Ascend Amphitheatre

Locals rejoice! Starwood has risen! Well, sort of. Most likely, you have heard (or done) your fair share of moaning about the death of the beloved Starwood Amphitheatre. After all, it was a source of many summertime memories for Nashvillians. For decades, it shined as the premier outdoor music venue, bringing in legends like Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Elton John and Ray Charles and regulars like Tom Petty, Jimmy Buffet, Dave Matthews Band and Aerosmith to its Antioch property. Live Nation, who owned and operated Starwood in its final years, is thrilled to unveil Nashville’s newest outdoor concert venue: Ascend Amphitheater.

Opening as part of the city-funded, 10-acre Riverfront Park—complete with a 1.5-acre lawn, Nashville’s first downtown dog park, gardens, playgrounds, sports facilities and more than one mile of multi-use greenways—the 6,800-capacity venue features skyline views, a 6,000-square-foot stage and an impressive first-year lineup that would make any concertgoer (even those still mourning the loss of Starwood) very happy. The inaugural lineup features Phish, Widespread Panic, Steely Dan with Elvis Costello, My Morning Jacket, Hall & Oates, Peter Frampton and Janet Jackson, among many others. Ascend will also be the summer home of the Nashville Symphony starting in 2016.

The four-day grand opening celebration kicks off with two nights of Eric Church on July 30 and 31, Chicago with Earth, Wind & Fire on Aug. 1 and ends with a community-wide open house on Aug. 2. For more information and to see the full calendar of shows, visit ascendamphitheater.com.