BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- Birmingham’s new 9,000-seat amphitheater will be named after Coca-Cola.
The theatre is expected to open in the summer of 2025 and already has 20 scheduled shows. With 300 jobs expected to be created by the venue, the excitement can be felt pretty easily.
“Once we see this footprint, more development will be attracted to come into this neighborhood,” said Janette Maycock, the president of the Druid Hills Neighborhood Association.
“Anytime you bring things to a community, you bring more jobs," Maycock continued. "You also bring opportunities for people to get out and have things to do,”
According to Live Nation, the 300 jobs the venue is expected to create will be filled with employing local people in mind.
“You have Topgolf, you have the stadium, now it's just a natural progression to a move few blocks up and have this amphitheater be the engine that is going to grow this Druid Hills neighborhood,” said Jay Wilson of Live Nation.
Coca-Cola Bottling Company United’s name will be found everywhere once the amphitheater is open. The company said the investment is about helping the community.
“Coca-Cola United has been here 123 years, so we have quite a presence here," said Conrad Rafield, the chairman of Coca-Cola United. "We have been here a long time, and we are still delighted to be a part of the community."
The theatre's anticipated opening has created questions about the future of the similar sized Oak Mountain Amphitheater in Pelham.
“Oak Mountain Amphitheater had a great 30-year run, and we are now turning our attention to the Coca-Cola Amphitheater right here in the Druid Hills neighborhood," Wilson said. "That’s our story when it comes to Oak Mountain."
Construction is expected to be completed on the amphitheater in the early summer of 2025.