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VIRGINIA BEACH \u2014 This month marks one year since the opening of The Dome by Rutter Mills, the entertainment venue of the Atlantic Park project at the Oceanfront.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hosted more than 100,000 fans and 15 sold-out shows, including hip-hop duo Clipse and rock band Turnover, as well as Shaboozey, Jon Pardi and Theresa Caputo.<\/p>\n
Virginia Beach owns the venue, and Live Nation operates it. It can hold 3,500 people indoors and an additional 1,500 in the outdoor mini-amphitheater.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first year was amazing,\u201d Matt Rogers, regional vice president of Live Nation, said this week. \u201cWatching Atlantic Park develop around us and being a part of that momentum is really exciting for Year 2.\u201d<\/p>\n
Atlantic Park\u2019s surf lagoon opened<\/a> last August, followed by retail shops and multiple restaurants<\/a> where concertgoers can enjoy a meal before a show.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s become more of an entertainment destination now than the first year,\u201d Rogers said.<\/p>\n The venue opened with a community event last May followed by its official first show featuring Three Dog Night, the last band to play in the original Dome in 1993.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was kind of a cool full circle moment for us,\u201d Rogers said.<\/p>\n Louis Armstrong, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Chubby Checker and The Grateful Dead performed inside the original geodesic building<\/a>, which was razed in 1994. The land was used as parking lots for years. In 2019, the city inked a development agreement with Venture Realty Group to build Atlantic Park. Virginia Beach native and celebrity Pharrell Williams is a partner.<\/p>\n As part of the $350 million public-private project, the City Council agreed to spend $55 million to build an entertainment venue reminiscent of the early Dome.<\/p>\n \u201cThey wanted something impactful and that added to the city of Virginia Beach\u2019s culture,\u201d said Deputy City Manager Amanda Jarratt.<\/p>\n The city also contributed to offsite infrastructure, parking and streetscapes. The total public contribution to Atlantic Park has exceeded $150 million.<\/p>\n Some of the revenue generated by ticket sales at the Dome is returned to the city. The total admission tax revenue received through ticket sales to date is roughly $843,000, according to the city.<\/p>\n The venue announced a multi-year naming rights partnership<\/a> with Rutter Mills, a Hampton Roads-based personal injury law firm, in February.<\/p>\n The Dome by the numbers in its first year:<\/p>\n 15 sellouts spanning comedy, country, hip-hop, rock and more<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n