The Portland City Council will weigh in Monday night on a proposed two-day music and arts festival with national touring artists in Payson Park next summer.
Concert organizers are proposing a festival for Aug. 2-3, 2025, and envision that the two-stage event would draw a crowd of about 12,000 people each day.
Two years ago, promoters tried to bring a similar concept to the park but faced opposition from neighbors over noise, traffic and parking.
If approved, festival organizers say they’ll arrange a free shuttle service between Payson Park and offsite parking lots. The METRO bus service would be free for ticketholders, according to their applications filed with the city. Gates would open at noon on both days, with music scheduled to run from 1 to 10 p.m.
The organizers, GoodWorks Entertainment and Shore Sound Entertainment, have produced similar events in other cities, including the Governor’s Ball in New York City, Capital Groove in Hartford, Connecticut, and Sound on Sound in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
The organizers say they would pay $1 to the city for every ticket sold. They would also make a $100,000 donation to the city for a future project in the Park and cover the costs of using city resources during the festival.
City staff are recommending the City Council approve the festival declaration.
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
