The Orion Amphitheater did big business right out of the gate, per the new audit. Photo: Courtesy of Josh Weichman
The new audit from Sound Diplomacy is putting hard numbers to the city's music investment, even as events pile up and Huntsville's efforts are recognized on the national stage.
The big picture: Per the audit, the city has "successfully leveraged its cultural assets to drive profound economic prosperity," which the audit calls "a triumph of strategic vision and community spirit."
By the numbers: Today, there are more than 2,200 annual music events on Huntsville's calendar, the number Mandrella said he's most proud of.
The audit found that Huntsville's music sector is now an economic force in its own right, supporting 3,047 jobs — 2.8% of all jobs in Huntsville — as well as generating $278.2 million in economic output.
Eight years ago, that figure was 982 jobs and an economic output of $191.2 million, and the city has gone from 92 live music assets to 215, with a total of 163 mapped music assets, up from 132.
For every $1 Huntsville spends in this sector, it gets an extra $0.48 back.
Case in point: The Orion Amphitheater.
Between its opening in May 2022 and December 2023, just 18 months, the 8,000-capacity venue generated $85.2 million in total economic output, per the report.
In that time, the Orion supported 642 full- and part-time jobs, and welcomed more than 315,000 attendees, nearly half of whom were out-of-town visitors.
