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 large outdoor concert hall in Mansfield, Massachusetts. It was first known as the Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts. People often just call it Great Woods.
This venue opened in the summer of 1986. Back then, it could hold about 12,000 people. Later, after the year 2000, it was made bigger. Now, it can fit 19,900 people. This includes 7,000 seats, 7,000 spots on the lawn, and 5,900 general admission spots.
The Xfinity Center usually hosts events from mid-May to late September. In 2010, Billboard magazine named it the top-earning outdoor concert venue. It mainly holds concerts. Sometimes, other events like graduation ceremonies, including for Mansfield High School, happen here too.
Contents
History of the Xfinity Center
How the Idea Started
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. At first, they planned a performing arts center. This would have included a concert hall, an auditorium, and a black box theater.
Changing Plans and Location
After doing some research, Don Law realized something important. The New England area really needed an outdoor concert space. At that time, the main outdoor venues were Tanglewood, Cape Cod Melody Tent, and the South Shore Music Circus. So, the plan changed from an indoor center to an outdoor amphitheatre.
The location also moved to Mansfield. This spot was chosen because it was easy to reach from many big cities. It's about 40 miles (64 km) from Providence, Boston, Worcester, and Cape Cod. This made it a great place for people from all over the region to visit.
Opening Day and Growth
The venue officially opened on June 13, 1986. It was named the Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts. The very first performance was by Yo-Yo Ma and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
For many years, it was one of the busiest places in New England. It hosted almost 80 concerts each season! Over time, other outdoor venues opened nearby. Places like the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford and the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston created more choices for concert-goers. Because of this, the Xfinity Center now hosts about 36 events per season.
Changes in Ownership and Names
In 1998, the original owner, Don Law Company, was sold to SFX Entertainment. A year later, the naming rights were sold to Tweeter Home Entertainment. This is when the venue became the "Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts."
When Tweeter faced money problems in 2007, a big media company called Comcast bought the naming rights. In 2008, the venue changed its name again to the Comcast Center. Finally, in 2014, Comcast renamed it the "Xfinity Center." This new name matches their current product brand, Xfinity.
Names Through the Years
The Xfinity Center has had a few different names since it opened:
- 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 performed at the Xfinity Center over the years. Some of these shows were even recorded for albums or videos!
- Aerosmith - They have played here 24 times. A live performance for their movie Be Cool was filmed here.
- Allman Brothers Band - Their Live at Great Woods 1992 DVD was filmed here.
- Avenged Sevenfold - They played here three times. This included their first American show after their drummer, The Rev, passed away. Mike Portnoy played drums with them at the Mayhem Festival.
- Depeche Mode - They have performed here five times. Their 2009 show was recorded for their live albums project Recording the Universe.
- Eagles - They played five nights in a row on their Hell Freezes Over (1994) Tour.
- Flyleaf - The Family Values (2006) DVD was filmed here.
- Gin Blossoms - Part of their music video for "As Long as It Matters" was filmed here. This was during the WBCN River Rave on June 8, 1996.
- James Taylor - During one tour, he played four concerts on consecutive dates.
- Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band - Parts of Buffett Live: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays (1999) and Encores (2008) were recorded here. Also, the Live in Mansfield, MA Soundboard album (2003) was recorded here. Jimmy Buffett has performed at Great Woods 63 times. This is more than any other artist, and it's his most-played venue.
- Korn - The Family Values (2006) DVD was filmed here.
- Nickelback - Part of their music video "Rockstar" was filmed here.
- Oasis - They filmed two DVDs here, one in 2001 and another in 2005.
- Pearl Jam - They have played here 11 times. The July 11, 2003 show was their longest concert up to that point.
- Phish - A song from A Live One (1994) was recorded here. On the same night, they also performed their complete Gamehendge story. Phish played at the venue 19 times between 1992 and 2022.
- Rush - Two songs from their June 23, 1997 concert are on the live album Different Stages. This includes a full performance of "2112".
- Santana - They have performed here regularly since 1986.
- Spice Girls - They performed on July 8, 1998. This was part of the North American leg of their Spiceworld Tour.
- Stone Sour - The Family Values (2006) DVD was filmed here.
- The Fray - Parts of their music video "All At Once" were filmed here.
- The Smiths - Thirteen songs from their August 5, 1986 concert are on the 2017 re-release of their LP The Queen is Dead.
- The Who - The DVD The Who: Live in Boston was filmed here in September 2002.
See also
- List of contemporary amphitheatres
- Live Nation
