On the eve of the 3rd annual Iceberg Alley performance festival, organizers say they are ready.

Later today the folks at @icebergalleyNL will be throwing open the doors from 4-7 p.m. for a peek inside the tent. Coming up on the @590VOCM Morning Show, we’ll speak with promoter John Steele and performer @alanthomasdoyle. @VOCMNEWS @GerriLynnMackey pic.twitter.com/0sHKDfprnu

— Fred Hutton (@Fred_Hutton) September 10, 2019

But getting to this point is no easy task. Producer Shawn Basha says “for the last two weeks, 14 people have been working 12 hour days constructing the 50,000 square foot concert venue.”

It’s like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Basha says the contents of the tent arrived on site in fourteen blocked tractor trailers. “It’s not just putting up the tent” he says. “We have to build the floors, the seating section and additional viewing areas.”

From London To Lakeside

When John Steele saw a Patti Smith concert in a circus tent at Hyde Park he thought “this would be cool to do back home.”

That was about ten years ago. He bounced the idea around in his head for a few years and three years ago brought the plan to life with the Iceberg Alley Performance Tent near the banks of Quidi Vidi Lake.

Steele says “Basha found the tent in London, we flew over, they put it up and we bought it.

The tent was originally built for Disney On Ice, but it was never used. Steele says “l always liked the idea of a festival, but you have to look at the practicalities of where we live.” He went on to say “the weather in Newfoundland is always an issue.”

The venue can accommodate almost three thousand people. Steele says, for him, it’s all about customer experience. He says “we want people to be comfortable and have a good time.”

More than thirty acts will perform at this year’s festival which kicks off Wednesday night with The Novaks, Monster Truck and Glorious Sons.

For fans who have never been inside the big blue tent, today is your chance. Organizers are opening the venue to the public from 4-7 this afternoon.