NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — In addition to Nashville SC putting on quite the show at Geodis Park, over the last few months there have been other show stoppers, too.
For the first time since Geodis Park opened in 2022, Shania Twain hosted a concert on the field in June 2023.
But in a Metro Sports Authority meeting last week, Ian Ayre, the CEO of Nashville SC, admitted that show left quite the mark — and we're not talking about fan impressions.
"We tried to tell the promoter and other people about the integrity of the pitch and how it should be managed, and we ended up with the $350,000 replacement of the field," said Ayre during the meeting.
It was such a costly endeavor because the whole field needed replacing.
Ayre wrote NewsChannel 5 in a lengthy statement:
"Following our first concert, we took the proactive step of replacing the field, which was done in collaboration with the event promoter. The pitch was replaced and restored to pristine condition before the next Nashville SC match, so it never compromised the integrity of the field. As you may have experienced, with any new venture, there's always a learning curve, and we were able to learn, adapt and move forward to ensure that both entertainment and sports events can coexist at GEODIS Park. Not only that, but the positive feedback we received from the community about bringing non-sporting events to GEODIS Park far outweigh the initial challenges and I’m confident and excited about the endless possibilities that GEODIS Park offers."
NewsChannel 5 decided to sniff out some reactions at a nearby dog park, which seemed fitting considering that park has a luxury Geodis Park can't have — artificial turf.
"That’s a sizable amount of money, yes," said Russel Fong, a dog owner and Nashville resident.
"Of course there were going to be some mistakes, but you know, she was the first one and good for her for doing that," said Laura Holeman, another dog owner and Nashville resident.
Holeman thinks the situation must not be too rough, considering Guns N' Roses and P!nk carried on with their shows.
"They won’t have a problem probably recouping, I would hope," she said.
According to Nashville SC, they learned from the Shania performance and decided to handle concert field maintenance themselves instead of relying on the promoters. As a result, the turf damage for the other two shows were only $25,000 combined.
"Since that initial concert, there’s been minimal pitch wear after a non-soccer event, and not only those solutions were low cost, but we've consistently ensured that the playing quality has remained uncompromised," Ayre wrote in a statement to NewsChannel 5.
"As popular as the soccer team is, they probably want to get more music shows there. I mean, it is Music City right?" said Fong.
That means Nashville SC will remain committed to show stoppers, using kicks and hits alike.
"Our primary goal is to offer both top-tier sporting experiences and memorable entertainment events. While we did face some initial challenges, they've informed and improved our strategies, and our recent concerts and events are a clear testament to how we were able to learn and evolve to ensure an outstanding experience for everyone involved," concluded Ayre.
"Hopefully moving forward, they’ll learn from all that and it’ll all be positive," said Holeman.
