Mann Center Kicks Off Renovation, Gets New Name
Philadelphia’s first-rate outdoor music venue is undergoing a renovation ahead of its 50th anniversary. On Wednesday, Oct. 16, The Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park announced…
Philadelphia's first-rate outdoor music venue is undergoing a renovation ahead of its 50th anniversary.
On Wednesday, Oct. 16, The Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park announced a groundbreaking for a $70 million renovation. The renovation work will include a complete redesign of its entry plaza and a revamped visitor experience.
In addition to the renovation, Mann Center leadership also announced the venue's rebranding to the Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts. The rebranding is part of a 12-year sponsorship deal with Highmark Blue Shield, supporting a $70 million capital campaign that is already 85% funded to transform the performing arts center's physical campus, noted a Patch of Philadelphia report.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, the new entry plaza will be three times the size of the facility's current main gate. The plaza itself will welcome guests with the following:
- A grand, main entry canopy
- A visitor center with enclosed, public spaces
- A Music Hall of Fame with archival objects and an interactive jukebox for visitors to explore the Mann's history and the music of the performers who have hosted concerts at the venue over its 50 years
- A new Encore Gift Shop
- The Satell Centennial Wall East, a 4,200-square-foot light-and-sound digital wall that will display vivid installations and historical and cultural video productions on the TD Pavilion's exterior
- A new ticket office, accessible from inside and outside the Highmark Mann gates
- ADA accessibility improvements
- Expanded concessions and patron amenities, including a permanent outdoor bar and seating area
- Stormwater management and green infrastructure
“As one of Philadelphia's cultural treasures, the Mann has a long, successful history of community involvement and arts education that changes lives,” said Dan Tropeano, market president of Highmark Blue Shield in southeastern Pennsylvania, in a statement shared with NBC10 Philadelphia. “Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts stands for a shared commitment to world-class entertainment and community and social impact.”
Officials at Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts said the 2026 programming season will include “original commissions and signature programming highlighting the history made on or near the venue in 1876, 1976, and, soon, 2026.”
