SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — As a Sioux Falls community concert celebrates decades of entertainment, its organizers prepare to end its final season on a high note.
Live On Stage Sioux Falls is back for its 95th season. The community concert welcomes bands and musicians from across the country.
“Our intent as an organization was to be able to reach a wide variety of people with our music,” board member Sonja Niles said.
Five groups have been announced for this year’s main lineup which runs from September 2025 to April 2026. Those include The Next Generation Leahy, The Waddington Brothers, Holiday for Fiddlers, GQ (Gentlemen’s Quartet) and the Bronx Wanderers. Additionally, organizers have announced two more concerts that will happen next fall and winter.
“We book entertainment to come into the community that sometimes you might not have the opportunity to see or listen to otherwise. They’re sometimes very unique, musical stylings and presentations,” Niles said.
The first concert is Sunday, September 28th. At the conclusion of this season, the musical tradition will take its final bow.
“It was a really hard decision for our board,” President and executive director Darla Van Rosendale said. “Our mission is to provide world class entertainment at an affordable price. It’s getting harder and harder to do that affordable price.”
Due to rising costs to put on the series, the curtains will close for good at the end of 2026. But its musical touch isn’t disappearing.
“We’ll set up a foundation, and then we’ll support one or two or several organizations who have similar mission statements to ours, providing that world class entertainment at an affordable price,” Van Rosendale said.
And in the meantime, board members said there’s still plenty to celebrate.
“We would love it if our audience members would participate by enjoying some special refreshments and socializing and maybe reminiscing a little bit about the Concerts Association and what they’ve enjoyed about coming to Live on Stage,” Niles said.
Each of the five performances are $48.50 per single ticket. You can purchase an adult membership for $175 that includes admission to all five concerts.
Contact the Washington Pavilion box office at 605-731-2422 for tickets. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and concerts begin at 7 p.m.
The History:
The Sioux Falls Concerts Association/Live On Stage Sioux Falls is the oldest arts organization in South Dakota. In 1917, Mrs. Will H. Booth began booking annual music and dance performances at the Sioux Falls Coliseum. When the workload increased, she created Civic Music, a volunteer organization, which held its first official meeting in November of 1930. The first community concert season included three concerts held at the Sioux Falls Coliseum in 1930-1931.
In 1958, the organization signed an agreement with Community Concerts, a part of Columbia Artists Management, Inc. and eventually changed its name to Sioux Falls Community Concerts.
In 2002, the series started working with Live on Stage, Nashville to continue offering its wide variety of music at community concerts. After the event moved to the Washington Pavilion, the nonprofit became a “free agent” and changed its name to Sioux Falls Concerts Association in 2003. In 2011, the series became known as Live On Stage Sioux Falls.
