Scarborough Open Air Theatre’s attendance record has been smashed for the third year in a row, it has been revealed.
Live Nation-owned promoter Cuffe And Taylor, which has programmed the Yorkshire coast venue since 2016, has revealed that more than 82,000 people have already bought tickets for this summer’s series, which includes headline shows by the likes of Britney Spears, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Il Divo and Gary Barlow.
Lionel Richie kicks-off the theatre's biggest summer season yet with a sell-out show on Tuesday (June 19), with another 15 gigs to follow, and Cuffe And Taylor are hopeful more than 100,000 music fans will see a show at Yorkshire coast venue in 2018.
Peter Taylor, director of Cuffe And Taylor, said: “Excitement is really building ahead of our first show on Tuesday with the great Lionel Richie, and we are delighted to have broken the venue’s attendance record for the third successive year.
“To have out-sold last year’s attendance figure of 75,000 before the first show has taken place proves what an incredible line-up Scarborough OAT has this year.
“We knew what a special venue this was when we took over programming events here in 2016 and we are delighted to be bringing such a stunning line-up of world renowned artists to the beautiful Yorkshire coast. The shows are not only brilliant for music fans but for the local tourism economy with visitors coming here from across the UK and around the world to see a sensational series of shows.”
Lionel Richie is followed by The Script (June 21), Gary Barlow (June 22), Nile Rodgers and Chic (June 24), Steps (June 29), Alfie Boe (June 30), Emeli Sandé (July 5), Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds (July 6), Stereophonics (July 19), Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics (July 20), Il Divo (July 21), James Arthur (July 26), Bastille (July 28), Texas (August 11), Britney Spears (August 17) and James (August 18).
Cuffe And Taylor will continue to programme the theatre, Europe’s largest open-air arena, with a capacity of almost 8,000, until at least 2028 after Live Nation agreed a new 10-year deal with the local council last year.
