Your next big concert might be a lot closer to home
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Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios
Mesa Amphitheatre wants its rock star era back — and the city is bringing in some industry muscle to help make it happen.
Why it matters: A five-year deal with entertainment giant Legends Global — approved by the City Council in late August — could help Mesa's convention center and amphitheater compete for bigger concerts and events that have increasingly gone to newer Valley venues.
Context: Legends operates several major venues around the world and in the Valley, including State Farm Stadium and Desert Diamond Arena. It also partners with Live Nation.
State of play: The city hopes to lean on Legends' network and expertise in high-quality event experience and management to drive traffic to the downtown area.
The big picture: City manager Scott Butler tells Axios that major artists increasingly work through management companies with networks of venues, putting independently operated venues like Mesa Amphitheatre at a disadvantage.
- Plus: Built in the late 1970s, the venue, which seats about 5,000 people, is "showing its age" and lacks some modern amenities, Butler says.
By the numbers: The convention center needs up to $30 million in upgrades and the amphitheater about $17 million, according to a 2025 city-commissioned study.
- The study also noted that investing in the amphitheater and convention center could generate $133 million in revenue over two decades.
- Working with Legends is expected to generate enough revenue to fund renovations, Butler adds.
Yes, but: Some bigger acts may not come until upgrades are made to spaces like the green room and sound systems.
- Still, Butler hopes the Legends name alone will help attract more exciting acts in the near future.
What they're saying: Mesa Amphitheatre "is a perfect complementary venue to the footprint we already have in the market," said Harry Cann, senior vice president of business development at Legends, last recently at a City Council study session.
The fine print: The partnership begins Sept. 1. Mesa will retain ownership and pay Legends $14,000 a month to oversee operations, marketing and strategy.
- Vice Mayor Scott Somers also floated the possibility of selling naming rights, similar to Desert Financial Arena.
Flashback: Between the '80s and early 2000s, Mesa Amphitheatre drew acts like Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, Green Day and The Strokes.
- Newer venues and casinos eventually began scooping up more of those shows.