This year’s 34th America’s Cup played a host to multi-faceted arts as well as rich entertainment program throughout the Summer of Racing, as part of the event’s unique approach to integrate sport and music.
34th America's Cup - First concert of America's Cup Concert Series - Imagine Dragons© ACEA / PHOTO GILLES MARTIN-RAGET
“San Francisco is a city with such a rich music culture that it seemed natural to develop a meaningful live music component within our shore side entertainment program,” said Stephen Barclay, CEO of the America’s Cup Event Authority.
“Working alongside our partners, we’ve brought world class international acts to the city and given incredibly talented local bands a stage on which to perform.”
America’s Cup Concert Series
The America’s Cup and Live Nation developed a 9,000-seat waterfront amphitheater, the America’s Cup Pavilion. The temporary amphitheater was the first of its kind on the San Francisco waterfront, providing the venue to attract a range of headliners. The America’s Cup Concert Series drew more than 130,000 Bay Area music fans to 19 shows, including sold-out performances by Train, Journey and the Lumineers.
The five-month series kicked off with sold-out shows by Imagine Dragons and Sting and concluded October 12 with the Avett Brothers. Many of the concerts were scheduled during the America’s Cup racing with performances on the opening and closing nights of the America’s Cup Finals.
“This was a long overdue opportunity to show how important live entertainment on this scale is a benefit and a cultural addition to the San Francisco landscape,” said Jodi Goodman, President Live Nation, Northern California.
34th America's Cup - America's Cup Pavilion Concert Series - San Francisco Symphony© ACEA / PHOTO GILLES MARTIN-RAGET
Community Engagement
The America’s Cup established a charity component to the Concert Series, nominating a Bay Area recipient for a portion of the proceeds from each of the 19 shows. In total, over $65,000 in proceeds will be donated to a range of community organizations working in the arts, sailing, sustainability and other fields.
The America’s Cup also reached out to the local arts community to explore ways of sharing the stage with emerging Bay Area artists. 19 local artists performed free to the public on 13 race day afternoons. As part of this community offering, the America’s Cup partnered with local global brand Dockers to deliver a six-show series: “Sounds of San Francisco presented by Dockers.”
The America’s Cup created an Arts and Entertainment Committee that included many of the Bay Area’s arts leaders who generously donated their time and support.
A local neighborhood committee was formed to provide input to planning for the America’s Cup Pavilion. The America’s Cup is grateful to those residents who took their time to provide constructive input.
Following a successful season of concerts, the America’s Cup Pavilion is now being dismantled and the site will be handed back to the Port of San Francisco by mid-November.
America’s Cup Concert Series artists:
• Imagine Dragons with Nico Vega
• Sting
• The Steve Miller Band with the Doobie Brothers
• Counting Crows and The Wallflowers
• San Francisco Symphony performs Tchaikovsky
• Weezer with The Limousines
• Sublime with Rome, Descendents and Pennywise
• Cheech and Chong with WAR
• Train with The Script and Gavin DeGraw
• The Jonas Brothers with Karmin
• Steely Dan with Deep Blue Organ Trio
• Heart with Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience
• Jason Mraz with Walk Off The Earth
• Sammy Hagar and the Wabos with Rival Sons
• Journey with Tower of Power
• Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros with Midlake
• Fall Out Boy with Panic! At The Disco and Twenty One Pilots
• The Lumineers with Dr. Dog and Nathaniel Rateliff
• The Avett Brothers with Nicholas David
