Courtesy - City of Lloydminster
The Josh Ross concert at Cenovus Energy Hub lost $20,337, according to a City of Lloydminster report.
The city had budgeted a $141,518 profit for the June 12 show. That left the event about $162,000 short of its target.
The report went to the Governance and Priorities Committee on Monday as part of the Hub’s one-year review. Joël Turcotte presented it for the city’s community development services department.
Ticket sales drove the gap. Admission revenue reached $283,131 against a $472,638 budget, or 60 per cent.
“Unfortunately, not enough tickets were sold. We were short about 165 tickets to break even, and a loss of about $20,000 occurred,” said Turcotte.
Spending came in near plan at $326,791, or 95 per cent of the $345,020 budget. Artist fees ran $8,000 over, at $230,000. Merchandise, concessions and sponsorships all beat their targets.
Turcotte said administration knew concerts carry that risk.
“When the facility was in development, administration understood that the event facilities at times do take a loss at concerts. Therefore, although finances are important, evaluation must be done on all other aspects as well,” said Turcotte.
BorderPulse reported in September that city records confirmed at least $202,279.90 in spending on the concert. The city said then it could not yet confirm revenue.
The city’s presentation lists 2,501 tickets sold. It does not say how many were giveaways. A councillor asked that future reports include the number of free tickets.
Why tickets fell short
Turcotte said the city heard that ticket prices were “a little high.”
“We heard lots that there should be a $100 ticket, which is something we’ll strive to do. It may not always be possible,” said Turcotte.
A city administration member pointed to name recognition.
“If you knew him, you were really excited, but if you didn’t know him, he had no name recognition,” said the administration member.
That person said merchandise sold so well that stock was nearly gone by halfway through Ross’s set. A Saskatoon show announced late in the sales period may have deterred buyers, “but it’s hard to say for sure.”
Coun. Justin Vance noted how heavily the city promoted the show.
“You look at the amount of advertisement that administration did and it’s very significant,” said Vance.
The city’s report calls it one of its most robust advertising campaigns of 2026. It does not say what the campaign cost.
What it means for future concerts
City Manager Dion Pollard said a council policy to recover at least 70 per cent of costs shaped ticket prices. He said meeting that mandate was “challenging.”
“As we get through one or two concerts, we’re going to be able to see maybe that needs to be refined,” said Pollard.
Coun. Michele Charles Gustafson asked whether the city wants to promote concerts or rent the building to promoters. Mayor Gerald Aalbers said he hopes the city can eventually stop promoting concerts itself. He said it may need to stay in the game for now to build a reputation.
Administration said it wants a better-known act for the next shows and will review the music genre. Some touring acts told it they were not interested in playing the venue in its first two years.
The city is exploring shared tours with similar-sized communities, along with hotel and restaurant packages.
“This is a brand new facility. We’ve never run a facility this big that’s got two ice surfaces and hosting these events. So we’re going to make mistakes as a city,” said Coun. David Lopez.
The bigger picture
The concert is one part of the Hub’s first-year review. Minor hockey booked more than 2,100 hours, and Bobcats attendance rose nearly 30 per cent to an average of 1,244.
Turcotte said the building will not turn a profit.
“No recreation facility within the city makes complete cost recovery,” said Turcotte.
Revenue stood at 90 per cent of its annual forecast as of Oct. 13, and administration expects it to exceed that forecast.
“Business is about experimenting. You’re going to try something and it’s not going to work, and you’re going to get feedback and you’re going to learn,” said Gustafson.
Administration said local restaurants and hospitality venues reported being extremely busy before and after the concert. The city’s economic development officer is completing a year-end review of visitor spending.
Administration also agreed to bring back a cost analysis, including hourly operating costs and the cost of converting the arena for events.
“We’re not going to host a concert for the sake of hosting a concert to say we had a concert. We need to do it in a way that’s responsible, sustainable, and all those other pieces,” said Coun. Michael Diachuk.
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