Things are picking up at the REAL District.
The entertainment centre has been busy since it was able to resume its operations after suffering shutdowns and cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Every week, we’re getting a new artist in the Brandt Centre,” Tim Reid, president and CEO of the Regina Exhibition Association Limited, told the Greg Morgan Morning Show.
“This year, we will host 22 shows at the Brandt Centre, which is more than we did in 2019.”
And there’s a lot of excitement over what 2023 could bring as well.
“We have a couple good holds on (Mosaic Stadium), so those ones we’re hoping will come through,” Reid said.
“Entertainment is good. We’re not seeing quite the same numbers we would have seen in 2019, but we’re getting close, and it’s coming back.”
Along with getting shows into the Queen City, the district has been evolving and growing.
Reid said one of the things the organization is trying is turning the Canada Centre into a mixed sports barn.
“We’re just testing it between now and Christmas — Agribition is in there, so we will take everything out — but the idea is to provide indoor, multi-purpose space,” Reid said.
“(There are) six basketball nets, there’s badminton facilities, there’s volleyball facilities, and there’s even indoor tennis facilities. So we’re going to rotate it and see how it works.
“But if you haven’t seen the Canada Centre and you’re a sports fan, go down and bring your family. It is a great opportunity for recreation in our city.”
Another project the REAL District is creating is an on-site distillery, but Reid said construction has been slower than he’d hoped.
“Like everything in the world, construction plans are brutally slow,” he said.
Reid said he expects it will open up next spring.