By Brittney Matejka

Canalta GM takes to Facebook to address why some performers aren’t coming to Medicine Hat

Apr 11, 2018 | 5:31 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB. – The latest concert announcement at the Canalta Centre isn’t exactly hitting a high note with residents.

This August, the Cars & Guitars Festival will feature performances from tribute bands and not a big name act like previous years.

Canalta General Manager Tammy Sweeney posted her thoughts to Facebook on the struggles of recruiting big named acts to Medicine Hat.

“Bryan Adams, Tragically Hip and Jason Aldean are artists that have sold out in other venues across Canada and into the United States,” she said. “When they come here, they don’t sell out and those artists don’t want to come back.”

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Sweeney said the price of recording artists is extremely high given the value of the Canadian dollar. The Canalta Centre has been unable to pack the house despite bringing in a range of country, rock and pop artists.

“We lose in bidding wars,” she said. “We lose in those opportunities for audiences because they sell out and those artists are guaranteed that money.”

The price tag for a big name act for Cars & Guitars would be between $50 to $150 thousand, said Sweeney. This would require over six thousand tickets at $100 a piece being sold to cover the expense. Last year, the event sold only 1,600 tickets.

Over the past three years, Sweeney said the Canalta Centre has not seen an increase in ticket sales to events.

Medicine Hat College business instructor Glen Allan explained the lack in increasing ticket sales could be a factor in why events are not selling out.

“If it seems like there will be a shortage, people will rush out and buy the tickets,” he said. “If there seems to be lots of supply people generally hang back and maybe on the day of the concert, go buy.”

Sweeney says the Canalta Centre was built to serve the community and she thinks it hasn’t reached its full potential. The Centre is looking at ways to encourage more people to attend events, such as initiatives like lowering ticket prices for Cars & Guitars and hosting a free movie night.

“Our belief is that if they have fun in this building, make memories, they will went to come back for other events,” she said. “We have to reach out to the community and bring them in.”