US hospitality and live music company Venu has acquired a 50,000-square-foot property in Colorado, US, which it plans to transform into a premium live music venue.

The firm, which floated on the New York Stock Exchange last year, will convert the former Celebrity Lanes bowling facility in Centennial into an indoor music hall, private rental space, and restaurant with premium features such as fire-pit suites.

Venu’s portfolio already includes the 9,750-capacity Ford Amphitheatre (Colorado), the 20,000-capacity Sunset at McKinney (Dallas) and The Hall at Bourbon Brothers (Georgia and Colorado). It is also developing amphitheatres in Texas and Oklahoma, with hopes to reach 10 major markets by 2026.

“Take everything you know about indoor venues and throw it out the window,” says J.W. Roth, founder, chairman, and CEO of Venu. “We have assembled a powerhouse team of architects, designers, and operators to deliver the ultimate destination in Centennial. It will set a new standard not just for Denver, but for the entire industry. Like everything else we do, this will be over the top.”

“Take everything you know about indoor venues and throw it out the window”

Will Hodgson, president of Venu, adds: “The market is hungry for premium spaces. Music fans are no longer satisfied with simply walking through the front doors of a venue—they’re looking for more. We’ve watched a clear shift in preferences: people want experiences that feel intentional, exclusive, and elevated. Venu is leading that transformation by designing with the fan in mind from day one.”

The company has also announced the appointment of former Live Nation executive Vic Sutter as executive vice president of operations.

Sutter joins Venu following a decade with Live Nation, where he oversaw a national portfolio of brands, including Brooklyn Bowl and House of Blues. In his previous role at LN, Sutter specialised in food, beverage, and premium product strategy.

Prior to that, Sutter spent 10 years with luxury hospitality brands across the US.

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US hospitality and live music company Venu has floated on the New York Stock Exchange.

Formerly known as Notes Live, the firm owns the 8,000-cap Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs, which launched this summer and is operated in partnership with AEG Presents. It also runs a venue in Gainesville, Georgia.

In March, it announced it had agreed a deal to develop the 20,000-seat Sunset Amphitheater in McKinney, Texas, which will serve as its flagship music venue, and is also planning an $80 million €76m), 12,500-cap outdoor venue in El Paso.

A similar project is also in the works in Oklahoma, and Venue hopes to reach 10 major markets by 2026.

The company initial public offering of 1.2 million shares of common stock is priced at $10 per share, for gross proceeds of $12m (€11.4m).

“We are very excited to be public. That was the goal – to be able to have a company that fans could own”

Venu, which was founded in 2017 by Colorado entrepreneur JW Roth, says it intends to use the net proceeds to “fund the expansion of its business operations, further development of company services, business promotion activities, and for working capital and general corporate purposes”.

It is also looking at general market expansion and “due diligence efforts to explore the opening of new restaurant, entertainment, and music venues”.

“You always think you know what [your company is] worth, but when the public tells you what it’s worth, it’s a whole different experience,” Venu chair and CEO Roth told yesterday’s 27 November) Colorado Springs Gazette.

“When somebody writes a check and gives you money, they trust you. That’s a heavy responsibility. Today is a reward for all of those people who invested.

“We are very excited to be public. That was the goal – to be able to have a company that fans could own.”

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A new 8,000-capacity venue called The Ford Amphitheatre has opened in the US state of Colorado.

The open-air venue in Colorado Springs is owned by local live entertainment company VENU and operated in partnership with AEG Presents.

Grammy Award-winning band and Colorado Springs natives OneRepublic inaugurated the amphitheatre on Friday 9 August with the first of three sold-out shows.

Band members Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins were also presented with the Spirit of the Springs award for their “notable achievements and lifelong contributions to the city”.

“The opening of Ford Amphitheater marks a new era in live entertainment for Colorado Spring”

“With the overwhelming response and success of three sold-out shows with OneRepublic opening weekend, Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs is set to redefine the live music experience and is the future of live entertainment in the region,” says Brent Fedrizzi from AEG Presents.

