Partygoers will have to pay more to get on State Street for Halloween this year. Admission prices have increased from $5 to $7 for advance tickets and from $7 to $10 at the door, and jam rock band O.A.R. will headline the event.
“Most times if you’re going to see O.A.R. …you’re going to end up paying a lot more,” said Dave Maynard, spokesperson for Frank Productions, adding the increase is not only due to O.A.R. but a also a variety of other entertainment.
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and Frank Productions announced Wednesday the entertainment lineup for Freakfest, which includes performances by Donavon Frankenreiter, the Dollyrots and popular local bands Natty Nation, Awesome Car Funmaker, The Box Social, the Blueheels and Mighty Short Bus.
Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, said he was not going to support the ticket increase unless there would be a “huge ticket band.”
“If students are paying for it, they need to get the bang for their buck,” Judge said. “Halloween is now a huge ticket event.”
Maynard said Frank Productions knew there would be a large demand for O.A.R. because when they performed in Madison three years ago at the Overture Center, the show sold out in advance.
Madison Police District Lt. Joe Balles said with a big name band, he hopes students will take advantage of advanced ticket sales to assure they get to see the performance.
State Street has a limited capacity but has not exceeded capacity in the past, averaging between 35,000 and 40,000 attendees, Balles said.
“Since we’ve made it a gated event, the demand hasn’t exceeded the supply of tickets,” Balles said.
In the past, Judge said, Madison students have been pretty good about buying tickets early, and people from out of town make up a large portion of day-of ticket sales.
Judge said in a perfect world, students would not have to pay for the event and the funding could come from people from out of town paying for day-of ticket prices.
For partygoers who may not be a fan of O.A.R., Maynard said each year they try to find something for everybody. He said the event includes other venues, including the local bands, a DJ and the new “Freakfest Freakshow.”
Maynard said the Freakshow will have a large inflatable movie screen that will play “Beetlejuice” and the original 1960s versions of “Psycho” and “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
Balles said if the demand for tickets increases because of O.A.R., organizers will consider using technology to make the concert feel intimate to all attendees by adding speakers and screens down part of State Street so people who are not close to the stage will still be able to enjoy the performance.
Police are not concerned about problems arising if the number of attendees increases. Balles said MPD has hired extra security and compared Freakfest to other large concert events, like Summerfest in Milwaukee, which he said do not typically have security issues at the end of the night.
“I think over the last three years [Halloween has] definitely transformed into more of a music festival,” said Rachel Strauch-Nelson, spokesperson for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. this Saturday and are available online at www.frankproductions.com, or at local businesses including Mallat’s Pharmacy, University Bookstore, Knuckleheads, Lands’ End, B-Side, Strictly Discs, Goodwill and Chin’s.
