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BARTON PERKINS | Staff Writer

The next steps in the creation of the Birmingham Amphitheater near Uptown have taken place after the BJCC Board of Directors approved an agreement with Live Nation, who also currently has an agreement with Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham.

eLive Nation is an American multimedia company that promotes, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment in the United States and internationally. They also own many entertainment venues, including the Shelby County venue which currently plays host to some of the most popular concerts in the Birmingham area.

Live Nation and the BJCC Board of Directors agreed to the  $50 million construction project on Wednesday, Sept. 13, that will build a new amphitheater in downtown Birmingham. The board also entered into an operating agreement with Live Nation to book the concerts to perform in the venue.

The amphitheater will be located in the Druid Hills neighborhood, on part of the former site of Carraway Hospital, which has sat vacant for 15 years.

“This venue will be a great community asset for Birmingham,” said Jordan Zachary, co-president of U.S. Concerts for Live Nation. “We are excited to partner with the BJCC to bring best-in-class entertainment and an amazing hospitality experience to both residents and visitors.”

Construction on the new amphitheater is expected to begin in early 2024, and many Jefferson County residents have expressed excitement at the prospect of the new concert venue. 

However, with the new venue, it is unclear what it might mean for the future of Oak Mountain Amphitheatre.

At the moment, nothing has been announced regarding Live Nation’s future plans for the Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, but the city of Pelham and Live Nation are still scheduling top-tier concerts with business as usual for the foreseeable future.

Tad Snyder, CEO of the BJCC, has also publicly gone on record as saying that he does not believe the construction of the new amphitheater will have much impact on Pelham.

”We don’t feel like there is any taking away from one venue to play another,” Snyder said. “We are just doing more in this geographic area.”

More details will emerge as the project in Birmingham continues to progress with an expected opening in 2025, while Pelham continues to add to the quality of life surrounding Oak Mountain Amphitheatre and the Pelham Civic Complex. 

In addition to the neighboring Pelham Civic Complex, which is home to the Birmingham Bulls, a new indoor minor league soccer team and more, The Canopy at Oak Mountain recently opened as a mixed-use area featuring upscale apartments along with the state’s only Taco Mac and a new Cahaba Cycles. There is also other development and lane widening underway in the area to continue making it a popular destination in the city.