Council Weighs Amphitheater Entertainment Director Contract
Biloxi's city council is considering a $136,000 contract for an independent entertainment director for the unfinished Sen. Terry Brown Amphitheater.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Other — General
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The Biloxi City Council is considering hiring Matt Parker as director of entertainment for the Sen. Terry Brown Amphitheater on the Island, which is not yet complete. City Attorney Jeff Turnage presented the proposed contract, which would run through March 2028 and is valued at $136,000.
Why it matters
Parker has reportedly consulted on the amphitheater's opening for several months without compensation, and the proposal would formalize that work under contract. Council members have raised concerns that the end date falls outside the city's October-to-September budget cycle.
The proposed agreement pays $4,000 for the remainder of November, $6,000 monthly from December through April, and $9,000 monthly afterward. The final total depends on whether the expiration date is adjusted, and the contract remains subject to change at the council's Nov. 11 work session.
The players
Matt Parker
Parker is the independent candidate proposed to lead entertainment programming at the Sen. Terry Brown Amphitheater, having already consulted with city staff on the venue's opening.
Jeff Turnage
Turnage is the Biloxi City Attorney who presented Parker's proposed independent contract to the city council.
Jason Spears
Spears is the Ward 6 Biloxi councilman who chairs the finance committee and raised concerns about the contract's end date falling outside the city's budget cycle.
Kevin Stafford
Stafford is the Biloxi City Engineer who believes Parker would accept an extended contract expiration date of September 2028.
The details
Parker would prepare the amphitheater to be bookable before construction is finished, and City Engineer Kevin Stafford believes Parker would accept a September 2028 expiration date. The contract is subject to change and will be on the agenda for approval at the council's Nov. 11 work session at City Hall.
Timeline
Several months before November 2026: Parker begins consulting on the amphitheater without compensation.
November 3, 2026: The council considers the proposed contract at its Tuesday meeting.
November 11, 2026: The contract is scheduled for approval at a council work session at City Hall.
April 2027: Parker's monthly pay rises to $9,000.
March 31, 2028: The proposed contract expires.
Roadmap
The contract's end date conflicts with Biloxi's October 1 to September 30 budget cycle, which is the central tension in the council's review. Aligning the agreement to September 2028 would raise its value to $190,000 but match the fiscal year the city already budgets around.
If approved, the contract would govern how the Sen. Terry Brown Amphitheater is booked and programmed once it opens, which determines the local shows residents can attend. Pay rates rising to $9,000 a month in 2027 would also shape the city's costs for that programming.
The takeaway
Public contracts often run on different timelines than municipal budgets, and aligning the two can change both cost and oversight. Residents interested in the amphitheater's programming can follow the council's Nov. 11 work session for any revised terms.
What happens next
The proposed contract will be considered for approval at the council's Nov. 11 work session at City Hall, where its terms may change.
Further reading
For more local arts and events coverage, see Other — General in Biloxi.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Commercial Dispatch.
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