Huntsville wants to be known for more than just space. The Rocket City’s event space, The Orion Amphitheater is making waves in Huntsville and has become a hub for musical and community events.
“It's kind of a crown jewel of North Alabama that we kind of take a ‘rising tide lifts all boats approach’ to what we're doing in Huntsville, and [we] hope that translates to the rest of the region, rest of the state, rest of the country, rest of the world,” city of Huntsville Music Officer Matt Mandrella said. “I think that we're just going to keep seeing a bigger impact in The Orion year over year as word keeps spreading around, and the reputation keeps spreading around about just how amazing a facility it is.”
The amphitheater can hold up to 8,000 people and has held events for major stars such as Snoop Dogg, Lana Del Rey, Weezer and more. The venue also has a celebrity connection.
“We're very lucky that the CEO of TVG Hospitality, which is the group that manages the facility, is a gentleman from London named Ben Lovett who happens to be a musician in a band called Mumford and Sons,” Mandrella said. “He was very integral in the design process. To have a musician that's literally performed on every significant venue stage and seeing those facilities… to take that input and incorporate it into what we're doing, to make it as artist friendly and fan friendly as possible, is invaluable.”
Mandrella said while the facility is destination for top-tier musical acts, it’s also a hub for community events.
“Aside from just big concerts, we host vinyl fairs where people can kind of come and trade records and things like that. One of the fastest growing festivals in North Alabama is a Hispanic Heritage event called CulturA Festival, hosted on The Orion campus, which had about 8000 people last year,” he explained. “Our local police department does a big Halloween event with haunted houses and kids activities, and that actually got 25,000 people on the campus last year.”
Mandrella also said The Orion is expected to positively affect Huntsville’s economy in year to come.
“With each year that passes, if you look from year one to year two, just the number of community events and tours has increased. We're anticipating that number to steadily increase year over year. So, I think that's going to translate to the rest of the economy too,” Mandrella said.
He said he continues to be surprised by the facility and the attraction it brings to the Rocket City.
“I'm still just in awe when I attend shows there. It's almost like you have to pinch yourself and be like, ‘Wow, is this really in Huntsville?’ And it absolutely is. it is just such a special facility,” Mandrella explained. “So, I think as the years continue, it's going to be more hotel rooms, more restaurants [and] more people. A lot of people just shop at retail stores to buy a cool outfit before they go to a show. Live music is turning into a destination experience, and we're proud to facilitate that and help grow the economy in North Alabama through that.”
Despite its young age, The Orion continues to be recognized on an international scale. In 2022, the venue was featured in Rolling Stone magazine. It also placed 12th on Pollstar’s Mid-Year Top 50 Worldwide Amphitheaters by ticket sales and 15th on the Mid-Year Top 50 Worldwide Amphitheaters by gross sales lists. Huntsville city officials said, as of the end of 2023, The Orion ranked 36 out of 100 based on ticket sales and 33 out of 100 on gross sales.
The Orion Amphitheater continues its two-year anniversary celebration on Thursday, January 25 when a non-profit mix and mingle takes place at the venue. The event space bills the event as “a night of networking, light bites and refreshments, and a live performance by Be The Change Youth Initiative, a Chattanooga-based organization dedicated to educating, equipping, and empowering the next generation to become advocates for their communities. This event is free and open to non-profit board members. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase.”
To learn more about The Orion Amphitheater and upcoming evets, click here.
