Xfinity Center (Mansfield, Massachusetts) facts for kids
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Great Woods
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Amphitheatre shown during Lilith Fair, circa 1998
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| Former names | Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts (1986–1999) Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts (1999–2008) Comcast Center (2008–2013) |
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| Address | 885 S. Main St. Mansfield, Massachusetts 02048-3148 |
| Coordinates | 41°59′33″N 71°13′12″W / 41.99250°N 71.22000°W |
| Owner | Live Nation New England |
| Operator | Live Nation New England |
| Capacity | 19,900 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | June 13, 1986 |
| Renovated | 2002 |
| Expanded | 1994 |
| Construction cost | US$13 million ($35.4 million in 2022 dollars ) |
The Xfinity Center is a big outdoor concert place in Mansfield, Massachusetts. It was first called the Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts. This venue opened in the summer of 1986.
When it first opened, it could hold 12,000 people. Later, after the year 2000, it was made much bigger. Now, it can hold 19,900 people. This includes 7,000 seats close to the stage, 7,000 spots on the lawn, and 5,900 general admission spots.
The Xfinity Center usually has shows from May to September. In 2010, Billboard magazine said it was the best-earning outdoor music venue. It mostly hosts concerts, but sometimes other events like high school graduations happen there too.
Contents
History of the Xfinity Center
The idea for this venue came from Don Law, John E. Drew, and Sherman Wolf in 1985. They first thought about building it in Brookline, Massachusetts. The original plan was for a performing arts center. This would have included a concert hall and other theater spaces.
Why an Outdoor Venue?
After looking into it, Don Law realized that the New England area needed a large outdoor concert spot. At that time, there weren't many big outdoor places for music. So, the plan changed from an indoor center to an outdoor amphitheatre.
Choosing the Location
The location was moved to Mansfield. This spot was chosen because it's about 40 miles (64 km) from big cities like Providence, Boston, Worcester, and Cape Cod. This made it easy for people from many different areas to visit.
Opening Day and Early Years
The venue opened on June 13, 1986. It was called the Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts. The very first performance was by Yo-Yo Ma and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. In its early years, it was very busy. It hosted almost 80 concerts each season.
New Competition
Over time, other outdoor venues opened nearby. The Xfinity Theatre in Hartford and the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston started to compete. This meant the Xfinity Center began hosting fewer events, averaging about 36 shows per season.
How the Name Changed
In 1998, the company that owned the venue was sold. A year later, the naming rights were sold to a store called Tweeter Home Entertainment. So, the venue became the "Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts".
When Tweeter faced money problems in 2007, a big company called Comcast bought the naming rights. In 2008, it became the Comcast Center. Then, in 2014, Comcast changed the name again to "Xfinity Center". This new name matched their other products.
Naming History
- Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts (June 13, 1986 – July 8, 1999)
- Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts (July 9, 1999 – June 3, 2008)
- Comcast Center (June 4, 2008 – December 31, 2013)
- Xfinity Center (January 1, 2014 – present)
Famous Performances
Many famous artists and bands have played at the Xfinity Center. Here are some of them:
- Aerosmith has performed here 24 times. A live part of their movie Be Cool was filmed here.
- Allman Brothers Band filmed their Live at Great Woods 1992 DVD here.
- Avenged Sevenfold played here three times. One show was their first in America after their drummer, The Rev, passed away.
- Depeche Mode has performed here five times. Their 2009 show was recorded for their live albums.
- Eagles played five nights in a row for their Hell Freezes Over tour in 1994.
- Flyleaf filmed their Family Values (2006) DVD here.
- Gin Blossoms filmed part of their "As Long as It Matters" music video here in 1996.
- James Taylor once played four shows on four consecutive days during a tour.
- Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band have played at Great Woods 63 times. This is more than any other artist. Parts of his live albums were recorded here.
- Korn filmed their Family Values (2006) DVD here.
- Nickelback filmed part of their "Rockstar" music video here.
- Oasis filmed two DVDs here, one in 2001 and one in 2005.
- Pearl Jam has performed here 11 times. Their show on July 11, 2003, was their longest show at that time.
- Phish recorded a song from their album A Live One (1994) here. They also performed their entire Gamehendge story that night. Phish has played at the venue 22 times between 1992 and 2024.
- R.E.M. has performed at least 7 times, including three nights in a row in 1989.
- Rush recorded two songs from their 1997 concert for their live album Different Stages.
- Santana has been a regular performer since 1986.
- Spice Girls performed here on July 8, 1998, as part of their Spiceworld Tour.
- Stone Sour filmed their Family Values (2006) DVD here.
- The Cure performed in 1989, 2004, and 2023.
- The Fray filmed parts of their "All At Once" music video here.
- The Smiths recorded thirteen songs from their August 5, 1986 concert. These songs are on the 2017 re-release of their album The Queen is Dead.
- The Who filmed their DVD The Who: Live in Boston here in September 2002.
- AJR performed here on May 20, 2022, for their "OK Orchestra" tour.
See also
- List of contemporary amphitheatres
- Live Nation
