Sunset Amphitheater announces a partnership that could bring big names to Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Big names in the music industry might soon have a place to headline concerts in town, as part of a deal with the planners and builders of the Sunset Amphitheater and an internationally-known promotions firm.
Officials with Notes Live, who are developing the venue on the city's north end, confirmed Thursday that the official groundbreaking will be on July 12, 2023.
Notes Live founder and owner JW Roth also said he's made a ten-year agreement with AEG, one of the top booking agents in the country which works with the likes of George Strait, Taylor Swift, the Rolling Stones and Ed Sheeran -- virtually ensuring that top entertainers will be headed to the Pikes Peak area.
"This is not just a booking agreement," he explained. "This is an annual partnership where we actually partner on shows. We win together and we lose together, and we build the product together, They're the operator, we're the owner. It's a unique arrangement. You can't make a venue like this one work unless you have a deal like this in hand."
The Sunset Amphitheater will be an 8,000-seat venue and include a five-star seafood and steakhouse restaurant. The total development cost of the venue is $80 million, with $55 million for the amphitheater.
"Word of this new venue is getting out in the entertainment industry and performers are eager to be the first to come here," Roth said. "We see it as a band might stop here first, then go to Red Rocks or Fiddler's Green (in Denver) or voce versa. There are more performers than there are venues for them to play in. So, there's plenty of dates available for the existing venues here and in Denver. One doesn't have to compete with the other."
He added that audiences are seeking more of a high-end, high-quality entertainment experience, and that the restaurant will be the best in Colorado.
Controversy marked the two years after the project was announced and planned; many nearby residents believed that the venue wasn't in the right location and would generate noise, traffic congestion and safety issues.
Some of that concern was expressed by a resident of a new apartment complex across the street from the construction site.
“When I moved in, I was like… wow, it’s really quiet here," said Drex Riggins. "I’m a little nervous to see how loud it is, because it’s really right there. I have no idea what to expect. But I’m definitely interested in the impacts for dogs and cats, and people who do work late."
Chance Maiava was moving a tenant into the complex and learned of the project for the first time.
"I’m actually excited that there’s an amphitheater coming to the Springs," he said. "There’s a lot of people moving here, so I feel like we need more types of entertainment. The amphitheater here is a great thing. I hope they bring a mixture of musical styles in."
Much of the preliminary work on the amphitheater, including the installation of utilities, is finished.
We should know who the first performers will be by January 2024.
