Return of shows at Bank NH Pavilion bodes well for tourism season

GILFORD — It’s hard to say exactly what the 2021 season will look like for the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion. But it won’t look like 2020, and for businesses that benefit from the people who come to see performances there, that’s good enough.

“In the summer, that’s 60% of our business,” said Frank Tuscano, general manager of the Fireside Inn and Suites in Gilford, located a stone’s throw from the 9,000-seat amphitheater. When the performance venue had to cancel its shows last summer, it cut his season’s numbers nearly in half.

In a good year, Bank of NH Pavilion books multiple shows each week, with the types of acts that will draw music fans from across state lines – far enough away that they choose to find a place to stay overnight.

Such a year was 2019, Tuscano said. The Pavilion had more than 30 shows and, with a robust Motorcycle Week turnout, it kept business hopping all summer. He isn’t expecting this year to return to those heights, but he is hoping it will be a good sight better than last year.

“Of course it’s going to be much better than 2020, but I’m not sure it’s going to be as good as 2019,” Tuscano said. “If we can do the numbers like we did in 2018, I’d be very happy.”

Bank of NH Pavilion is currently advertising eight “reduced capacity” shows on its website, starting with Jake Owen on May 29. Next up are an 1980s rock tribute festival, two dates with Brantley Gilbert, then three nights with Old Dominion, and, on July 16, the Tedeschi Trucks Band.

Starting on July 17, with Matchbox Twenty, the shows are advertised as “full capacity.” There are a total of 11 such shows, all of which were originally scheduled for last year, and the lineup includes acts such as Hall and Oates, Chris Stapleton, The Black Crowes, Luke Bryan, The Doobie Brothers, Dave Matthews Band and Alanis Morissette. More events will be added, the website suggests.

Seating for the reduced capacity shows will be sold in “pods” for each party, ranging in size from one to eight seats, with six feet of space between each pod. The same goes for lawn seats. As far as other details go, those have yet to be determined.

“We remain in communication with local officials and given the changing landscape will offer updates through our website and social media as we have more information to share. Of course, the health and safety of our fans, artists, staff and community is our number one priority and will be planned for accordingly.,” said a spokesperson for Live Nation, which operates Bank of NH Pavilion.

At the Fireside Inn, Tuscano is fine with the ambiguity, considering what he went through last year.

“We can’t look at 2018, 2019. We’ve got to take what we can get,” Tuscano said.

Arts offerings, such as Bank of NH Pavilion, are an important piece of the local tourism economy, said Amy Landers of the Lakes Region Tourism Association.

“I think it’s great to have the shows back (at Bank NH Pavilion), they obviously draw a lot of people, especially overnight people,” Landers said. Those guests are likely to arrive early, perhaps dine at a restaurant prior to the show, and might visit other tourism-related attractions the day after.

It’s not just the big shows, with nationally-known acts, that are important, she added. Bank of NH Pavilion, as well as the Great Waters festival in Wolfeboro, has the kind of talent that inspires fans to drive from Massachusetts, Vermont or Maine – people who might engage in other tourism since they’re here. There are many other performing arts venues that also serve tourists, who had already planned a trip to the area and are looking for  entertainment after their daytime adventures.

“Arts and culture are very important,” Landers said. “It’s important for our local community as well as our visitors to have entertainment and things to do in the evening. All those evening entertainment (venues) add value to the experience of visiting the Lakes Region.”

Places such as Bank of NH Pavilion might not be able to sell as many seats as usual this year, but those seats should sell quickly. There seems to be pent-up demand for pre-pandemic experiences, as evidenced by a four-fold increase that Tuscano has seen for prepaid reservations. Landers said other association members are seeing similar interest levels.

“Things are are filling up very quickly,” Landers said. “We’re getting back to what it was like 15 or 20 years ago. You’ve got to make those reservations far out or you’ll be disappointed.”