TheBMO Harris Bradley Center announced plans for its 30th and final season on Tuesday.
The center will close its doors next summer when the new Bucks arena opens. But before that happens, it will welcome big name acts and raise money for local charities.
Some of the acts coming this season include Katy Perry, Guns N' Roses and a Cirque du Soleil show.
But since it's the final season, they also wanted to honor the woman who made it all possible: Jane Bradley Pettit.
Her vision brought the Bradley Center to life when it opened its doors in 1988. She built the center in memory of her father, Harry Bradley, the co-founder and chairman of the Allen-Bradley Company (now Rockwell Automation).
The Bradley Center is the only major public assembly facility in North America with construction underwritten through the philanthropy of a single family.
"She saw that the wealth had been generated in Milwaukee and it was appropriate for it to return to Milwaukee," said Sarah Zimmerman, Jane Bradley Pettit's granddaughter.
During the final season, the Bradley Center will raise money for 16 local charities. The fundraising effort with culminate with a civic gala on April 11.
Three of the charities that will benefit from the Bradley Center's final season were announced on Tuesday. They include the Sojourner Family Peace Center, Next Door and the Hunger Task Force.
The other 13 charities will be announced in the coming weeks.
"We know all these causes were dear to her heart because she gave to these or similar organizations during her lifetime," said Zimmerman.
More than a million people visit the Bradley Center every year to attend concerts, events or basketball games. It's the current home of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Marquette Golden Eagles.
"[Jane Bradley Pettit] always talked about the 'people's building' and she kept referring to that on the day of the announcement," said Ted Keller, the Bradley Center Board Chair. "This was a gift to the people of Wisconsin."
To honor that, the Bradley Center will hold a series of open houses during its final season. Tour guides will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the center. The first one will be held October 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
"While our family has found great pride in the Bradley Center over the years, we are very optimistic about its legacy for the future of Milwaukee," said Zimmerman.
Once the center closes, the building will be torn town but exact plans for that site are still being determined.
Here's a look at some of the highlights for the 30th and final season:
- October 7: BMO Harris Bradley Center Open House
- October 20: Bucks home opener
- October 22: Janet Jackson
- October 24: WWE Smackdown Live
- November 7: Guns N' Roses, Not in This Lifetime Tour
- November 10: Marquette home opener
- November 24-26: Marvel Universe Live!
- December 4: Katy Perry, Witness: The Tour
- December 29: Trans-Siberian Orchestra
- December 31: Harlem Globetrotters New Year's Eve Tradition
- January 19-20: Monster Jam
- January 24: 2Cellos, The Score Tour
- February 2018: Disney on Ice
- March 1: Lorde, Melodrama Tour
- March 2018: Marquette's last home game
- March 2018: Cirque du Soleil
- April 9: Bucks last regular season game
