Scarborough's Open Air Theatre hosts just half of permitted concerts as council defends music venue

The authority has blamed the reduced number of bookings at the popular music venue on uncertainty caused by Covid and difficulties in the entertainment industry.

Promoters Cuffe & Taylor have brought some of music’s biggest stars to the Yorkshire coast, including Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears – and Christina Aguilera this summer – with George Ezra set to close out this season on September 23.

At a full meeting of the authority, Cllr John Atkinson said: “The Open Air Theatre is a big earner for the town and the borough.

“In August there were just two concerts and in September, just one concert. Is it time to give Cuffe & Taylor the red card, a P45 maybe?”

However, only half of the venue’s permitted concerts took place this summer with 17 bookings, of which just 15 will play after two cancellations.

In July, Tears for Fears pulled out of their gig in Scarborough days before playing after singer Curt Smith suffered a "serious rib injury".

Last month, pop sensation Lewis Capaldi caused outrage after he cancelled his show the night before he was due to take to the stage, due to an illness.

Cllr Jim Grieve, cabinet member for quality of life, said: “What we have to do is work with Cuffe & Taylor, we’ve made our expectations very, very clear. We want 30 acts there next year. They have planning permission for 30 acts, let's put 30 acts on.”

Cllr Grieve added that there were many “different circumstances in play” and said the uncertainty of the Covid pandemic had affected bookings made by artists and performers.

“Many concert schedules are planned two, three, four years in advance. People are now planning 2025, they’re not planning 2023,” said Cllr Grieve.

“We were coming out of the back end of 2021 and that year we did not have a clue if we could do any concerts this year whatsoever.

“At Christmas everywhere was shutting down and in August we did not know where we were going with Covid. So, a lot of acts cut the number of performances they were doing nationwide and worldwide.”

The cabinet member added that other venues and festivals had recently also seen cancellations, including Leeds Festival.

He said: “This is not unusual, this has been a very strange year for the entertainment industry because pulling out of a show actually costs them far more than it does for putting one on.”

Cllr Grieve added that the Open Air Theatre, which this year celebrated its 90th anniversary, had put on some “exceptional” acts.

He said: “What we have to do is take stock of that, keep putting the flag in the ground with it, and work with some of the biggest promoters in the world to make sure this venue is full.”

According to council documents “plans are already underway for next season with a number of offers being made to artistes for 2023” with announcements expected “fairly soon”.