The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland. Photo Credit: Tim Evanson
Live Nation, Bedrock, and Rock Entertainment Group have broken ground on the Cleveland Riverfront Amphitheater, and the outdoor venue is scheduled to open by the summer of 2028.
Dan Gilbert’s Rock Entertainment confirmed the Cleveland Riverfront Amphitheater’s construction kickoff in a formal release; city officials and the involved companies’ execs also participated in a groundbreaking ceremony.
As described by those companies, the 6,200-capacity venue will host both “global touring acts and local artists” en route to transforming “the way Cleveland gathers, celebrates and experiences live entertainment.”
Additionally, it’ll fuel a bit more competition for AEG Presents-operated Jacobs Pavilion, which likewise sits on the Cuyahoga River and is a short drive from the Riverfront Amphitheater site.
From the city’s perspective, now appears to be a good a time as any to gain a venue tied to today’s leading promoter. Assuming the Riverfront Amphitheater opens in 2028, it’ll be up and running well before the Cleveland Browns switch stadiums in (or at least around) 2029.
Bearing the fact in mind, Rock Entertainment took the opportunity to tout the Riverfront Amphitheater as “the first large music venue built in Cleveland in more than 20 years.”
With an estimated $59 million annual economic impact, it’ll also be “central” to the initially mentioned Bedrock’s Riverfront Cleveland. This “35-acre mixed-use development” will be “anchored by” a Cleveland Cavaliers “sports science and training facility” that’s expected to open in February 2027.
Lastly, on the design front, DLR Group is in place as the Riverfront Amphitheater’s lead designer “in partnership with” Live Nation’s Blueprint Studio.
Meanwhile, another waterfront venue is likewise on the way, as Ben Lovett’s TVG Hospitality and Emerson Hospitality are preparing to open a 750-capacity events space in the Domino Sugar Refinery.
Now The Refinery at Domino, that DICE-partnered NIVA member venue is expected to open its own doors in April 2027, TVG disclosed today.