YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The city’s three entertainment venues showed an operational deficit of $484,728 in 2025.
The loss is expected to be a one-year anomaly caused by several factors, and not a trend, according to Eric Ryan, president of JAC Management.
JAC, a private company based in Youngstown, is contracted by the city to operate Covelli Centre, Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre and Wean Park.
In his annual report to the mayor and council, Ryan pointed out that the venues produced a total of $346,348 last year in admissions tax revenue.
“This contribution continues a strong and consistent track record,” Ryan wrote. The admissions tax generated approximately $350,000 in each of the past four years, totaling more than $1.3 million in direct revenue to the city.
Ken Bigley, chief operating officer of JAC, said concert industry factors are already improving, and the 2026 results should be back on track.
JAC has been producing profitable years for the city since it was hired in 2008.
It’s a strong record for a small market that lies within 100 miles of two major markets, he noted.
“After 18 years of defying the odds, we’ve had a down year,” Bigley said.
Other promoters of JAC’s size and market profile have had a similarly rough year, but the situation is improving.
“The industry will right itself,” Bigley said. “I already see signs of it lightening up.”
A few things made business tougher for JAC last year, including an increase in expenses.
One key factor that especially affected Youngstown was a shortage of available acts. It was caused by the aggressive actions by Live Nation and AEG, the country’s two major promoters, who have been battling each other in each market.
In many cases, acts that sell 5,000 to 10,000 seats and previously were possibilities for Youngstown’s venues were snapped up by the major outdoor venues, like Blossom and Star Lake, Bigley explained.
Other concerts that would have typically played the big amphitheaters were moved to the stadiums in those cities, making the squeeze for middle-range acts even tighter.
Festivals that put exclusivity clauses in their contracts with bands also took many artists out of play for Youngstown.
JAC’s operational shortfall was also driven by the timing shift of several large-scale events into 2026, as well as softer than anticipated attendance at select events, according to Ryan.
For example, Disney On Ice, which typically occurs in December, was rescheduled to January. But while that reduced 2025 revenues, it will increase them for 2026, because there will now be two Disney On Ice shows at Covelli in this calendar year.
The popular event does seven performances each time it comes to town.
In proving that performance is strengthening, Ryan pointed out that Covelli Centre has already hosted three sold-out performances this year: Professional Bull Riders, comedian Bert Kreischer and Christian pop act Third Day.
Major shows and events at the downtown venues in 2025 included Toughest Monster Trucks, Professional Bull Riders, Rascal Flatts, OAC state wrestling championships (two weekends), Dylan Scott, Harlem Globetrotters, Riley Green and Ella Langley, Coheed & Cambria, Rick Springfield, Train, Alice Cooper, Ice Nine Kills, Lee Brice, Cody Jinx, Y-Live featuring John Mayer and Tim McGraw, Seether and Daughtry, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Warren Zeiders and the 30 Youngstown Phantoms games.
The sites also hosted a variety of community events, including Tax Day Rally, Community Development Day, First Fridays, Hope
Conference, Rock the Rich Center, Simply Slavic festival, Juneteenth Celebration, the summer movie series, Wean Park Day, Food Trucks and Fireworks, Alta Head Start, Youngstown Wine and Jazz fest, African American Male Wellness Walk, Older Adults Day Out, National Night Out, Southern Blues and Jams, Panerathon, Grasp Overdose Awareness, YMCA Community Cup, Hola Fest, Oh Wow! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science & Technology’s Silly Science Sunday and the Non-Violence Rally.
The three downtown venues hosted almost 100 events last year. “There was action every fourth day,” Bigley said.
JAC will announce more Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre concerts in the coming months.
“There should be six, maybe seven, concerts by national acts at The Amp this year, mostly later in the summer and September,” he said.
Pictured at top: Country music superstar Tim McGraw performs before a crowd that neared 20,000 at Wean Park in September.
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