New Acrisure Amphitheater rising along Grand River, on schedule to open in May

GRAND RAPIDS — Even blanketed in snow — and about three months from completion — Grand Rapids’ new Acrisure Amphitheater boasts an impressive profile along the Grand River downtown, especially up close and in person.

With a massive stage and a towering, saucer-like canopy that covers some of the seating areas, the much-anticipated, 12,000-plus-capacity outdoor venue is poised to leave a dramatic fresh footprint on the city’s center and transform the riverfront after it opens in mid-May.

The excitement surrounding the project is palpable on site, even during a brief and chilly tour of the site led by assistant general manager Todd Johnson and regional marketing director Hilarie Carpenter, of Legends Global Grand Rapids, with workers scurrying about the venue, completing various tasks. Legends Global, which oversees Van Andel Arena, DeVos Performance Hall and DeVos Place, will manage the new amphitheater.

While the 5,500 fixed seats still need to be installed and the 5,000-capacity lawn area will await springtime weather (with room for another 2,000 or so people directly in front of the stage), work is on schedule, with interior accommodations such as plush dressing rooms, lounges, concessions, kitchen facilities and employee areas well underway.

And standing on that mammoth stage with the downtown skyline in full view, it’s easy to imagine the thrill that bands will experience the first time they play this $184 million venue.

So not surprisingly, that excitement and anticipation extends to a couple of Michigan acts tabbed to perform ahead of R&B star Lionel Richie at the amphitheater’s official opening concert on May 15 — with a free public open house the next day that will include performances by local and regional artists selected by Opnrmusic.com, self-guided tours and other activities.

“It means everything,” said Michael Trotter Jr. of Albion’s The War & Treaty, which will join Brian Vander Ark of The Verve Pipe in being the first artists to play that stage prior to Richie’s set. “It’s another amazing moment in the story of the history of Michigan. The icing on the cake for us is to be in the presence of Lionel Richie.”

As a Grand Rapidian, Vander Ark called it an honor to be chosen to play the city’s new amphitheater.

“This is a milestone in my career,” he told Local Spins. “And to have it happen in my hometown makes it very special. I’ve been a lifelong resident of Grand Rapids and have watched it grow structurally and musically exponentially. I’m so proud of this city.”

Of course, the amphitheater already has booked a flurry of major concerts to follow that inaugural May show through Sept. 12, including Pitbull, Tim McGraw, Dave Matthews Band, Chicago & Styx, John Mellencamp, MGK and more. View the full schedule and get ticket links at acrisureamphitheater.com. Seen by many as a competitor to Clarkston’s longstanding, 15,000-capacity Pine Knob Music Theatre, several major tours are playing both venues this summer.

The amphitheater will boast two entrances: the main entrance off Market Avenue SW and another to the west amid a new “Green Ribbon” along the Grand River — with a new future pedestrian bridge over the river eventually eyed for that area to allow concertgoers to make their way to the venue from the West Side. Market Avenue near the amphitheater will be closed to traffic during events, and the amphitheater will feature outdoor seating on the Market Avenue plaza.

The stage and part of the fixed seating area will be covered by a canopy that’s as long as a football field, including end zones. It’s the width of a football field from the front of the canopy to the back of the stage.

Huge video walls will flank both sides of the stage, with extensive concession areas, restrooms and premium/VIP seating also being created.

While the amphitheater will include only a new 340-space parking structure, a drop-off area for ride-share users is planned, with a DASH bus stop at the site. Officials have maintained that the city already has more than 18,000 parking spaces within a 15-minute walk of the amphitheater.

The construction project itself boasts some impressive statistics:

• The amphitheater berm required 180,000 cubic yards of fill to create
• The canopy used 3.2 million pounds of steel
• The project has used 10,000 cubic yards of concrete and 500 tons of rebar
• The venue features 27 miles of conduit, more than 126 miles of electrical wiring and 1,778 light fixtures.

Take a video tour of the amphitheater under construction at youtube.com/@localspins.

— Find more Michigan music news and concert listing online at LocalSpins.com. Email John Sinkevics at john@localspins.com.