawmill Apartments or Flats on Front will be allowed to pass through. Security will man that section of the riverwalk.
Port City Daily asked what time the portion of the riverwalk will open and close on show days.
“Staff are still working through the logistical details,” city spokesperson Lauren Edwards said.
The outlet also asked what the capacity of that area of the riverwalk is; staff didn’t answer by press. This will be updated upon response.
Beatty pointed out during the meeting that unticketed patrons can still access the east and west gardens on the playground of Riverfront Park, located immediately at the back perimeter of Live Oak Bank Pavilion. With the Metropolitan apartments opening and abutting it, Beatty said a new wide sidewalk — “alleyways that go from west to east” — provide opportunities for people to gather as well.
“People are welcome to bring a chair, sit down, have their kids with them — so still getting that experience that people have had on the riverwalk,” she added. “Just flipping that from the riverwalk — you’ll now be able to do that on these new alleyways.”
Beatty said Live Nation staff and police officers would be nearby should an incident take place that requires emergency personnel.
Also new to the 2024 season are 44 more American Disabilities Act parking spaces. Half are coming from access the city now has from its Skyline Center purchase, a few blocks from Live Oak Bank Pavilion. Around 22 spaces will be added in Skyline’s deck, located at 155 Brunswick St., and more ADA on-street parking will be available on both Harnett and Nutt streets during event days only.
This will complement the already existing 13 spaces at Wilmington Convention Center and 48 at Cape Fear Community College and non-city parking facilities. ADA options have doubled from 2022 when there were only 13 city-owned ADA spaces and 38 open in other public spaces in the vicinity.
Though Beatty didn’t mention it at the meeting Monday morning, the tent often set up mid-venue, obstructing the view to some concertgoers on the lawn, will change.
“Live Nation has purchased a new front-of-house tent that is a different size and structure from the previous one and was designed to improve sight lines,” Beatty wrote in an email to Port City Daily two weeks ago.
PCD inquired about video boards potentially being added to the venue, as mentioned in internal emails among city staff recently. Beatty confirmed discussions started last concert season to bring screens to the venue, though it’s an unfunded upgrade at this time.
“It’s a high priority for both organizations in their respective capital improvement plans for the park,” she wrote to Brad Gross of Broadcast Management in December, adding it’s important the boards are weatherproof.
Emails suggested costs were in the $300,000-plus range.
“We are still gathering information and determining funding strategies,” Beatty wrote to PCD.
Since the lawn is only on a slight grade, complaints have come in from attendees who want a better opportunity to see the live action on stage. Beatty said the video board installation will improve viewing, but it also will act as a form of communication in precarious situations — “in the event we can provide information about pending inclement weather or emergency evacuation instructions,” she clarified.
A handful of shows were impacted by weather last year, including Phish; the band had to cut night two early due to thunderstorms.
In 2023, the city’s Riverfront Park had 41 total events, including Live Nation concerts, civic happenings and park rentals; 12 were sellouts at the venue. This brought in $689,573 in revenue to the city and 161,686 attendees. The venue is allowed 30 concerts per year and needs permission from the city manager to bring in more shows.
Live Nation also runs Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, approved for 40 shows. Beatty relayed to council Monday it’s already asked for an additional 10 events this year. In 2023, GLA hosted 45 events, with 43,995 people in attendance — the city benefited from $92,875 in revenue.
Cumulatively, the venues employ 484 crew members.
“We do collect data at each of these venues and for Live Oak Bank Pavilion, approximately 65% of the concert attendees are from out of the area and that is flip-flop at Greenfield — 35% are from out of the area and 65% are from Wilmington,” Beatty told council members Monday.
Each venue was recognized among Live Nation venues nationwide in 2023 for sustainability efforts. Yet, Greenfield Lake Amphitheater received first place for overall diversion rate — meaning 86% of its waste was diverted from the landfill. It composted more than 8,000 pounds of trash and recycled almost 27,000 pounds, while saving more than 6,400 single-use water bottles.
By comparison LOBP diverted 65% of waste from the landfill, equaling 34,100 pounds of compost, collecting more than 6,000 cigarettes and 43,000 pounds of recycling.
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