Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island

What Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island does

Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island is an outdoor concert amphitheater located on the man-made Northerly Island peninsula at 1300 S Linn White Drive in Chicago, Illinois, on the site of the former Meigs Field airfield. The venue was originally constructed in 2004 at a cost of $1.7 million and designed by Mark Dewalt of Valerio Dewalt Train Associates, opening on June 24, 2005 with an Earth, Wind & Fire concert under the Charter One Pavilion brand. It operated as Charter One Pavilion until a major June 2013 expansion tripled capacity from 8,000 to 30,000 and brought in FirstMerit Bank as naming sponsor; the venue received its current name in January 2017 when Huntington Bancshares acquired FirstMerit Bank. The physical asset comprises multiple configurable seating zones — reserved seating in sections 101–110 and 201–210, general admission floor/pit, grandstands (3,666 original seats plus 300 additional post-2013), lawn space accommodating up to 22,000, and VIP areas — supported by upgraded audio and lighting systems.

The venue operates seasonally from May or June through September or October, aligning with its location on a Chicago Park District nature reserve, and is managed by Live Nation Entertainment under a naming-rights partnership with Huntington Bank. It is not an independent operating company: Live Nation handles day-to-day operations and booking, the Chicago Park District controls the underlying land, and Huntington Bank holds the sponsorship/naming rights. The website pavilionnortherlyisland.com is operated by an independent third-party guide ("Your Night Starts Here") and is not affiliated with Live Nation, Ticketmaster, or Huntington Bank.

Revenue is generated through primary ticket sales (Ticketmaster and venue box office), concessions (Mosh Burger, Rebel Hen Crispy Chicken, Ziggy's Magic Pizza Shop, Koko's Bavarian, ColdRush Shaved Ice, CVT Soft Serve plus beer/wine/spirits), parking ($35–$40 standard), VIP packages (ESPN Bet VIP Club, VIP Box Seats with in-seat wait service, Level 1/Level 2 private-event spaces accommodating up to 400 guests), and resale-market participation via Ticket Squeeze. Ticket pricing spans from $29.10 lawn tickets to $9,292.68 premium reserved seats, with resale tickets ranging from approximately $36 to over $6,000. Customer base is segmented into general concert-goers, premium/VIP buyers, and budget-conscious families, with marketing executed through the venue website, monthly email newsletter with a $5 first-order discount, Facebook, and partner resale/hotel platforms.

Name

Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island

Legal name

Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island

Website

https://pavilionnortherlyisland.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island is a 30,000-capacity seasonal outdoor amphitheater on Chicago's Northerly Island, operated by Live Nation under a Huntington Bank naming-rights deal and serving concert-goers with a mix of reserved seating, pit, lawn, and VIP experiences from May/June through September/October.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Primary Ticket Sales: Ticket sales through Ticketmaster (official ticketing partner) and venue box office. Ticket types include reserved seating, general admission floor/pit, lawn, and VIP packages.
2. Resale Ticket Platform: Partnership with Ticket Squeeze for resale tickets, which may be priced above or below face value
3. Concessions and Food & Beverage: On-site food vendors including Mosh Burger, Rebel Hen Crispy Chicken, Ziggy's Magic Pizza Shop, Koko's Bavarian, ColdRush Shaved Ice, CVT Soft Serve. Drink concessions including beer, wine, spirits, and specialty drinks.
4. VIP Packages: Premium amenities including ESPN Bet VIP Club access, VIP Box Seats, season ticket packages, and VIP parking

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island is a seasonal outdoor concert amphitheater operating May through October on Chicago's Northerly Island, hosting live music and touring-artist events for audiences exceeding 30,000 per show. The venue offers tiered seating (general admission lawn, reserved seats, pit access, and VIP boxes), supports on-site concessions and parking, and operates under Live Nation Entertainment's management with Huntington Bank holding the naming-rights sponsorship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outdoor concert event hosting at Huntington Bank Pavilion Live outdoor concert and touring-artist event hosting at a 30,000+ capacity seasonal Chicago amphitheater, sold to individual ticket buyers across multiple seating tiers; operated by Live Nation Entertainment.
• VIP box hospitality packages Premium-tier VIP box hospitality offering bundled seating, exclusive access, and food-and-beverage service for paying concert attendees seeking a premium concert experience.
• On-site concessions and food-and-beverage service Event-day on-site concessions and food-and-beverage service sold to concert attendees during scheduled shows at the outdoor amphitheater.
• Event-day on-site parking On-site parking sold to concert attendees on event days at the Northerly Island venue location.
• Huntington Bank naming-rights sponsorship and venue branding Sponsorship and naming-rights arrangement with Huntington Bank attached to the Northerly Island pavilion, used in venue branding and marketing across the seasonal concert calendar.

