Germain Amphitheater
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| Former names | Polaris Amphitheater (1994-2003) |
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| Address | 2200 Polaris Parkway Columbus, OH 43240 |
| Coordinates | 40°08′57″N 82°57′30″W / 40.14917°N 82.95833°WCoordinates: 40°08′57″N 82°57′30″W / 40.14917°N 82.95833°W |
| Owner | Live Nation (2005-07) |
| Capacity | 20,000 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | June 15, 1994 |
| Closed | October 5, 2007 |
| Demolished | 2012 |
| Construction cost | In September of 1993, plans were announced to build on 80 acres in southern Delaware County, Ohio, according to the local newspaper, The Columbus Dispatch. It was reported that the land was purchased for $50,000 an acre in the future venue's plan to build. |
The Germain Amphitheater (originally the Polaris Amphitheater) was a 20,000-seat outdoor entertainment venue located in Columbus, Ohio, near the suburb of Westerville. The venue opened as part of a large development venture off of Interstate Highway I-71. There were 6,700 seats in an open-air pavilion—much of it under cover—and room for another 13,300 people on general admission lawn seating. The concert season began mid-May, continuing through early October and featured 20-30 concerts per year. At the time it opened, it was the largest and most suitable venue for concerts in central Ohio.
The amphitheater opened on June 15, 1994, with a concert by The Moody Blues and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. Since that time, it hosted some of the largest names in music, including: RUSH, Aerosmith, Janet Jackson, Dave Matthews Band, Farm Aid, and Ozzfest. Toby Keith played the final show on September 16, 2007.
The venue was originally owned by Polaris Amphitheater Concerts, Inc.; a joint partnership between PromoWest Productions, Belkin Productions and Sunshine Promotions. In 1997, ownership was purchased by SFX Entertainment. In 2000, the building was owned by Clear Channel Entertainment, when the company bought out SFX Entertainment. In 2005, Clear Channel was spun off into Live Nation, who owned the building from 2005 until its closing. In February 2003, the Germain Automotive Group purchased a five-year sponsorship, renaming the venue Germain Amphitheater.
On June 17, 1997 at Ozzfest, concert goers began throwing bottles at the stage, others smashed box office windows, started brush fires, kicked over a trash can, and overturned cars outside the amphitheater, after the announcement was made that Ozzy Osbourne would not perform.
On September 7, 2003, the amphitheater was the site of the 16th annual Farm Aid concert. Tickets to the event sold out within two weeks.
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