According to Pollstar magazine, the concert industry’s leading trade publication, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion ranked sixth in its listing of the top 100 amphitheaters in the world based on the number of tickets sold in 2009. The Pavilion’s ticket sales totaled 346,519 for shows played between January 1 and December 31, 2009.The Pavilion’s sixth-place ranking is despite opening a month later than normal due to reconstruction from damage sustained by Hurricane Ike in September 2008. The Pavilion reopened May 1, 2009, after undergoing a $9.5 million renovation and expansion.“Our 20th season could not have been better. Along with celebrating our 20 years, we opened with a newly renovated and expanded venue to a sold-out weekend of performances by the Dave Matthews Band and Kenny Chesney,” said Jerry MacDonald, president and CEO of The Pavilion.
The Pavilion had 14 sold-out concerts in 2009, and it also hosted eight Houston Symphony concerts, the Texas Music Festival Orchestra and The United States Army Field Band and Soldier’s Chorus and the 14th Annual Children’s Festival.