Halifax park 'not appropriate' for Celine Dion
Last Updated: Friday, November 16, 2007 | 7:06 PM AT
CBC News
Céline Dion will not perform at the Halifax Common after all.
Gillett Entertainment Group said the concert, scheduled for August, was cancelled because the park was "not appropriate" for Dion's elaborate show.
The company went on to say the venue "would not satisfy the best interests" of Dion's fans.
The singer was to be the big draw for the second Concert on the Common.
"Naturally, we are disappointed," Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly said in a statement.
"It is unfortunate, but that sometimes is the nature of the entertainment business. We are not always privy to the reasoning behind the decisions of entertainers or promoters not to proceed with their plans."
Tickets were supposed to go on sale Nov. 24.
Kelly said regional council believed the show was going ahead as scheduled, though a final agreement had not been reached.
The park in central Halifax has hosted the Pope and, more recently, the Rolling Stones.
On a cold and rainy night last fall, about 50,000 fans turned out to hear the British rockers in a one-day music festival which included performers Alice Cooper, Kanye West and Sloan.
Kelly said the city is not giving up on finding another headliner.
He said Halifax has one of the best outdoor concert venues in Canada and there are proposals for other shows next summer.
Council had agreed to spend up to $150,000 on the Dion event.
