Wrigley Field Near Limit On Night Events For '17 With Addition Of Lady Gaga Concert

The announcement that Lady Gaga will perform at Wrigley Field on Aug. 25 means that the Cubs now have "nine concerts dates on the docket this summer, breaking last year's record of seven," according to Danny Ecker of CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS. It also leaves the team "little wiggle room to add night games this season without having to give up night games in 2018 under terms of a city ordinance.​" Under a restructured night game ordinance passed in '13, the Cubs can "schedule up to 35 night games or night events each season." The team can also "book four major concerts inside the park that don't count toward that total." The Cubs have scheduled 29 night games for the '17 season, "meaning the five extra concerts put them at 34 night events for the year." Cubs VP/Communications & Community Affairs Julian Green said there is "likely" one more concert in the works, which would hit the limit. That could leave the team "stuck on things like rainouts, which this season can only be rescheduled as day games." If they "can't get them rescheduled during the day, the team can go beyond the 35-game limit -- but every night game or event beyond that will cost them a slot for a night game or event next year." Maxing out the team's legal capacity to host concerts at Wrigley Field "underscores how valuable such shows are to the franchise and why the team pushed for an expanded night game ordinance when it cut a deal with the city to fund its massive stadium renovation project without public financing." Ecker notes concerts are "more valuable than night games." It is one of the ways the Ricketts family, which owns the team, has "demonstrated a bigger appetite for squeezing revenue out of the ballpark" than their predecessors (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 2/8).

FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN: In Colorado, Sarah Kuta noted Dead & Company brought the Univ. of Colorado's athletic department "nearly $700,000 in profit" for two July '16 concerts at Folsom Field. The profit "includes a $250,000 rental fee for the use of the stadium." CU Associate AD/Business Development Lance Carl said that his plan is for Folsom to "host concerts every summer moving forward, so that's money the Athletic Department can count on." Dead & Company's back-to-back concerts "ended a 15-year live-music drought at CU's football stadium." The group will "return to Folsom Field" on June 9 and 10 (DAILYCAMERA.com, 2/7).