Live Nation hopes to turn Saint Paul, MN, into a major player on the music festival scene starting in 2012.
On December 15, the live entertainment giant announced a new five-year agreement with the city to produce an annual multi-day festival on Harriet Island. The island is located across the Mississippi River from downtown Saint Paul and has been home to a number of smaller festivals in the past.
Live Nation’s partnership aims to establish a destination event in the Saint Paul area along the lines of Lollapalooza, the popular three-day music festival in Chicago. The inaugural event is scheduled for June 23-24, 2012, and Live Nation expects as many as 50,000 fans to make the trek to Harriet Island.
“This marquee music festival will bring millions of dollars into the city and will further establish Saint Paul’s reputation as a top-tier live music community,” city mayor Chris Coleman said in the press release,
Coleman continued, “This event builds upon our successes with Concrete and Grass, Jazz Fest, and years of Live Nation events at the Xcel Energy Center, not to mention the many clubs and smaller venues around town which feature great live music.”
Saint Paul reportedly beat out a number of other Midwestern cities for the right to host the event.
The event thus far has no theme or performers confirmed, but Joe Spencer, the city’s director of arts and culture, discussed possibilities with the Pioneer Press. “I know they’ve been looking at a couple of different formats,” he stated. “It could be a rock festival or a country format.”
Whatever shape the festival ultimately takes, Live Nation has big plans for its future.
“Saint Paul and the surrounding areas are filled with passionate live music fans,” said Mark Campana, Live Nation’s co-president of North American concerts, in the release. “Our expectation is for this annual event to grow each year, attracting the best live acts that music has to offer, and becoming a stand-out amongst our global festivals.”
Live Nation previously has developed and produced numerous festivals, including the Sasquatch! Festival in Quincy, WA, as well as the Reading and Download festivals across the pond in England.