JW Roth, founder and chairman of VENU, adds: “The opening of Ford Amphitheater marks a new era in live entertainment for Colorado Springs. This weekend’s events were a testament to the power of music in bringing people together. We are beyond thrilled to have launched this venue with such a momentous occasion and look forward to many more memorable nights ahead.”

The Ford Amphitheatre soft-launched on 6 August with performances by School of Rock, The Colorado Springs Philharmonic, and country music star Phil Vassar.

Upcoming concerts at the venue include The Beach Boys, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Walker Hayes, John Fogerty and Dierks Bentley.

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Nearly 100 concertgoers were injured by a powerful hail storm that crashed down during Louis Tomlinson’s outdoor show in Colorado on Wednesday night (21 June).

Fans of the English singer-songwriter were forced to run for cover as “golf-ball-sized” hail rained down on the iconic Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre.

Seven people were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries and another 80 to 90 attendees were treated on the scene, West Metro Fire Rescue said.

my dad took this right after i was safe backstage. it was straight out of a horror movie. pic.twitter.com/cCzY2jiDIE

— madi♡²⁸ todayyy (@anditslou) June 22, 2023

The injured suffered broken bones and lacerations, according to the rescue service said.

“Devastated about the show tonight, hope everyone’s ok, I’ll be back!” said Tomlinson in a tweet. “Even though we didn’t play the show I felt all of your passion! Sending you all love!”

Tonight was the scariest night of my life. It started pelting people with hail at Red Rocks and my sister and I luckily found shelter under a sign. I am bleeding and have huge bumps on my head from the hail. Hoping everyone made it out safely. pic.twitter.com/jong1SBuYd

— nicole (@nikkitbfh) June 22, 2023

The Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre had initially said that Tomlinson’s show would be affected by a weather delay as it urged concertgoers to “please seek shelter in your vehicle.”

It later said the show had officially been postponed. “Please be safe exiting the amphitheatre — we’ll have more information for ticket holders soon,” the venue said in a tweet.

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Skrillex will deliver a five-hour performance at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre (cap. 9,545) in Colorado next month.

The American DJ (aka Sonny Moore) will play from 7 pm to midnight ET on Saturday 29 April at the famed US venue.

The format emulates his show last month at Madison Square Garden (21,000) in New York, where he and co-headliners Fred again.. and Four Tet played the same five-hour time slot.

The format emulates his show last month at Madison Square Garden (21,000) in New York

Prior to that, the three Wasserman-repped artists joined forces for a run of three surprise shows in three nights at Camden’s Electric Ballroom (cap. 1,500), Electric Brixton (1,700) and the art deco Troxy (3,100) in London.

“It was an absolute whirlwind, it feels like a dream,” Troxy’s head of live Simon Eaton told IQ. “It’s such a short period to put on a show of that scale and I can’t believe we pulled it off. It’s great to have it out the way in one sense, but you like to look forward to these big events and I feel as though our biggest event of the year has already come and gone – and it’s only January!”

Tickets for Skrillex’s Red Rocks show go on sale tomorrow (31 March) at 12 pm ET.

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C3 Presents, Palm Tree Crew and Belly Up Aspen are exporting Palm Tree Music Festival to the snowy slopes of Colorado, US.

Following successful editions in The Hamptons (US), Cabo San Lucas (MX) and Pag Island (HR), the two-day experience will launch in Aspen with headliners Kygo and Jack White.

Gryffin, King Princess, Cannons and Forester will also perform live at the winter edition, scheduled for 24–25 February 2023 at Rio Grande Park.

Palm Tree Festival was founded by Norwegian producer Kygo and his manager Myles Shear under their ‘tropical lifestyle brand’ The Palm Tree Crew.

The brand will work with Live Nation promoter C3 Presents and Aspen live music venue Belly Up on the new edition.

