Staff Report
City Council
Item No. {{section.number}}.G
Meeting Date: June 26, 2024
From: Ryan Hunt, Communications & Events Manager
Title: LeAnn Rimes Balloon Festival Headline Concert Agreement RECOMMENDATION:
To ratify the agreement for LeAnn Rimes to perform as the headline act inside the Community Amphitheater for the 10th Anniversary of the Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.
BACKGROUND:
LeAnn Rimes was announced as the headline performer for the 10th anniversary of the Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival at this year’s State of the City event on May 16, 2024. The concert will take place in the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, with opening act Emily West performing an acoustic set at 4 p.m. The concert will be followed by a 7 p.m. balloon glow in Downtown Cathedral City.
DISCUSSION:
The agreement is with international multi-platinum-selling acclaimed singer/songwriter LeAnn Rimes for a concert that will take place in the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. The agreement needed to be executed prior to this City Council meeting. City Manger McClendon signed the agreement to pay the deposit of $40,000 under the City Manager‘s signing authority, and it is being presented tonight for to the City Council for ratification.
Concert tickets to see international multi-platinum-selling acclaimed singer/songwriter LeAnn Rimes at this year’s Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival went on sale on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at discovercathedralcity.com. Additionally, 1,000 free general admission tickets for Cathedral City residents, ages 21 years and older, will be available for pickup in mid-July at Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City, 68960 E Palm Canyon Dr, Cathedral City, CA 92234. A valid form of ID or proof of residency is required, which is good for one ticket per resident.
Tickets to the Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival and Food Truck Fiesta are also complimentary for Cathedral City residents and Agua Caliente Casinos ACE Club card holders. Residents must show a valid photo ID with a Cathedral City address. ACE Club cardholders must have their membership verified and show a valid photo ID. Complimentary tickets may be picked up at the ACE Club at Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City, during operational hours through November 22, 2024. Tickets are awarded on a first-come, first- served basis while supplies last.
LeAnn Rimes has sold more than 48 million units globally, won 2 Grammy® Awards; 12 Billboard Music Awards; 2 World Music Awards; 3 Academy of Country Music Awards; 2 Country Music Association Awards and one Dove Award. At 14, Rimes won “Best New Artist” making her the youngest recipient to take home a Grammy® Award. LeAnn is also now celebrating more than 25 years as a recording artist, since the release of her debut album “Blue,” and released her latest studio album, God’s Work, in 2022.
The Cathedral City Community Amphitheater is located 68526 Avenida Lalo Guerrero, at the corner of Cathedral Canyon Drive and Avenida Lalo Guerrero within the civic center complex and adjacent to the Downtown Parking Structure. The total size of the lots is 2.51 acres.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City Council increased the 2024 festival's budget by $100,000 in the last biennial budget approval process to help Communications & Events secure a headline performer at the caliber of LeAnn Rimes.
The festival has grown over its short time span from attracting several thousand attendees locally from its inception in 2015 to bringing in more than 25,000 attendees regionally. Most attendees are from outside of Cathedral City and the Coachella Valley as this event has generated a tremendous interest from the California coast and beyond.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
Action F-6: Promote additional community events and celebrations.
ATTACHMENTS:
LeAnn Rimes Cathedral City Community Amphitheater Contract