It’s the opening night of the Live on the Waterfront series.

The annual summer event offers a few different ways to watch; from your device, at the drive-in and a small number in-person.

Supervisor of Cultural Development & Events Louisa Costanzo says after months of planning and re-planning it’s satisfying to have the summer event get going.

“With any event, you start planning months in advance,” remarked Costanzo. “We started in 2020, looking at an event that could go forward in the colour coded framework, whether it was virtual or in person. Then we had to adapt our plans with the province changing to the step approach to reopening so a lot of change to get to this week.”

Ontario first instituted the colour-coded COVID-19 framework back in November during the second wave of the pandemic but was set aside by Premier Doug Ford in April when he issued a province-wide stay at home order.

In Step 3 of the Roadmap to Reopen, outdoor concert venues can allow up to 75 per cent capacity outdoors with no more than 5,000 people for unseated events and 15,000 for fixed seating.

“There is a possibility to increase,” added Costanzo. “We have to look at the numbers and see we’re comfortable doing. Safety is the number one priority, as much as we’d love to be around people we have to be cognizant of the fact that we still do have a pandemic.”

The live performance will be filmed from the top floor of the downtown waterfront parkade.

Each performance gets started at 7:00 p.m.

The Lineup

July 14 – Shy-Anne Hovorka, Greenbank and Tim Albertson
July 28 – Lockyer Boys, Danielle Pollari and Christ Talarico
August 11 – Robin Ranger Trio, Sunday Wilde and The JB Band
August 25 – Jean-Paul De Roover & the Bandaid Solution, Sean Skiez and Mood Indigo