28 Fun Ideas From Recent TV and Movie Events, New Venues in Atlanta, the Art of Planning Citywide Festivals

1. ITALY TO HOST 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS: The International Olympic Committee has chosen Milan and Cortina in Italy to host the 2026 Winter Olympics. Italy won the bid over Sweden on Monday. CNN: “The announcement marks the Winter Olympics' return to Europe, with the event having been hosted by Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018 and the Chinese city of Beijing staging the Games in 2022. Italy has twice hosted Winter Olympics in the past—Cortina in 1956 and Turin in 2006—but it will be the first held in Milan. The bidding process has been criticized for the small number of cities on the ballot paper. It's the second time that only two bids have contested the final vote since Russia spent approximately $51 billion on venues and infrastructure for Sochi 2014.”

2. LIVE NATION TO TAKE FULL CONTROL OF BONNAROO: Bonnaroo co-founder Rick Farman of Superfly Entertainment will no longer have a role in the festival starting next year, as Live Nation plans to buy out the company’s remaining share. The festival in Manchester, Tennessee, will now be produced by co-founder AC Entertainment and C3 Presents, which Live Nation purchased in 2014. Live Nation purchased a controlling interest of the festival in 2015. Billboard: “A year after purchasing a controlling stake in the event, Live Nation bought a majority share of festival co-founder Ashley Capps Entertainment. As part of the 2015 agreement, Superfly and AC Entertainment were retained as operators, and a number of improvements were planned for the Great Park Stage site, also known as the Farm, which organizers purchased in 2007."

3. GOOGLE WARNS EMPLOYEES ABOUT PROTESTING DURING PRIDE EVENTS: Google told employees they’re allowed to peacefully protest YouTube and Google during the San Francisco Pride parade, as long as they’re not marching with the company in an official capacity. According to an internal memo sent to employees, those who protest while representing the company in any capacity will be in violation of Google’s code of conduct. The Verge: “The discussion came out of a broader conversation among the Gayglers listserv, one of Google’s L.G.B.T.Q. groups, about petitioning San Francisco Pride to remove the company’s float from this weekend’s parade. Some employees planned to march with Google, while also visibly demonstrating against YouTube’s recent policy decisions with signs or t-shirts. According to screenshots shared with the Verge, when one Googler asked if this would be tolerated by the company, an inclusion lead said no.”

CHICAGO: TheWit Hotel has appointed Piers Smyth director of restaurants and beverage.

LAS VEGAS: IMEX America has released its show dates for the next three years. The 2019 edition will take place at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas September 10-12, while the 2020 edition takes place at the same venue September 15-17. In 2021, the event will move to Mandalay Bay and take place November 9-11.

LOS ANGELES: To celebrate season 3 of Stranger Things, Netflix is transforming the Santa Monica Pier into a carnival set in 1985. The space, which is open to the public this weekend, will include immersive experiences inspired by the show, including games, a fun house, '80s cover bands, and more. CSM LeadDog is handling production for the fair, which will also take over the Coney Island amusement park in New York over Fourth of July weekend.

NEW YORK: City Parks Foundation, in partnership with iStar, has kicked off its Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage series to the Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk. The first free concert took place June 11, and five more will take place through August 18.

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA: Orlando World Center Marriott has unveiled new meeting and event spaces as part of an ongoing renovation that began in 2018. In May, the property debuted a secret speakeasy, exclusively used as an event space for as many as 45 guests. The hotel also opened six new breakout meeting rooms for small groups in April and unveiled the renovated Palms Ballroom in January. The property is currently renovating a cluster of rooms that will open in 2020.