Sacramento has entered into formal talks with a consortium of Live Nation, SMG and the Sacramento Kings NBA basketball team about its operating a number of arenas in the Californian city.
The group put forward a proposal to Sacramento City Council about running the Sacramento Convention Center, Community Theater and Memorial Auditorium.
The city council voted this week to enter into formal discussions with the Kings group to go over the details of the proposal.
The Memorial Auditorium contains 3,849 seats, while the Community Theater has 2,398 seats.
The Kings’ Golden 1 Center has welcomed the likes of Paul McCartney and Bruno Mars over the last year, and now hopes to help rejuvenate the three downtown venues.
“We feel like we can find that utilisation, keep the buildings lit, keep them energised, keep the diverse cultural and entertainment calendar filled with what the people of the region want,” Kings president John Rinehart told the KRCA news website.
“Nobody really knows Sacramento and the region like us. We’re just looking forward to bringing in and finding and identifying those new revenue streams and opportunities for the city to grow.”
While the goal at the convention centre would be to bring in more conferences and events, the theatre and auditorium are seen as ideal venues for hosting medium-sized shows too small for the Golden 1 Center, but with a fan following too big for a small venue.
The venues have received public money for renovation projects recently, but it is thought the resources of the Kings group could help to boost their profile.
“The city as an entity can’t lose thousands of dollars, whereas Live Nation throughout the year can make those investments, make money on some, lose money on others,” Visit Sacramento CEO Mike Testa said.
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