Music venue and hospitality company Notes Live announced March 12 a new $220 million open-air amphitheater coming to US 75 and SH 121 in McKinney.
The new entertainment venue, called the Sunset Amphitheater, will have a capacity of 20,000 people and is expected to open in 2026, according to a news release.
The details
The venue will be situated on 46 acres located northeast of US 75 and SH 121, adjacent to the Sheraton McKinney Hotel.
The amphitheater-style venue will offer direct sightlines to the stage from every seat, as well as views of the sun setting over the stage. The amenities include:
- Fully-covered seating areas
- 250-plus luxury fire pit suites
- A landscaped grass area
- Traditional reserved seating
- Owner's Club suites
- Gourmet food and drinks
- 5,100 parking spaces
Roth said the venue will also include technology enhancements in the overhead covering and turf that will cool temperatures in the venue.
“It has technologies built in that will make it the best amphitheater that's ever been built,” Roth said.
The approach
The specific site chosen was ideal due to its highway access and visibility, Roth added.
“The site location at [SH] 121 and [US] 75 is about as good of a location as you'll find anywhere, not just Texas, but anywhere,” Roth said. “It's the gateway to McKinney.”
McKinney Mayor George Fuller said the location is ideal from a transportation standpoint due to the existing highway infrastructure. He also noted the planned structured parking will support operations at the venue.
“The highway ingress and egress right there, if you're coming from the north, south, east or the west, you have big state highway roads that are feeding you in and out of this location,” Fuller said.
The McKinney Economic Development Corp., or MEDC, currently owns the land the venue will be built on, said Michael Kowski, president and CEO of MEDC. Owning the land allows for the city to have more control over how it is developed, he said. While information on who will own the land going forward was not available as of press time, Kowski said the goal is to “put the land back on the tax roll.”
“This type of project really enhances the McKinney brand across the nation, because now McKinney is a destination for people to go to more so than ever,” Kowski said.
Kowski said the development will also support the existing SH 121 corridor. He expects an increase in commercial development as a result of this project.
“It really is a catalyst for more and better [types] of commercial development,” he said.
Diving deeper
The venue will attract national touring acts coming to the south, the release states.
The venue is expected to draw in over 729,000 visits annually, according to a post on the city of McKinney’s Facebook page. Visit McKinney Executive Director Aaron Werner said he estimates 20% of those visitors will stay overnight in the city.
“We couldn't be more excited about this state-of-the-art amphitheater and what it will bring to our community in terms of entertainment, quality of life and tourism,” Werner said in a statement.
The project is part of an initiative by Roth and Notes Live to bring entertainment venues to a dozen markets by 2028, according to the release. The McKinney venue will be the biggest venue yet for the developer, Roth said.
“This will be the highest of the premium that we have built and the largest [venue] that we have built,” Roth said. “This will be the gold standard in amphitheaters anywhere in the world.”
The company considers the Dallas-Fort Worth market the No. 1 priority for adding an entertainment venue, Roth said. The company has been working on the development of a venue in the area for over two years.
“When we finally landed on our relationship with McKinney, [we] realize we're aligned,” Roth said. “We’re aligned from a vision standpoint, [and] we're aligned from an economic standpoint.”
The project required collaboration between Colorado-based music venue developer Notes Live and the city of McKinney, as well as the McKinney Economic Development Corp. and the McKinney Community Development Corp., the release states.
“The leadership in McKinney are made up of visionaries,” Roth said of the partnership. “There's, a lot of times, hurdles as you work with municipalities, [that is] not so in McKinney.”
McKinney Community Development Corp., or MCDC, will likely make a financial investment in the project, President Cindy Schneible said, as supporting the development of destination entertainment facilities is one of the organization’s strategic priorities. Events held at the facility could also be eligible for MCDC’s promotional grant program.
“It just is a huge win for the community,” Schneible said of the project.
McKinney’s existing arts and recreation scene contributed to the decision to develop a venue in the city, the release states. Werner said when the city received its Texas Music Friendly Community designation in 2020, it marked a milestone in the development of the city’s “vibrant music scene.”
“The arts and entertainment has always been a real focal point for McKinney. ... Frisco is focused on sports; we're focused on entertainment and the arts,” Fuller said.
By the numbers
The development is projected to generate over $3 billion in local and regional economic activity in the first 10 years of operation, the release states, and is also expected to support over 1,300 jobs.
“The economic benefit of a project like this when you have a destination amenity, ... that's a big win for McKinney in generating sales tax dollars, revenues, hotel tax, all of those things which go to subsidize our general fund and tax burden for residents,” Fuller said.
Quote of note
“This is a world-class facility, and it's going to be an amenity that this city will be proud of,” Fuller said.
Looking ahead
Construction on the project is expected to begin in late 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2026.
Roth said he expects to start booking shows for the 2026 concert season at the venue beginning in late 2025. The city has approved the general business terms as well as a conceptual site plan and renderings, according to the city’s website. A preliminary draft traffic study and draft economic impact analysis have also been completed.
The city is expected to finalize the development agreement and approve the final site plan as part of the development process, which will also include traffic and noise studies. There will also be various public meetings regarding the project, per the city’s website.
The city is offering a dedicated email list for those interested in updates on the project, which can be joined by signing up at www.mckinneytexas.org/list.aspx.
- Opening 2026
- Northeast corner of US 75 and SH 121, McKinney
- www.noteslive.vip
