City in talks with superstar for initial residency
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, March 32, 2024
Hamilton, Ohio – The days of saying, “This town ain’t big enough for…” appear numbered.
The City of Hamilton is partnering with the Fitton Center for Creative Arts and RiversEdge Amphitheater for a major facility upgrade that will change not only the face of Butler County, but the entire entertainment world.
Plans for the Hamilton Sphere will be unveiled in a joint announcement at 12 p.m. at Marcum Park.
“Bringing Spooky Nook to Hamilton was a major feather in the city’s cap,” said outgoing City Manager Joshua Smith. “But we’re more than a sports town. We’re a hub for the arts, creativity, and technology. The Hamilton Sphere brings all of those together under one very big roof. This is the kind of legacy project a man can be proud of!”
TvHamilton will stream the announcement at noon.
“There’s a good chance it won’t be called the Hamilton Sphere by the time it opens,” Smith said. “That’s just a working title because we’re obviously going to explore corporate naming rights. But for now, just know the Hamilton Sphere will make the one in Las Vegas look like one of those vinyl igloos outside a sidewalk café in winter.”
Arts leaders in the area have been clamoring for a newer, bigger, more technically advanced venue for years. “We’ve tried to bring the musical Hamilton to Hamilton,” said Ian MacKenzie-Thurley, executive director of the Fitton Center for Creative Arts. “But with just 241 seats, the Fitton Center isn’t large enough for the biggest of theatrical acts.”
Adam Helms of RiversEdge is also excited about the greatly expanded capacity that the Hamilton Sphere will bring, and with it the opportunity to book some of the world’s greatest musical performers.
“It’s great to have an act like ZoSo perform Led Zeppelin songs in our summer concert series July 11,” he said “But I think the people of Hamilton deserve the real thing without having to go to New York, Tokyo or London to see it. There’s no way you’re getting Robert Plant and Jimmy Page in a 3,000-seat venue. But 30,000? Now you’re talking!”
The Hamilton Sphere will be based on the same design as the Madison Square Garden Sphere in Las Vegas – but at a much larger scale than its desert counterpart. While the Vegas version stands about 300 feet tall, 360 feet wide and seats about 20,000 people, look for a 52% increase across the board. Plans call for a 456-foot dome on a 547-foot base with a seating capacity of 30,400.
Recent NFL retiree and Ohio native Jason Kelce will serve as the Hamilton Sphere’s inaugural booking manager. Despite no experience in entertainment, facilities management or concert promotion, the former Philadelphia Eagles center promised he could deliver mega-star musical talent for an extended run of shows to open the facility.
“I know a guy…who knows a girl” Kelce reportedly told the hiring committee with a knowing wink.
“That was good enough for us,” Smith said, with a knowing wink of his own.
The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is located at 101 S. Monument Avenue on the Riverfront in downtown Hamilton, Ohio.
Building Community Excellence through the Arts and Culture