Kings Dominion recently released their 2016 live entertainment lineup! The show lineup for this season has been notably expanded, making the entertainment lineup as large as it was in 2014, which was one of the most show-heavy years the park has had in recent memory. Let’s take a look at what exactly Kings Dominion has planned for Entertainment in 2016.

Two New Stage Shows

The first of the park’s plans includes two new stage shows for the 2016 season. These shows will be totally-new additions to the park’s lineup; in other words, they are not replacing any previous shows from last season. A daytime show called “Playlist LIVE!”, and a nighttime show called “Rock the Block” will be performed on International Street’s Grande Bandstand.

Based on the descriptions on the park’s website, “Playlist Live!” will be a pop music-based show much like those that the park had up through the 2014 season (there was no singing show on International Street last year). Unlike the park’s past pop music shows, however, “Playlist LIVE!” will feature both current and older songs. “Rock the Block,” on the other hand, will be focused on rock music, and based on the park’s description, will feature elements reminiscent of a block party, with a heavy handful of audience interaction.

Presumably, these shows will be produced by MoonMaxx Productions, who produced the park’s live entertainment in 2013. MoonMaxx is perhaps best-known among fans for producing “On Broadway,” a show that ran in the Kings Dominion Theatre in 2013.

New Entertainment Series replaces All Wheel Sports

There is also a third new show coming to Kings Dominion in 2016- sort of. And this is where things get interesting. As had already been reported on The ParkFans Forum, the park’s BMX bike stunt show, All Wheel Sports, will not be returning to the Peanuts Showplace amphitheater for 2016. Instead, the Peanuts Showplace will host the “Summer Celebration Series” in 2016.

Here is Kings Dominion’s description of the Summer Celebration Series:

 “New this season, we will welcome a variety of shows during our Summer Celebration Series. Check out these high energy shows that will be here for a limited time. Don’t miss your chance to see these amazing productions before they are gone!”

So, in a nutshell, the Peanuts Showplace will now be home to a variety of performances that will rotate throughout the season. Based on what Kings Dominion’s sister parks have done in the past, a wide variety and genre of shows could be planned for the Peanuts Showplace this year.

Summer Celebration Series will feature four rotations in its lineup: May 27-June 12, June 24-July 10, and August 19-September 5.

A New Peanuts Party

The last change to the entertainment lineup is a new experience called “Party with the Peanuts Gang,” which is replacing the “Peanuts Palooza” show that debuted in 2015. “Peanuts Palooza” was an hour-long show/meet-and-greet in front of International Street’s Grand Bandstand.

This year, for the first time since 2011, the Peanuts will no longer perform on International Street. Instead, they have been moved to the Planet Snoopy fountain plaza area. Planet Snoopy seems like a much more logical location, this way kids won’t have to leave Planet Snoopy in order to experience this show. Additionally, the show/meet-and-greet has been expanded to three hours in length.

Returning Shows

Several shows from last year are also returning to the park for the 2016 season. Cirque Imagine, the acrobatics show which debuted in 2015, will return to the Kings Dominion Theater. The Kings Dominion Clown Band will return as strolling musical entertainment throughout the park, and Open Mic Karaoke is back on the Grove Stage for 2016. Charlie Brown’s Happy Campers and Schroeder’s Singalong will both return to the Peanuts Playhouse. Additionally, Nights of Fire is back, meaning a fireworks show will occur Friday through Sunday on all days with a 10 PM closing time.

While the actual content of the new shows remains a mystery, we are eager to see what the larger entertainment lineup has in store. The full lineup can be viewed on Kings Dominion’s website here. 

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest happenings with Kings Dominion’s entertainment lineup? Join the discussion in The ParkFans Forum’s 2016 Entertainment thread, and don’t forget to follow Busch Dominion on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!