Locally owned Broadberry Entertainment Group (BEG) announced today that it will be moving its outdoor Live Loud concerts to nearby Kanawha Plaza while $30 million worth of renovations are made to Brown’s Island.
The Live Loud series, which is holding outdoor concerts from April through October, is known for bringing national acts to Richmond. Popular shows last season included The Flaming Lips (pictured), Turnstile and Sierra Ferrell; the year before that, a huge concert featuring rising pop star Chappell Roan was one of the largest ever held on Brown’s Island. “We could’ve sold another 10,000 tickets if we had space,” says BEG co-founder and talent buyer Jessica Gordon.
Kanawha Plaza is located at 801 E. Canal Street between 8th and 9th Streets, about two blocks from Brown’s Island. Not much else about the series is changing, Gordon says: “We will be hosting the same quality and diversity of artists, and attendees can expect the same level of production at Kanawha as they do for our shows at Brown’s Island.”
The crowd size won’t be much different, either. While Brown’s Island has a legal capacity of 16,000 people, Gordon says that BEG always capped its shows there at 6,500, and similarly, Kanawha will be capped at 6,000. “We do different setups for smaller shows,” she notes, adding that audiences can expect the same stage and video wall from Brown’s Island. Their staff has worked hard to make the transition seamless, she says.
While Gordon couldn’t officially announce any of the upcoming artists for this season yet, she says to expect the first show announcement very soon; the rest of the concerts will be announced on a staggered basis, contingent on signed contracts and band approvals.
Plenty of parking decks nearby
Kanawha Plaza, which reopened in 2016 after a $2.9 million renovation, includes a large grassy area and public space with an upgraded fountain and bike racks. Older readers may remember the former Fridays at Sunset music series held there in the 1990s; though the Kanawha space has continued to host a sporadic schedule of events and festivals, including elements of the Dominion Energy Riverrock Festival.
Most of the same paid parking decks that people used for Brown’s Island will be available for concertgoers to Kanawha; a useful parking map with pins showing all the nearby parking decks can be found here. “There are six parking garages and we’re actually closer to them now,” says Gordon.
During events, in order to create a safe barrier between vehicular traffic and concertgoers, Gordon says that Kanawha Plaza and Richmond Police have historically closed the 700 to 900 blocks of East Canal Street between S. 7th and 9th Street, the 200 block of S. 7th Street between E. Canal and Byrd Street, and the 100 block of S. 8th Street between E. Canal and Cary Street. “Live Loud plans to do the same,” she adds.
Beer and cocktails will be available for purchase at the Live Loud at Kanawha concert series, and while there will be food trucks on-site, coolers, outside food or other beverages will not be permitted. Small lawn chairs are permitted for certain areas. Also there will still be the same Casa Del Barco Fast Pass entrance to skip the line at the main box office.
More upcoming renovations
Broadberry Entertainment Group is known for booking shows at three large outdoor venues in Richmond including Virginia Credit Union Live (which it co-books with The Bowery Presents), the Live Loud series at Brown’s Island/Kanawha Plaza, and the relaunched Groovin’ in the Garden series at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
Gordon and her BEG co-owner Lucas Fritz recently toured the new conservatory addition to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, she says, which plans to open this spring. “It’s pretty amazing and is really going to change the botanical garden. We will have access to that and it will be a part of Groovin’ in the Garden series this year.”
While the move to Kanawha has been an adventure, BEG co-founder Lucas Fritz says they’re used to fun challenges. “[The Live Loud] concert series grew out of the post-pandemic world where it had to adapt and change constantly,” he says. “[These] concerts are independently operated, keeping the artist and fan as our number one concern.”
As far as the upcoming renovations to Brown’s Island, which include permanent restrooms, new landscaping and riverfront terraces, those are expected to be completed by October in time for the next Richmond Folk Festival. “We also can’t wait to go back to Brown’s Island in 2027,” Gordon says. “We’re already working on our return-to-Brown’s Island shows.”
