Will Atlantic City’s Beachfest Concert Stay Afloat Next Summer?

Over the past few years, Atlantic City's Beachfest Concert Series has boosted the city's tourism while aiding the local economy thanks to Live Nation Entertainment. The Series began in 2015 after the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) signed a contract with Live Nation for $6 million dollars to bring in big name performers to the beach venue. Since then, the venue has seen artists's like Maroon 5 and P!nk who have drawn in over 50,000 fans to each of their shows at $40-$50 dollars a ticket. The contract with Live Nation has recently come to an end after the final show of the 2018 summer season which featured the Chainsmokers. With the grand opening of The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino along with a new concert venue, will this be the end for the Beachfest Concert Series?  

According to Matt Doherty, the executive director of the CRDA, the Hard Rock Casino, "certainly does change the calculation a bit," he added,  "we're not in competition with Hard Rock. We'd rather do things on a more complementary basis."

The Hard Rock Resort and Casino features the Hard Rock Live at Estess Arena, a 7,000 seat venue that plans to bring in artists like Toby Keith, Kid Rock, Rascal Flatts and Third Eye Blind.

While the agreement between the CRDA and Live Nation for the Beachfest Series just came to an end, Doherty advises that the CRDA plans to work out a deal with Live Nation which will now cater to the new Hard Rock venue. Doherty hopes that the new plan will avoid conflicts with scheduling, escalating prices, and bidding wars with booking artists.

While the city hopes to maintain the success of both venues, it seems like things may be looking up for Atlantic City's struggling economy!