Live Nation Saves The Queen

Live Nation is moving into the historic Queen Theatre in Wilmington, Del., taking over management from World Café Live at the end of May.

LightUpTheQueen.org – Queen Theatre

The shift won’t be dramatic, at least not immediately, according to Wilmington’s News Journal. While it’s expected that the entry of the world’s largest concert promoter into the city just outside Philadelphia will mean more and bigger concerts for the venue, it appears the 750-capacity Queen Theatre will see a “soft opening” over the summer with a grand opening slated after Labor Day.

The company reportedly signed a 10-year lease with the Buccini/Pollin Group that owns the building.

“To us, we feel like the Queen is going to be somewhere between the Theatre of Living Arts and The Fillmore,” Michael Grozier, Live Nation’s EVP of clubs and theatres told the newspaper. Both venues are mainstays in Philadelphia’s concert scene.

Live Nation will run the entire building, save for the upstairs stage and a restaurant. However, it’s expected the company will partner with a food service operator in what the News Journal calls a “hybrid management structure.”

One thing that is expected to change is the type of concert offerings on the future calendar. World Café Live struggled with bookings focused on singer-songwriters, tribute and local acts, whereas Live Nation is expected to book a lineup of artists that appeal more to younger audiences.

The Queen Theatre is part of a 45,000-square-foot building that dates to 1789 and received a $25 million renovation in 2009, according to the paper. It’s been used for wedding and event rentals, and that is reportedly going to continue.

“We are hoping to build off of what World Cafe Live did as a sort of pioneer,” Grozier told the News Journal. “We want to continue to celebrate local music. I’m hoping that as we find bands that we like, that we can work them into the TLA and some of our other clubs around the country where we can grow young talent into touring bands.”