Photos: First look at new River Park music venue in southeast Austin

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The first peeks at a new mid-sized music venue in southeast Austin were revealed Wednesday morning when city officials and live music and entertainment company leaders broke ground on the project.

AEG Presents is expected to open the new 4,000-capacity indoor entertainment venue in early 2027 as part of the 109-acre River Park mixed-use development project in southeast Austin.

Robin Phillips, vice president of AEG Presents Southwest, said the venue will fill a gap in Austin’s music scene by offering a mid-level capacity.

“This new venue is designed to complement the mix of legendary and iconic venues that already exist in Austin,” Phillips said. “We’re not here to compete with Austin’s music legacy. We’re here to honor it, and in doing so, create a stage for even more voices, more stories, and more sound.”

She also said AEG Presents will book every genres, from country to rock, rap, blues, electronic, Latin and more.

“In other words, if it’s a genre that represents Austin, we’re going to book it,” she said.

The space will also welcome weddings, community events, private events and holiday parties, Phillips said.

Councilmember José Velásquez, who represents the district of Austin that River Park is in, said the mid-sized, indoor venue will “open the door to a wider range of performers.”

“And with our city’s growing and diverse population, that kind of range is paramount. It’s going to host artists that actually look like Austin, sound like Austin, and feel like Austin,” Velásquez said.

He also said the venue will create jobs and attract visitors, and be a beacon for live music in District 3 and Austin as a whole.

“It’s also a promise that our stages reflect our people, that our culture will remain vibrant and visible, and that music, live music, will continue to be the heartbeat of Austin, Texas,” he added.

According to AEG, highlights of the 65,000 square foot facility include:

• Luxury suites
• Artist-first amenities
• Production-ready spaces
• Purpose-built design for concerts, conferences, and private events
• General admission floor
• Risers for optimal sight

“There’s all these, like, amazing bars and small clubs… and then there’s the Scoot Inn, there’s Emo’s, which is below a 2,000-capacity. And then there’s Moody ACL Live Theater, which [seats] about 2,000. And then we have Stubb’s, which is still around that 2,000 cap. And then it just, like, jumps right up to the Moody Center, which is a large arena,” Phillips said, concluding that the River Park venue will offer the perfect middle ground.

Phillips said the venue has been in the works for several years, and it’s expected to be completed and open up in the first few months of 2027.

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