Quantifiable outcome

• Capacity expansion from 8,000 to 30,000 in 2013
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ticket SqueezecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTrusted resale ticket marketplace recommended by the venue guide. Offers lower service fees (5-45% cheaper than competitors), free shipping and download fees, 100% ticket authenticity guarantee, and side-by-side seating assurance. Rated 4.6/5 with 16,372 verified reviews.
• Booking.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHotel booking partnership offering discounts on accommodations near the venue. Recommended for concert-goers staying overnight in Chicago.
• TicketmastercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial primary ticketing partner for Huntington Bank Pavilion. Handles all primary ticket sales for events at the venue.
• Shopper ApprovedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThird-party review platform providing verified customer reviews for Ticket Squeeze, enhancing trust and credibility for ticket purchases.
• The Westin Michigan AvenueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner hotel offering special concert-goer packages including valet parking, 2 PM late check-out, and discounted rates with valid concert ticket.
• Marriott Marquis ChicagominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner hotel offering concert package with free parking and late check-out when available, designed for nights at Huntington Bank Pavilion.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Pavilion at Star Lake: Live Nation-operated amphitheater near Pittsburgh (~23,000 capacity) with a naming-rights partnership model. Direct peer in the Live Nation amphitheater network with similar scale and corporate-sponsor branding.
• Hollywood Bowl: Iconic outdoor amphitheater in Los Angeles with similar large-capacity, scenic, seasonal concert-venue operations and a mix of reserved, box, and lawn seating. Directly comparable as a marquee outdoor concert venue in a major US metro.
• Xfinity Theatre: Live Nation-operated outdoor amphitheater in Hartford, CT, with ~30,000 capacity. Highly comparable in capacity, Live Nation management, regional bank/corporate naming rights, and large-format seasonal concert operations.
• Riverbend Music Center: Outdoor amphitheater in Cincinnati (~20,500 capacity) on the Ohio River waterfront, operated by a regional promoter with seasonal programming. Comparable in waterfront location, capacity tier, and Midwest regional market positioning.
• PNC Music Pavilion: Live Nation amphitheater in Charlotte, NC, with ~20,000 capacity, named after a regional bank sponsor. Direct peer in portfolio size, naming-rights structure, and seasonal concert programming model.
• Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Scenic outdoor amphitheater near Denver with ~9,500 capacity, operating seasonally and operated by a city agency with major concert programming. Closest peer in terms of iconic outdoor amphitheater experience and seasonal operation.
• Shoreline Amphitheatre: Live Nation-operated outdoor amphitheater in Mountain View, CA, with ~22,000 capacity, also located on a waterfront/peninsula setting. Direct peer in the Live Nation amphitheater portfolio with similar seasonal, large-format outdoor programming.
• Tanglewood: Scenic outdoor music venue in the Berkshires operated by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, with a Koussevitzky Music Shed (~5,000 covered) plus ~10,000 lawn. Comparable in seasonal operation, iconic outdoor concert programming, and large lawn-seating model.
• Ascend Amphitheater: Live Nation outdoor amphitheater in Nashville (~6,800 capacity) on the Cumberland River waterfront. Comparable in waterfront scenic positioning, Live Nation operation, and seasonal concert focus.

Broad incumbents

• United Center: Largest indoor arena in Chicago (~23,500 capacity) hosting major concerts and events. Comparable as a major Chicago live-entertainment venue competing for the same touring artist dates, though indoor and larger-format.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HuntingtonBankPav
• Xx.com/FirstMeritBankP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/firstmerit-bank-pavilion-at-northerly-island

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island