MEMPHIS, Tenn. – September 2, 2026 – Memphis has long been a city shaped by music: the blues emerged on Beale Street, Stax Records defined soul for a generation, and Sun Studio anchored the birth of rock ’n’ roll. This week, Satellite Music Hall opens at Crosstown Concourse, creating a premier stage for the next era of Memphis music.
The custom-built, 1,300-capacity venue gives touring acts a dedicated mid-sized room while providing local talent broader opportunities to perform.
“Memphis has been ready for a room like Satellite Music Hall for a long time,” said Ted Heinig, Vice President of Live Nation Southeast. “The right room changes what’s possible for artists, fans, and the entire market. Satellite provides a right-sized space to connect, delivers an exceptional live experience, and carries the city’s rich musical legacy forward into its next chapter.”
The Band CAMINO will officially inaugurate the room with two hometown shows on September 4 and 5, recording a live album across both nights. The opening calendar features a diverse mix of national and local talent, including Chance the Rapper, Valerie June, Project Pat, Judah & the Lion, Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, and Prof.
“Satellite Music Hall will create a powerful new stage for the Memphis story,” said Memphis Mayor Paul Young. “It will create opportunity for our artists, our young people, and our economy, while bringing new energy and investment into the heart of our city. It strengthens our position as a destination for live experiences and builds on what Memphis already does best.”
Ahead of the public opening, students from the Stax Music Academy take the stage tonight for a special community preview, with ticket proceeds benefiting the academy. The showcase features the 910 Band and 926 Band alongside alumni jazz musicians and DJs NYCELYFE and Bizzle Bluebland.
The collaboration extends beyond opening week through an apprenticeship with the Academy’s Music Employs program, providing students hands-on operational experience across live production careers.
“Stax Records was built by young people who were given the opportunity to learn, create, and contribute to something bigger than themselves,” said Isaac Daniel, Executive Director of Stax Music Academy. “That spirit is at the heart of what we do at Stax Music Academy every day. This partnership with Live Nation through our Music Employs program will carry that legacy forward, giving students real-world music industry experience and the opportunity to see themselves as part of the music industry.”
Designed by Blueprint Studio—Live Nation’s in-house design and development arm—in collaboration with Memphis-based archimania and Crosstown Concourse, the venue incorporates:
Architectural Heritage: Reclaimed materials from the historic Sears Crosstown building are refinished throughout the venue’s bar fronts, artist lounge, and Vinyl Room.
Tiered Sightlines: An expansive ground-floor floorplan and second-floor mezzanine offer varied vantage points while maintaining proximity to the stage.
Production Capabilities: Flexible staging, direct load-in access, dedicated artist hospitality suites, and top-tier audio and lighting accommodate modern touring requirements.
Accessibility: KultureCity certification ensures full sensory accessibility, offering quiet zones, sensory bags, and trained support staff.
The Vinyl Room: A dedicated ticket-upgrade lounge inspired by 1970s Japanese listening rooms, offering vinyl DJ sets, craft cocktails, a chef-driven menu, and a wheatpaste poster wall curated by Memphis paper artist Colleen Couch.
Beyond concerts, the venue will also host private events and community gatherings.
“Opening Satellite is about more than unveiling a new venue,” said Maggie Gessner, Head of Club Operations at Live Nation. “We have hired over 100 Memphis-area staff members, and through our work with Stax Music Academy, we are actively fostering local creative and production talent onstage and off.”
“It’s incredibly exciting to see this multi-year project finally making its debut with such a stellar line-up of bands that would have normally passed Memphis by, “ said Todd Richardson, CEO of Crosstown Concourse. “100 more music shows annually is going to be a great shot in the arm for Memphis’s music scene, both for fans and artists. I can’t wait for everyone to experience the new venue.”
Photo credits: Evan Joseph
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ABOUT LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit livenationentertainment.com.
ABOUT CROSSTOWN CONCOURSE
Once home to Memphis’ leading employer, the historic 1.5-million square-foot Sears, Roebuck & Co. warehouse and distribution center was built in 1927. The building was abandoned in 1993 and stood vacant for more than 20 years. Reimagined and reopened in 2017 as Crosstown Concourse, the 16-acre campus is now a vibrant community anchor that goes “beyond mixed-use” and includes housing, commercial and non-profit offices, restaurants and retail, as well as arts and culture, health and wellness, and educational tenants. The biggest adaptive reuse initiative in Tennessee and the largest LEED Platinum Certified adaptive reuse project in the world, the Crosstown “vertical village” is attempting to live out the notion of “better together” and become an inclusive microcosm of the city where a diverse range of people interact in meaningful and inspiring ways that improve the quality of life for everyone. For more information, visit crosstownconcourse.com.
ABOUT STAX MUSIC ACADEMY
Located at the original site of Stax Records in Memphis’ Soulsville USA, Stax Music Academy is a premier afterschool and summer music institute that combines industry-centric music education with holistic youth development and professional mental wellness counseling for students and their families. SMA is the only music institute in the world dedicated to the musical art form created at Stax in the 1960s and ’70s. Middle school and high school students study and perform the music of Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Sam & Dave, the Staple Singers, and other Stax legends while developing the skills, confidence, and leadership abilities needed to pursue their futures as artists and leaders. SSMA students have taken the music and legacy of Stax around the world, performing in countries including Italy, Australia, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. SMA alumni are performing and working in the music industry across the globe. Through music, education, and mentorship, SMA carries the legacy of Stax forward, connecting its history to the next generation. Stax Music Academy is a program of the Soulsville Foundation.
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