Big names and shows on the way to South MS. Can the Coast support all this entertainment?

New Orleans scored the Rolling Stones for Jazz Fest. Mobile is building a $300 million civic center. South Mississippi has a bigger entertainment schedule booked than before COVID, and new shows and festivals are on the way.

“We’re doing great,” said Matt McDonnell, executive director of the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi. “The level of shows we’re doing is major,” he said, with Tim McGraw and Creed among the headliners announced for 2024.

It’s easy to fill the arena with big-name entertainment that draws people from across the southeast, he said. Fans are coming from Alabama and as far away as Memphis to see shows in Biloxi. The challenge, he said, is finding the right blend of country, classic rock, family, comedy and other entertainment that will fill the seats all year, especially given the competition from local and regional venues.

Caesars Superdome in New Orleans has more than 50,000 concert seats to bring in top level artists like Taylor Swift, who quickly sold out three shows for October,

The 11,500-seat Coast Coliseum can’t compete with that. Yet the Coast is known for being a place tours start, like Journey’s 50th anniversary “Freedom Tour” that kicked off at the Coliseum in February, and for “discovering” artists on the way to the top.

“We’ve been very fortunate over the years to get a lot of great artists as they were climbing the ladder,” McDonnell said.

The 31st Crawfish Music Festival April 19-21 at the Coliseum stars Charley Crockett, Warren Zeiders and Chase Rice. Others in the “who’s who” of country stars who have played the Crawfish Fest are Mark Chesnutt, Montgomery Gentry, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Sam Hunt and Luke Bryan.

A fill of events and experiences

Coastal Mississippi’s website features a big variety of concerts and live music, plus long lists of festivals and special events this spring and summer.

What stands out is how many different experiences are offered this year in South Mississippi:

▪ This could be the last chance for fans of Home Free to see Austin Brown in concert April 6 at IP Casino. He recently announced he’s leaving the a capella group after 12 years.

▪ For those who grew up singing along to “Jesse’s Girl” and “Right Here Waiting,” An Acoustic Evening with Rick Springfield and Richard Marx May 11 at IP Casino is a bucket list event.

▪ Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi presents the 20th anniversary tour of Celtic Woman April 26-27 and the Broadway musical of “Footloose” — on the 25th anniversary of the movie — with shows June 21-July 7. Returning on Friday nights starting April 5 and continuing all summer is Ivory’s Dueling Pianos at Bet MGM.

▪ Boxing is back in Biloxi, with Brawlin In N’Awlins April 26 at Hard Rock Casino Biloxi. It’s been 20 years since Les Bonano brought his famous boxing promotion to the area. Now his grandson Devin McGovern and promoter Joe Ancona return with some of the best boxers in the South.

▪ Ground Zero Blues Club in downtown Biloxi is really mixing it up with blues, gospel and even a little bit country on April 4, complete with dance lessons before the party.

▪ Lee Greenwood will inspire his audience at Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast May 11 with “God Bless the USA,” just ahead of Memorial Day.

▪ Tickets are just $20 to be there when KC & The Sunshine Band takes the stage for the first concert at the new Sound Amphitheater, opening April 12 in Gautier.

▪ Tributes to the greats will see Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue by Gulf Coast Symphony April 27 at the Immersive Media Performing Arts Center in Gulfport and a Whitney Houston tribute April 12 at the Mary C. O’Keefe in Ocean Springs.

Art, pirates and pot festivals, oh my

Except on the hottest days of summer, there are festivals most weekends in South Mississippi, and new ones added to the favorites this year.

▪ Arts and Antiques in the Alley is a new and coming to Fishbone Alley in downtown Gulfport April 20.

▪ Gulf Coast Cannabis Festival for cannabis enthusiasts and the “canna curious” is at the Biloxi Town Green April 20-21 for ages 21 and older.

▪ Watch two award-winning feature-length films at the first independent film festival in Bay St. Louis at 100 Men Hall April 27. Then meet the filmmakers and join the wrap party.

▪ Pirates invade Bay St. Louis May 17-18 for another Pirate Day in the Bay, when anyone can talk like a pirate and kids and adults can enter the costume contests.

Music and entertainment are priority

After staying away from public gatherings during the coronavirus, people are looking for entertainment.

A survey from Allianz Partners USA shows more Americans are prioritizing concerts, sporting events and theater performances. Almost two-thirds (63%) said they expected to attend a ticketed event in 2023, while 20% expected to attend three events or more.

Patricia Meagher, director of communication for Coastal Mississippi, attends lots of concerts and special events and says people follow big names and seek out experiences.

“We’ve got music galore,” she sad, and more to come.

The Sound Amphitheater gives locals and visitors a chance to see national performers on and outdoor stage, and the return of the Saenger Theatre in Biloxi later this year provides an intimate place for the community dance recitals and family events in the restored building that’s hosted a century of performances.

Time for newer, bigger coliseum?

The Coast Coliseum has hosted Dolly Parton, Pavarotti, Cher, Eric Clapton, Taylor Swift, Chris Stapleton, Elton John, a Donald Trump rally, a run with the bulls, sports greats and many more unforgettable events.

The old civic center in Mobile had stopped hosting many events because of the condition of the building, but the new venue will have about the same number of seats as the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi.

McDonnell commends Mobile for seeing the need for the new civic center, even if it is competition for the Coast.

The Mobile center was built 60 years ago in 1964, while the Coast Coliseum opened in 1977 and is in its 48th year.

“To stay competitive you’ve got to really upgrade the facilities or replace them,” he said.

When a new coliseum is built, it would provide the opportunity to add more seats, but not too many.

“I think there’s a finite number of seats that could be supported here,” McDonnell said, and he would cap it at about 15,000 seats

At this point there’s not even a conversation about building a replacement for the Coast Coliseum, he said, let alone where it should be built.