Rose Bowl Wants Festival Deal That Could Bring in $15 Million Over Five Years

The Rose Bowl Operating Company (RBOC) is asking for approval from the Pasadena City Council to amend its current contract with music events organizer AEG to increase the number of ‘displacement events’ allowed at the Rose Bowl Stadium and Brookside Golf Course in a an arrangement that could bring the stadium much-needed millions.

The RBOC signed the contract in 2017 which says AEG/Golden Voice could produce a music festival at least once a year. The agreement was for 10 years with two five-year options, for a total of 20 years, and an option where any of the parties could terminate the contract after the third year.

The three festivals produced at the venue since that year, covering seven festival dates, have proven to be successful for both attendees and artists, the RBOC said in a report for Monday’s City Council meeting.

All of these events were held at Brookside on AEG’s option, limiting both audience capacity as well as the potential for bigger revenue.

To maximize audience capacity while maintaining “top-notch audience experience,” the RBOC and AEG agreed some amendments need to be put into the contract so the economics could be adjusted and additional music content can be produced.

Instead of limiting the number of allowed events at Brookside Golf Course to only six events per year, the RBOC said the amendment would allow for up to 10 events per year at the venue. Rent, which was set at $2 million per year for the first two years, will now be increased to $3 million per year under the recommended amendments.

AEG will remain to be the RBOC’s exclusive music festival partner on the Brookside Golf Course grounds, the recommendation said.

The RBOC also said the new arrangement could bring in up to $15 million over five years, significantly higher than the $4 million that was guaranteed over the two years in the previous agreement.

In the report, the RBOC also guaranteed that the addition of allowed events within the Arroyo Seco area would not create undue conflict with other activities taking place at the same time.

“Staff will work closely with the Parks and Natural Resources Division of the City of Pasadena, as well as with the Pasadena Police Department,  to best control the displacement of other activities in the Arroyo Seco,” the RBOC said. “As in the past, while these events will displace some recreational activities, staff is able to minimize displacement to as few hours on event day as possible, so that displacement does not take place the entire day.”

The RBOC added the additional events “do not impose undue adverse impacts on the surrounding residential area.” It said planning and preparation “will be implemented to minimize the impact,” and that the Pasadena Police Department and the RBOC will work carefully with the surrounding areas to minimize disruption and impact related to traffic management and sound impacts.”

Representatives of surrounding community associations have been invited to submit comments on the recommended amendments, and one of them at least – the Linda Vista-Annandale Association (LVAA)  – has expressed concern about the increase in the number of allowed activities, and is seeking answers to a number of questions on how the increase has been considered along with other activities in the Rose Bowl.

The East Arroyo Residents Association (EARA) said in a letter to the Council that it supports the Rose Bowl Operating Company’s request for additional temporary displacement events due to the stadium’s pressing financial needs but also said “there are other important considerations regarding Arroyo Seco governance that must also be addressed promptly” so Arroyo neighborhoods are “better protected from the proliferation of activities.”

The EARA asked that a task force be convened to review the operations of RBOC and “how it is required to fund its operations,” and to make definitive recommendations. 

Aside from the 10 music events being recommended, the Rose Bowl also hosts the Rose Bowl Game once a year, a Fourth of July event, at least eight UCLA football games, and at least two international soccer matches per year. This would be a total of 22 displacement events for 2022, the LVAA said in a letter to the City Council.

Monday’s City Council meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. The public may access the public portion of the meeting through www.pasadenamedia.org.