Satellite Music Hall Opens 1,300-Capacity Memphis Venue

Live Nation’s new Satellite Music Hall will officially open in Memphis on September 4, bringing a new 1,300-capacity concert venue to Crosstown Concourse following nearly two years of development.

Memphis-founded rock band The Band CAMINO will headline the venue’s first two public concerts September 4 and 5, recording a live album across the pair of hometown shows. The opening follows a September 2 community preview featuring students and alumni from Stax Music Academy.

The venue’s early calendar also includes Chance the Rapper, Valerie June, Project Pat, Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, Prof and Judah & the Lion.

Live Nation describes Satellite Music Hall as a purpose-built room intended to fill a gap in Memphis’ mid-sized concert market.

“Memphis has been ready for a room like Satellite Music Hall for a long time,” Ted Heinig, vice president of Live Nation Southeast, said. “The right room changes what’s possible for artists, fans, and the entire market.”

The venue was designed by Live Nation’s in-house Blueprint Studio alongside Memphis architecture firm archimania and Crosstown Concourse. Its layout includes a main floor and second-floor mezzanine, direct production load-in, artist hospitality areas and upgraded audio and lighting infrastructure.

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Satellite also includes the Vinyl Room, a ticket-upgrade lounge modeled after Japanese listening rooms of the 1970s. The space will feature vinyl DJ sets, cocktails and food, along with a poster wall curated by Memphis paper artist Colleen Couch.

The venue has also received KultureCity certification and will offer sensory bags, quiet areas and trained staff for guests with sensory needs.

Crosstown Concourse CEO Todd Richardson said the addition is expected to bring approximately 100 more music shows to Memphis annually, including touring acts that might otherwise bypass the city.

“It’s incredibly exciting to see this multi-year project finally making its debut with such a stellar line-up of bands that would have normally passed Memphis by,” Richardson said. “100 more music shows annually is going to be a great shot in the arm for Memphis’s music scene, both for fans and artists.”

The venue has hired more than 100 workers from the Memphis area, according to Live Nation. The company is also partnering with Stax Music Academy on a program designed to give students practical experience in the concert business.

Students from the academy are scheduled to perform during the September 2 pre-opening community showcase, with ticket proceeds benefiting the organization. The longer-term partnership will include an apprenticeship through Stax Music Academy’s Music Employs program, providing students with experience in live event production and venue operations.

“Stax Records was built by young people who were given the opportunity to learn, create, and contribute to something bigger than themselves,” Stax Music Academy Executive Director Isaac Daniel said. “That spirit is at the heart of what we do at Stax Music Academy every day.”

In addition to concerts, Satellite Music Hall will be available for private events and community gatherings.

The Band CAMINO’s September 4 performance will mark the venue’s first public show, followed by a second hometown date September 5.