The town-funded Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge is struggling with live music – and it comes at a steep price.
“We are losing about $75,000 a year because of the volatility and risk of ticket sales,” a Breck Create spokeswoman told town council this week, saying competition for live music is fiercer than ever.
“We used to get acts like Grace Potter,” she continued. “They are going to Copper because Copper is now using music as a strategy to drive business.”
The Riverwalk is also losing music to neighboring venues like Dillon Amphitheater and Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail.
But town council is leery about paying more for a talent buyer or subsidizing free shows for locals. Some on council want results from a public arts survey first.
This strategy of “wait and see” comes with a warning from Breck Create.
“By taking a pause, I think it is very likely to have some long-term effects,” a spokesman said. “We might have to climb back out of that to get to a point where people in town are seeing music they want to see.”
Breck Create warned this could take two or more years.
Council voted and it will not be giving new money to live music at the Riverwalk. This does not impact three to four shows already scheduled for 2025, including Lyle Lovett on Valentine’s Day.