Gilford fines BankNH Pavilion after Lil Wayne plays past curfew July 3

GILFORD — Thousands of Lil Wayne fans who stuck it out and waited about two hours for his set were treated to more than an hour of rhymes from the Grammy award winning rapper on July 3, but it didn’t come without a price.

BankNH Pavilion was fined $1,100, after the rapper played an hour and eight minutes past curfew. The civil penalty for violating the town noise ordinance is $550 per day, for July 3 and 4, and is in the upper bracket, because it is not the venue’s first offense. The fine must be paid to the town by Friday, July 24.

A July 10 letter from the Gilford Department of Planning and Land Use, signed by Director John Ayer and addressed to BankNH Pavilion President RJ Harding, stated the July 3, concert featuring Lil Wayne did not conclude at 11 p.m., as required by the planning board’s site plan approval.

The concert also included opener 2Chainz, who went on as planned, and a DJ played as fans awaited Wayne to hit the stage. According to information from the venue posted on social media before the show, Wayne's set was scheduled to start at 8:50 p.m. The letter states Police Chief Dustin Parent reported Lil Wayne didn’t start his performance until nearly 11 p.m., and ended at 12:08 p.m. on July 4.

“As you are aware, your site plan approval prohibits you from generating sound/music after 11:00 PM,” the letter states.

Town Administrator Scott Dunn wrote in an email that the venue is required to end all performances at 11 p.m., as part of the site plan approval referred to in the letter.

Live Nation purchased a majority stake in BankNH Pavilion — formerly known as Meadowbrook — on Dec. 19, 2017.

According to RSA 676:17, the civil penalty for a violation of the town’s zoning ordinance, related regulations, or requirements of the conditions of the permit issued by the land use board, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. and faces a civil penalty of $275 for the first offense, and $550 for subsequent offense, for each day the violation continues.

“The town will be seeking a fine or fines for the events at BoNH Pavilion on July 4,” Dunn wrote in an email last week.

In a separate email, he wrote, “The town will not be prosecuting for any misdemeanors or felonies.”

The letter states failure to comply with the order could result in further legal action, which includes fines, and even revoking site plan approval, or an amendment to the approval to impose stricter limitations.

There is an opportunity for the venue to appeal the fines — prescribed by state law — as well as the town’s zoning ordinance.

According to RSA 676:5, appeals to the governing board need to be made within 30 days. Further details are outlined in the law, and can be found on the state’s general court website at gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/indexes/default.aspx.

Lil Wayne didn’t show up for the opening date of his tour, at the Maine Savings Amphitheater in Bangor, on June 30. The artist publicly apologized, attributing it to an illness, and rescheduled the show for Tuesday, July 28.

In the days leading up to the Gilford show, the internet exploded with memes featuring the rapper at local establishments, to confirm he was in the Lakes Region, after his no-show in Maine.

Most were AI-generated images showing him posing with fans and workers, including enjoying a drink at Beans & Greens, hanging with staff pre-show at Patrick’s Pub & Eatery, or sitting in the big green lawn chair at the nearby Gilford Country Store.

After his Gilford performance ran late, rumors were swirling, with online posts making claims Lil Wayne was facing fines in the tens of thousands. Dunn said whenever there is a curfew violation, the venue is subject to the fines, not the artist.

“The town has no ability to impose a fine against a performing artist,” Dunn said.

It is unclear whether the venue will pass the cost along to Lil Wayne, the five-time Grammy Award winner whose legal name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.

Repeated attempts to reach representatives from BankNH Pavilion were not returned, nor were efforts by email to reach Lil Wayne's media relations team.