Philapalooza? Big concert pitched for park

A multi-stage, multi-day music festival has been proposed for next summer in Fairmount Park, according to city officials.

C3 Presents, based in Austin, Texas, and producers of

Austin City Limits

and the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago, has been recommended by the Fairmount Park Conservancy to mount the festival, which would take place over three days on Belmont Plateau. The C3 proposal was selected over a competing bid from Larry Magid of Electric Factory Concerts/Live Nation.

In its proposal, C3 agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the city and cover costs associated with the restoration of Belmont Plateau after the festival. C3 said it also would contribute $500,000 or 7.5 percent of gross ticket sales, whichever is greater, to the conservancy, the park's nonprofit fund-raising arm. The funds would be used throughout Fairmount Park for capital improvements and upgrades, officials said.

In selecting C3, Kate Wilhelm, conservancy director, emphasized that the conservancy did not want "taxpayers of the City of Philadelphia to have to bear any of the cost." In addition, she said, "it was important to us that the production company we selected had extensive experience producing multi-day, multi-stage concerts."

The Fairmount Park commissioners will consider the proposals at their regular monthly meeting Wednesday.

- Stephan Salisbury