Why Edmonton Doesn't Get Concerts, and Why That Might Change with Calgary's New Arena
As someone who has loved listening to music for most of their life (specifically progressive metal and EDM, for the record), being able to attend a concert by an artist I love in the city I call home is always a blast. Being part of a crowd of thousands all brought together by a mutual love and respect for an artist is a life-changing experience, and with an urban planning perspective, It’s obvious that these large events and venues breathe life into the fabric of the cities in which they take place. With that said, if you’re like me and are constantly checking your fav’s tour dates on Instagram, you may know a feeling of disappointment all too well; the artist you’re dying to see is only coming to Toronto and Vancouver. No Edmonton OR Calgary in sight on their tour poster!
If you’re from here, you know very well that our local music scene is anything but underwhelming. Edmonton’s arts and culture scene is ablaze throughout the year with jaw-dropping events such as the Edmonton Folk Fest and the Fringe among others. We have both a large contemporary indoor venue with Rogers Place and outdoor venue with Commonwealth Stadium, along with various smaller venues such as Union Hall, the Starlite Room, Midway, and the Aviary which regularly host emerging local artists and eager crowds. With all this buzz, why have artists tended to stay clear of our city, especially in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic?
As with everything, it's a confluence of a few key factors which make justifying the trip a challenge for artists and their labels. For brevity’s sake, I’ll highlight the most relevant aspect to this article: Distance. Edmonton and Calgary are both relatively isolated cities in North America; Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa are in close proximity to the east coast cities of the U.S. and Vancouver is a stone’s throw away from Seattle and Portland. What other large urban centres are truly near us, exactly? Bozeman, Montana? Spokane, Washington? Saskatoon and Regina? With how elaborate and expensive concert productions have become for popular artists, they need to ensure they get a good turnout of fans so they can pay back their touring costs and, more importantly, their labels. That’s why you may see an artist go to, for example, Des Moines, Iowa over Edmonton. Even though that city has a population 1/5th the size of Edmonton, it’s a relatively quick jaunt from Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City, meaning it has a larger catchment area of potential attendees who would make the trip.
So, does this mean all hope is lost for Edmonton? Will we forever be relegated to random appearances and older artist’s legacy tours?? Not so fast, my friend; there may be hope with, funnily enough, Calgary’s new 920 million dollar Scotia Place Arena. Replacing the ancient Saddledome Arena, this new venue will have 20,000 seats for concert events (about the same as Rogers Place) and will anchor its area of downtown Calgary as the prime entertainment destination for the city. With two new and fully equipped indoor venues present, popular artists and their labels may be more keen to visit both Edmonton and Calgary as a package deal. With both city’s ever growing populations and growing recognition even among Americans (shocking, I know), be ready to see your favs stopping in Alberta within the next decade.
-Written by Luka Zvonkovic
Used as references:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/scotia-place-arena-development-permit-approved-1.7409195