There’s a new venue in town, and it’s turning out to be a game changer for Grand Rapids. Rave reviews have been coming one after another since Acrisure Amphitheater, the $184 million open-air music and event venue, debuted on the downtown riverfront in May. “It’s been pretty amazing,” says Jen Henkel, director of sales for the venue’s management company, New York City-based Legends Global. “People are loving the venue itself, they’re enjoying the concerts, and they’re happy with what’s on the calendar.”
The 12,000-seat facility—7,000 fixed seats and 5,000 lawn seats—is set on 10 acres and features a canopy the size of a football field. It includes food and beverage spaces, a performance platform, and dedicated facilities for ticketing and refreshments, according to Southfield-based Barton Malow, co-builder of the Acrisure Amphitheater (along with Pioneer Construction of Grand Rapids). Henkel says its principal function is providing space for outdoor concerts. In addition to that, the amphitheater offers opportunities for groups to hold private events and smaller gatherings in tandem with already-scheduled shows and on nonshow days, Experience Grand Rapids Vice President of Sales and Services Mary Manier says.
Henkel says party decks offer soft seating and high-tops, with space for a private bar and food service on some levels that smaller groups can occupy during concerts. A buyout of the whole facility is suited to larger groups of 600 to 1,000 attendees, and Legends Global handles the catering.
“Groups could either use the stage or the general admission area next to the stage—or a mixture of both,” Henkel explains. “They could have it set up for a banquet, or they could have a reception that uses high-tops.”
There’s extra expense associated with reserving the amphitheater for a night that might have been booked for a concert. “The rental fee will be high enough to offset the cost of taking [that date] off the calendar,” Henkel notes.
Meeting groups already are inquiring about and booking the venue. For example, a fashion show held in conjunction with the Grand Rapids community’s annual ArtPrize event, typically held at DeVos Place, will be moving to the amphitheater this year. “It is another asset for our destination,” Manier says. “It provides an opportunity to convention attendees when they are gathering in our city.” acrisureamphitheater.com