“To be able to produce an event like this here in our community is something we have been diligently working on for a long time”

“I can’t wait to bring Palm Tree Festival to Aspen this winter,” says Kygo. “I’ve played at Belly Up and the X Games before but this one is going to be very special. The lineup has some amazing artists and it’s right in downtown Aspen so it’s going to be a fun one.”

Shear adds that he is proud to “build something that has never been done before during the peak winter season”. “Palm Tree Crew is making history here in Aspen, and we are stoked to finally see this event come to life,” he says.

David and Danny Goldberg of Belly Up Aspen comment: “To be able to produce an event like this here in our community is something we have been diligently working on for a long time.”

Fans who purchase general admission tickets will have access to the standing-room-only section near the stage, food vendors and exclusive Palm Tree Crew merchandise.

VIP ticket holders will have the same amenities as well as access to the upper-level viewing deck that will be heated and covered and include dedicated food, bar and private restrooms. Fans can also purchase tables for the festival that will feature signature food items.

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Majority Live Nation-owned US promoter Emporium Presents has announced the appointment of Tina Suca as chief operating officer.

Suca will lead Emporium’s business operations and help support the company’s growth.

Suca joins Emporium Presents from BSE Global, where she held the role of vice president of industry relations. In her position, Suca assisted the booking of all BSE properties – 16,800-capacity NYCB Live (formerly Nassau Coliseum), Webster Hall (1,400-cap.) and the recently sold Barclays Center (19,000-cap.).

Prior to BSE, Suca was vice president for ArenaNetwork, general manager and booker for SMG’s Nassau Coliseum and MSG’s the Forum at Inglewood (17,505-cap.), and general manager at Live Nation’s the Wiltern (2,300-cap.).

“We are extremely excited to have Tina join Emporium and use her vast industry experience and relationships to take us to another level”

“We are extremely excited to have Tina join Emporium and use her vast industry experience and relationships to take us to another level,” says Emporium Presents co-director Jason Zink.

Tina Suca will be working out of Emporium Presents’ Colorado office.

Emporium Presents was born in 2016, as the result of a merger between Zink’s Sherpa Concerts and Dan Steinberg’s Square Peg Concerts. Live Nation took a 51% stake in the promoter in 2018. Steinberg and Zink continue to direct the company.

With offices in Colorado and Washington, Emporium promotes over 400 shows annually across the United States and has a growing presence in Canada. The company recently expanded its booking team, hiring talent buyers Laura Vilches and Danny Cohen.

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Live Nation has added five new concerts promoters to its Colorado ranks, tasked with growing the number of shows the company brings to the US state, and the city of Denver in particular.

The newly appointed team includes Wes Samuel, Brennan Bryarly, Rikki Aston, Geoff Brent and Lance Dunlap. The team will be working with venues such as the Fillmore Auditorium (3,000-cap.), Paramount Theatre (1,870) and Denver’s Pepsi Centre (20,000+).

“All five of our promoters have fostered incredible relationships in the business, earning the respect of artists, promoters, managers, and agents alike.”

“Over the past few months we’ve built out a powerhouse team of promoters with the goal of expanding the number of shows Live Nation books and promotes in Denver and beyond,” says Live Nation Colorado president, Eric Pirritt. “All five of our promoters have fostered incredible relationships in the business, earning the respect of artists, promoters, managers, and agents alike. 

“The group also has deep knowledge of both the culture and the dynamics of the music industry here in Denver, which they will use to curate unique and memorable events for our Colorado fan base.”

Overall the promoters have a combined experience of 40 years in the field, doing everything from booking nightclubs (Dunlap), to being an agent managing a large roster of clients (Samuel).

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Two people have died and dozens were injured in a turbulent festival weekend in the United States.

At least 22 people were hurt in the early hours of yesterday morning after a gunman opened fire at a 24-hours arts festival in Trenton, New Jersey. Witnesses told TV station WPVI that attendees at Art All Night Trenton initially mistook the gunfire, which occurred at around 2.45 am on Sunday 17 June, for the sound of fireworks. “All of a sudden, my brother goes to me, ‘You hear that gunfire?’,” said local resident Angelo Nicolo. “I go, ‘It sounds like fireworks.’ He said, ‘No, that’s gunfire.’

