Weekender

Kirby Center ranks fourth in state in ticket sales among similar venues

The F.M. Kirby Center announced today that the downtown Wilkes-Barre theater venue has improved over its 2016 mark in Pollstar Magazine’s year-end ticket sales rankings.

According to the publication’s 2017 report, the Kirby Center ranks 104th among similarly sized venues worldwide and fourth among comparable theaters in Pennsylvania, behind only the Hershey Theatre, Philadelphia’s Academy of Music and Pittsburgh’s Stage AE.

The ranking is the Kirby Center’s highest to date after placing 109th in 2016 and 114th in 2015. According to the report, the venue sold nearly 13,000 more tickets in 2017 than it did during the previous year.

“For us, it’s about getting better at what we do,” Executive Director Will Beekman said in a press release from the theater. “We’ve done a nice job of staying aggressive in the concert industry while remaining true to our mission as a non-profit performing arts center.”

“Mama Mia,” Sebastian Maniscalco, Frankie Valli, Donny & Marie, Night Ranger and Loverboy, and Jennifer Nettles were among sold-out performances on the Kirby’s 2017 schedule. The venue continued to build its roster of concerts while investing in its mission to bring cultural arts and art education to its community.

The release noted Wilkes-Barre Township’s Mohegan Sun Arena finished 126th among arenas worldwide and third among arenas in the state.

“I think both venues have done a nice job together and complementing each other,” Beekman said. “Together, we’re having a lot of fun bringing people to Wilkes-Barre.”

According to Pollstar Magazine’s year-end report on theater ticket sales, the F.M. Kirby Center in downtown Wilkes-Barre ranks 104th among similarly sized venues worldwide and fourth among comparable venues in Pennsylvania.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/web1_TTL021217boscov1-1.jpgAccording to Pollstar Magazine’s year-end report on theater ticket sales, the F.M. Kirby Center in downtown Wilkes-Barre ranks 104th among similarly sized venues worldwide and fourth among comparable venues in Pennsylvania.
Downtown Wilkes-Barre venue fourth in ticket sales in Pennsylvania

Times Leader staff reports