Construction crews are finishing the Sunset Amphitheater's foundational steelwork while officials from Venu, the developer of the facility, look forward to completion in early 2027.
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Chloe Polhamus, Venu’s vice president of Strategic Initiatives and Philanthropy, said the steelwork acts as the amphitheater’s “structural backbone.” Crews are also installing the final pieces of the amphitheater’s canopy roof, she said.
Venu officials are targeting project completion in the first quarter of 2027 though an opening date has not been announced yet, Polhamus said.
Sunset Amphitheater, located near the northeast corner of US 75 and SH 121, could see up to 100 music shows a year once it opens. The venue has been designed for multiple seat configurations that can accommodate up to 20,000 attendees.
Construction is between 70% and 75% complete and construction crews will soon be working on the lower seating bowl and the stage, Polhamus said.
“This venue is unlike anything fans or artists have experienced,” she said in an email. “It pairs immersive audio and visuals with a design that converts between two configurations, plus premium experiences like the Luxe FireSuites and the Aikman Club.”
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Venu closed a $60 million sale-leaseback transaction on the amphitheater's property earlier this month, according to a news release. The transaction allows Venu and McKinney to retain control of the property’s development while the land is sold, said Bob Mudd, Venu’s vice president of construction and market expansion, during an Oct. 5 meeting.
Members of McKinney City Council, McKinney Economic Development Corp. board and McKinney Community Development Corp. board approved an updated Chapter 380 agreement for the project during that meeting.
Mudd said developers can use those funds to complete construction and repurchase the land from real estate investment trust Store Capital in 2027 after the amphitheater opens.
Developers requested consideration of the sale-leaseback transaction after Venu’s expected investment grew from $220 million in the original agreement to more than $330 million, Mudd said.
“Our cost today is right at $334 million,” Mudd said. “There are a number of things that we did that drove those additional investments.”
The amphitheater has a “full climate control system” so it can operate between October and April, Mudd said. Developers are also implementing technology for immersive live shows that Mudd compared to the Sphere in Las Vegas.
