Rock Hall CEO discusses the economic impact and future of Cleveland's induction ceremony

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Rock and roll's biggest stars are at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse tonight for the 39th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The event has an economic impact of more than $50 million.

“The people who come to the induction ceremony fill our hotel rooms, they fill our restaurants and the airport is bustling,” Rock Hall CEO Greg Harris said before the ceremony.

“This is where rock and roll began,” added John Sykes, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “Every three years we hold the ceremony here and we love it because you can feel the energy in the crowd.”

Before the pandemic, the ceremony alternated between New York and Cleveland. In 2022, organizers added Los Angeles to the regular rotation. But in an interview last year, Sykes raised the possibility of adding Nashville and London into the mix.

In fact, Harris was noncommittal about bringing the event to Cleveland every three years.

“The intent is to continue to do the rollouts for Cleveland, Ohio, on a very regular basis,” he said. “We are very happy to be able to host it here.”

The location of next year's ceremony has not yet been announced.

The Rock Hall has attracted 15 million visitors since it opened in 1995, resulting in an economic impact of $2.3 billion, Harris said. Construction recently began on a 50,000 square meter property. ft., $150 million expansion of the Lakefront Museum.

“The concrete is in the ground, the posts are coming up and structural steel is coming in,” Harris said. “It looks great and we can’t wait to welcome the next 15 million people to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”

The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be streamed live on Disney+. ABC will air an edited version featuring the best performances and moments on New Year's Day 2025 at 8 p.m