Salt Lake City— Red Butte Garden management announced today that they will cancel their 2020 outdoor concert series as a result of governmental and University of Utah COVID-19 restrictions regarding public events. “The state and university have slowly relaxed some of the guidelines for public venues that host concerts and outdoor events, but so far these are limited to small groups. We just don’t expect that there will be a safe and responsible way to bring 3,000 concertgoers to the amphitheatre this summer,” said deputy director Derrek Hanson.
Restrictions earlier this year necessitated cancelling the May and June concerts, with the hope that the schedule for the remainder of the summer might go as planned. But as the pandemic continues to disrupt entertainment operations, most artists have opted to cancel tours and work with promoters and venues to reschedule for 2021. Hanson said that is the focus for his team now, and he hopes by next summer the COVID-19 restrictions for large groups will be ended, enabling Red Butte Garden to again host capacity crowds for concerts under the stars.
Hanson oversees the Garden’s concert series as well as private events. Already he and his staff have made the necessary adjustments to enable small groups to have weddings and other celebrations in the popular themed gardens.
About Red Butte Garden
Red Butte Garden is the largest botanical garden in the Intermountain West and together with the University of Utah, is a state arboretum. The Garden has welcomed guests since 1985 and is the largest botanical garden in the Intermountain West, with over 21 acres of developed gardens and five miles of hiking trails winding through an extensive natural area. The Garden is renowned for its numerous plant collections, display gardens, world-class Outdoor Concert Series, and award-winning horticulture-based educational programs. For more information, visit www.redbuttegarden.org.