Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ascend Annual Update topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Live Nation: Ascend Amphitheater had 39 events in 2024; reports local revenue and sustainability metrics
Summary
Ascend the Amphitheater reported 39 events in 2024, nearly 154,000 attendees, Metro revenue just under $1 million and a 28.5% DBE qualifying spend, the venue's general manager told the parks board.
Ascend the Amphitheater general manager Alyssa Nair told the Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation on Jan. 7 that the venue staged 39 events in 2024, drew about 154,000 total attendees and produced nearly $985,000 in revenue to Metro.
Nair said the 39 events combined 30 Live Nation-promoted shows and nine civic or special events including CMA Fest, Cypress Hill with the Symphony and Americana Festival. She said 47% of attendees were from the Nashville area and that overall attendee satisfaction was high: "86% of fans said they would recommend the venue," she told the board.
Why it matters: the Amphitheater is a major entertainment venue in the city; Nair said Metro revenue and tax receipts from the venue support local government and nonprofit partners and that venue contributions to the Nashville Parks Foundation and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee increased in 2024.
Numbers presented by the venue - Total events: 39 (30 Live Nation-promoted shows; 9 civic or special events). - Attendance: about 154,000 for the season (figures through November; December numbers were forecast at the time of the presentation). - Metro revenue and taxes: reported as just shy of $1,400,000 in combined revenue and taxes, with metro-specific revenue reported at $985,000 (including base rent and seat fees of $780,000 and $205,000 in charitable contributions split between the Nashville Parks Foundation and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee). - Food and beverage sales tax revenue reported as $474,000 and liquor sales tax revenue as $286,000. - DBE (disadvantaged business enterprise) qualifying spend: reported at about 28.5% for 2024 with a qualifying spend of $1,000,000; venue-reported lifetime DBE spend since opening about 27% ($5,300,000 total). - Sustainability and community impact: Nair reported the venue diverted about 65 tons of waste in 2024 and cited specific diversion figures listed in the presentation; she described reusable cup and refill programs, a turn-cup program with an 84% return rate, and a smart water station that refilled about 12,000 bottles. The presentation included multiple community donations through Musically Fed, Legends (the concessionaire) and other partners.
Direct quote: "Thank you for having me. My name is Alyssa Nair. I'm the GM of Ascend the Amphitheater," Nair said in opening her presentation.
Board reaction and follow-up: board members asked no substantive questions during the presentation. Nair acknowledged partnerships with the Nashville Parks Foundation and other community organizations and noted that some figures presented (December revenue and final December attendance) were forecasts pending year-end settlement.
Clarifying note: several numeric items in the presentation were given as figures through November with December forecasted; the board was told December results would be firmed up after year-end reconciliation.
