Dr Phillips Center to Host Six-Month Outdoor ‘Front Yard Festival’ in Downtown Orlando .. @DrPhillipsCtr #OrlandoArts #FrontYardFestival

- Michelle Snow

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts - Front Yard Festival

Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts has announced it is planning the “Front Yard Festival,” a six-month long live entertainment event designed to reignite Central Florida’s local arts scene and bring people back together in a safe, engaging environment.

The three front parcels of the Dr. Phillips Center grounds, including the Seneff Arts Plaza, will be utilized for 380 elevated seating “pods” facing the DPC building.

Each 5′ x 7′ pod, which can seat up to five guests, will be built using metal scaffolding materials with six feet of space between each pod. The design is inspired by a similar outdoor venue created at the Virgin Money Unity Arena in Newcastle, UK (see below).

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts - Front Yard Festival

Many performances will be ticketed, allowing artists and arts groups to generate some much-needed revenue, and there are plans to offer daytime programs showcasing professional musicians at no cost. Ideally, they’d like to offer a variety of events 6-7 days a week.

In addition to live entertainment plus health and wellness programs, several local restaurants and popular food trucks will be on site each day, offering seasonal menus, beer, wine and cocktails for purchase.

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts - Front Yard Festival

In addition to the socially distanced pods, other health and safety protocols in effect include:

Masks will be required:
– At all times by all event staff
– For all artists and their team members, unless they are actively performing on stage
– For all guests, unless they are seated in their pods and actively eating or drinking

Touchless temperature and bag checks will be performed prior to entry. Any guest with a temperature of 100.4 or more (CDC guidance), or exhibiting physical symptoms, will not be permitted to enter.

Food will be available for pre-purchase when guests buy their tickets online. Once on-site, guests can use a food-ordering app and have their food delivered directly to their pod. Both pre-order options are expected to keep walk-up ordering (and potential crowding) to a minimum.

To help move the project forward, the Orlando City Council unanimously approved a $250,000 grant request from the Community Redevelopment Agency that will be used to help build the event infrastructure, including staging, sound, lighting and fencing, among other elements.

Additional announcements about opening dates, shows, tickets and sponsors will be shared in the coming weeks.

Are you excited about live events returning to the Dr. Phillips Center? I sure am! Who would you like to see perform? Let me know in the comments…

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