Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV), the global leader in live entertainment, today announced a $1 billion investment to build and revitalize 18 live music venues across the United States.
This initiative aims to bring world-class live music experiences to smaller, underserved cities, ensuring fans in communities like Birmingham, AL, Virginia Beach, VA, and Allentown, PA, can enjoy major shows closer to home.
Key Highlights:
- Scope: The investment will fund the construction or renovation of 18 venues, ranging from intimate clubs to large outdoor amphitheaters, with openings or groundbreaking planned within the next 18 months.
- Economic Impact: According to Oxford Economics, the investment is expected to generate $2.9 billion in total economic impact, including spending on engineering, development, and construction, and $1.4 billion in annual economic impact for local communities once the venues are operational.
- Job Creation: Live Nation has hired 37,000 U.S. workers in 2025 to support this expansion and is enforcing a $20 minimum wage for most crew positions. The initiative is also projected to create 15,000 jobs in construction and related activities.
- Mission: “Our mission is simple: help artists deliver more unforgettable live experiences – and in doing so, create jobs, revive cities, and lift up the communities we touch,” said Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino. “As an American company, we drive impact here at home while also helping elevate and export the very best of what this nation represents: freedom, creativity, grit, and boundless possibility.”
- Context: The announcement comes amid optimism in the live entertainment industry, driven by ticketing reforms, growing fan demand, and a strong U.S. economy. Live Nation expects two-thirds of concert fan growth in the second half of 2025, as stated by CFO Joe Berchtold in May.
- Additional Efforts: Live Nation is offering over 1 million tickets to summer shows for $30 to enhance fan access and affordability. The company’s portfolio of 150 U.S. venues represents roughly 4% of all music venues nationwide.
- Cities Benefiting: The new venues will be located in cities including Birmingham, AL; Denver, CO; Orlando, FL; Atlanta, GA; Indianapolis, IN; Portland, ME; Shakopee, MN; Riverside, MO; Raleigh, NC; Portland, OR; Allentown and Pittsburgh, PA; Memphis and Nashville, TN; Richmond and Virginia Beach, VA; Seattle, WA; and Milwaukee, WI.
About Live Nation
Live Nation’s investment follows President Donald Trump’s March 2025 executive order aimed at protecting fans from exploitative ticket scalping and reforming the live entertainment ticketing industry. Despite facing regulatory scrutiny, including a Department of Justice lawsuit and an antitrust probe related to alleged monopolistic practices, Live Nation remains committed to expanding its footprint and supporting artists and fans.
For the full press release, you can visit Live Nation Entertainment’s official website at investors.livenationentertainment.com or check news outlets like Reuters, CBS News, or Fox Business for detailed coverage.
