BADLANDS AMPHITHEATRE MASTERPLAN
shaping a word-class destination
Client
Canadian Badlands Passion Play Society
Project Type
Masterplan, destination development, arts and cultural tourism
Location
Drumheller, Alberta, Canada
Status
Adopted by the Board of Directors in December 2023, Updated July 2024
Research, analysis, engagement, visioning, design charette, master development plan, action plan, presentations / final report
Scope
Collaborators
MBAC architects, groundcubed landscape architects
A Cultural Landmark in the Heart of the Badlands
Alberta’s Badlands region is quickly becoming one of Canada’s premier visitor destinations, with the Badlands Amphitheatre (https://badlandsamp.com/) as one of its major tourism assets.
From Passion Play to Premier Performance Venue
Set in a dramatic semi-desert landscape, the 2,500-seat amphitheatre was established in 1993 as the home of Canada’s biggest Passion Play, enacted on the country’s largest outdoor stage. The site has since expanded from 43 acres to over 400 acres in a strategic location between the town of Drumheller and the world-famous Royal Tyrrell Museum.
A Bold Vision for Growth
In 2018, ‘the Amp’ started to diversify its programming and widen its audiences with the goal of becoming one of Alberta’s leading arts, cultural, and tourism destinations. Subsequent provincial funding led to EDG being retained to create a masterplan through a collaborative planning process.
Engaging the Community to Shape the Future
Workshops with staff and leadership, neighbours, and community leaders in early 2023 created a common vision for the future of the Amp: to become “an international, year-round arts, culture, and tourism destination for visitors and community in the heart of the Canadian Badlands.”
A design charrette led by EDG with MBAC Architecture and Groundcubed Landscape Architects then translated this vision into design concepts to improve the visitor experience, support new programming and activities, create new revenue streams, and celebrate the Amp’s incredible Badlands setting.
From Concept to Action
Following the charrette, plans and concepts were refined, renderings and graphics prepared, an action plan created, and a comprehensive report completed, leading to adoption by the Board of Directors in December 2023.
The Badlands Amphitheatre Masterplan provides a comprehensive roadmap for the future of the Amp and a valuable fundraising tool. Many of its design proposals and recommended actions have already been completed.
Recognized as a Signature Tourism Project
In February 2024, the Amp was identified at the TIAA Summit by Travel Alberta as one of two ‘signature’ tourism projects in the Badlands Tourism region.
