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With downtown Wilmington s 7,200-seat Riverfront Park Amphitheater set to open in July, Southeastern North Carolina is on the cusp of getting some of the biggest concert acts it s ever seen.
But, as some concert-goers are finding out, with bigger acts comes something less appealing, if not unexpected: higher ticket prices.
Tickets to see Everyman comic Jim Gaffigan on Aug. 14 range from $108 to more than $250 if you want a seated view. Seated tickets for the pop band Glass Animals start at $100 and go well above $200. (Ticket prices for country act Lady A will be announced when they go on sale 10 a.m. Friday, May 28.)
A bill that would allow customers to consume booze freely within certain areas is progressing in the N.C. General Assembly, and Wilmington is already researching other cities’ alcohol ordinances. (Port City Daily photo/Alexandria Sands)
WILMINGTON –– The City of Wilmington is considering loosening outdoor drinking restrictions, as a proposed law that would allow customers to carry alcoholic beverages freely within certain areas progresses through the N.C. General Assembly.
House Bill 781 –– also known as the “Bring Business Back to Downtown” bill –– would give cities discretion to define “social districts” where patrons could openly carry and consume booze purchased from ABC permit holders. The legislation passed the House May 6 with just seven “nay” votes from Republican representatives and has now advanced to the Senate floor.
Now, with the pandemic on the wane and concert announcements flying fast and furious British pop band Glass Animals Sept. 5, beloved comic Jim Gaffigan at a to-be-determined date that long-awaited future is suddenly at our doorstep.
For Amy Beatty, who heads the city of Wilmington s community services division, the nearing completion of the amphitheater marks the end, or at least another phase, of a journey that started back in 2013 when the city purchased the 6.6 acres of land the amphitheater now sits on.
Beatty said the city is planning a July 4 grand opening of Riverfront Park Amphitheater featuring Wilmington bands, local artists and more, a way to show off the park (that) will also serve as a soft opening for the city and Live Nation.