When concerts came back post-pandemic, the first event at Riverbend, appropriately, was Jimmy Buffett. Tens of thousands of Parrotheads showed up to celebrate, dance, sing and enjoy live music at one of Cincinnati’s best-known music venues. Reading coverage of that concert just a few years later, you can hear the enthusiasm of those who attended. After time apart, we were reminded that being together, listening to live music by your favorite artist, is one of the great joys of life.
When we missed concerts during those years, we realized how important they are to our culture. We realized that having top-tier venues, for the best concerts, is a priority. We want more live music in our lives.
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Enter Riverbend 2.0. Instantly, the new venue will be one of the most attractive and customer-friendly facilities in the country, attracting current top artists and musicians from all over, and exciting live music fans from our region and beyond. It will represent a huge leap forward for our region’s live entertainment ecosystem, and a place where millions of memories will be made for generations to come.
And it’s more than a concert venue. It represents an opportunity to bring even more cultural vibrancy to our region. And an opportunity for our local businesses to serve even more patrons and see the kind of growth that will sustain them for years to come. More visitors means more foot traffic for local businesses − hotels, restaurants, bars, shops − all benefiting from the buzz and excitement of a thriving entertainment scene.
Our region’s music culture is strong, and we should own that as part of our brand. Our Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is widely respected in the industry and proudly serves the community where we live. King Records is a part of our legacy and in our DNA. The Black Music Walk of Fame showcases the deep musical talent and success of Black Cincinnatians. The Cincinnati Music Festival is a long-running and well-known celebration of Black culture. We regularly host top talent like Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney, and we embrace up and comers who are building fan bases. Because of our central location and accompanying infrastructure, we are in position be a top-tier city that further embraces this culture to help define our future.
To capitalize on our history and become one of the best live music regions in the country, we need to have top-tier venues − of all kinds. We’re close, but not yet there. We have three stadiums that can accommodate large concerts. We have the venerable Music Hall and its cousin Memorial Hall for historic and intimate performances. We have smaller venues like the Taft, the Brady, Megacorp Pavilion, Bogarts, the Madison Theater, Southgate House Revival, Hard Rock Casino and the Ludlow Garage.
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We’re missing two key venues: an updated outdoor venue and a modern arena. If our region tackles both, there’s no limit to our ability to be a truly top-tier city for live music. Thanks to MEMI, CSO and the sensible and job-creating economic investment from the state of Ohio, we’ll soon have a new Riverbend for everyone to enjoy. Later this year, we will complete a study that will provide options and a path forward for a modern arena.
Our city has always grown because of leaders who choose to be bold and forward-thinking. Riverbend 2.0 is just that, a forward-thinking plan that bets on our region’s growth and cultural vibrancy. I can’t wait to hear the first notes − and the sounds of people enjoying live music − at the new venue.
Brendon Cull is president and CEO of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.
