HAMILTON, Ohio — Concerts at the RiversEdge amphitheater in downtown Hamilton will resume on July 4, with varying degrees of social distancing, according to the Journal-News.
People willing to pay more for the outdoor shows can have more social distancing for themselves and their friends, while those wanting to economize can have less space.
More concert announcements will come soon, Helms said, including two bands joining the July 4 lineup. Two bands also haven’t been announced yet for Aug. 15.
Under the city’s plan, the city will have 8-foot-by-8-foot squares — the size of two pieces of plywood next to each other — spaced eight feet apart.
Originally, the city planned to limit each square to four people, each sitting at a corner of the square, Helms said. But: “Based on some of the feedback we received on social media, some people were concerned about the cost.”
“We intended to sell the squares for $40 to $100 per square, depending on who’s playing,” he said.
If nine people are in an 8-by-8-foot square, they are sitting immediately next to each other’s chairs, Helms said, showing a photo of people sitting in chairs in such a square.
“We believe that it’s feasible to put nine people in an 8-by-8 square for a variety of reasons, the biggest one being it increases our capacity, it allows more people to attend, and it also brings down the cost of admission,” Helms said.
Whereas a family of four might have had to pay $10 apiece for a show where a square costs $40, if there are nine people, the per-person cost drops to $4.44.
“This is our best effort to bring live music to Hamilton in some form or fashion,” Helms said.