“Next thing you know, we turn around and everybody’s running down the street. All hell broke loose.”

Around 1,000 people were believed to have been at the festival, held at the historic Roebling Wire Works venue in south Trenton, at the time of the shooting.

Police said the incident appeared to be part of a gang dispute and not related to terrorism. The suspected perpetrator, 33-year-old Tahaij Wells, who had just been released from prison, was killed by police officers.

Four victims were were left in a critical condition as a result of their wounds, said prosecutor Angelo Onofri – although three of them, including a 13-year-old boy, have, as of this morning, been upgraded to stable. The last person in critical condition is believed to be a suspect, while a 23-year-old man, Amir Armstrong, is in police custody on suspicion of firearms offences.

Attendees at Art All Night-Trenton initially mistook the gunfire for the sound of fireworks

In western Colorado, police are investigating after a man shot himself in the stomach – apparently by accident – at a country music festival in Mesa County.

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reports that the 30-year-old man shot himself on Friday evening while attending the Country Jam festival, promoted by Townsquare/Madison Square Garden Company.

The shooting was an isolated incident, according to Mesa County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Megan Terlecky. “We believe it was accidental, but we’re still investigating,” she said, adding sheriffs are looking into how the gun came to be at the festival, which prohibits firearms and searches all bags.

Meanwhile, at Red Frog Events/Goldenvoice’s Firefly Music Festival – which has taken place at Dover International Speedway, in Dover, Delaware, since 2012 – a 20-year-old woman died after being found unresponsive in the campsite early on Sunday morning.

According to WDEL-FM, the cause of 20-year-old Caroline Friedman’s death is not yet down, but authorities have largely ruled out foul play.

Arctic Monkeys, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar headlined Firefly 2018, which ran from Thursday 14 to Sunday 17 June.

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Local authorities in Chaffee County, Colorado, have granted Live Nation permission for a new multi-day country music festival, to be held over the Labor Day (3 September) weekend on the former site of AEG’s short-lived Vertex event.

Vertex festival debuted in 2016, attracting around 8,000 attendees with an eclectic line-up featuring Alabama Shakes, Odesza, Trey Anastasio Band, Anderson Paak, Graham Nash, Duke Dumont and BadBadNotGood. A planned second outing was axed by promoter Madison House Presents following opposition from local residents, who complained of “several notorious issues, mostly related to drug use on the festival grounds and multiple drug busts related to the festival, noise and light disturbances and the 1.30am curfew Friday and Saturday night”.

An earlier curfew proposed by Chaffee County, along with a noise limit of 85dB, would have rendered the festival “untenable”, said festival director Michael Sampliner.

In a recent Chaffee County board meeting, commissioners (councillors) approved unanimously a request for a special event permit by Live Nation Worldwide, Inc., for a multi-day festival at the Meadows in Buena Vista – formerly home to Vertex – reports local paper the Mountain Mail.

“Chaffee County commissioners approved unanimously a request for a special event permit by Live Nation Worldwide”

Conditions imposed on Live Nation include stipulations on transportation and infrastructure, public health, food and alcohol, emergency medical services, emergency operations, law enforcement, communications, noise mitigation, insurance and indemnification, cost reimbursement and general operations, according to the paper.

Additionally, fire brigade chief Robert Bertram said Chaffee County Fire Protection District, which is a separate entity to the county, had trouble recouping expenditures from Vertex “because of a misunderstanding that it was part of the county” – a discrepancy he wants addressed with the new Live Nation event.

The approval came after a five-hour public hearing in which 30 people commented, reports the Mail.

Other Live Nation country music festivals include Rockin’ River in Canada, with which the company partnered in January, Faster Horses in Michigan and Country LakeShake in Chicago. Its Las Vegas event Route 91 Harvest was attacked by a gunman last October in the deadliest mass shooting in US history.

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