Live Nation Unveils Renovated San Diego-Area Venue The Magnolia, Announces Show Lineup

“The Magnolia will offer an amazing elevated entertainment opportunity for both artists and music fans,” Ben Weeden, COO of Live Nation Clubs & Theaters division, said in a statement. “In addition to a spectacular outdoor Plaza Bazaar featuring unique pre- and post-show dining, the theater will offer new state-of-the-art sound, lighting and projection systems. We’re thrilled to join the El Cajon team.”

Live Nation will operate, market and book The Magnolia and anticipates hosting a wide variety of touring artists, with a lineup with dates into March already including Al Di Meola, the Roy Orbison / Buddy Holly hologram tour, Patti LaBelle, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, , Dream Theater, Art Garfunkel and many others.

The venue had been closed for more than a decade and its reopening follows a multimillion-dollar renovation.

“This is a special moment for not only El Cajon but the entire San Diego region,” said City Manager Graham Mitchell. “The completely renovated Magnolia represents another jewel in the continued growth of the entire region. It’s Magnolia’s look, feel and vibrancy—ranging from extra wide rows to more legroom in the venue to a VIP lounge and new bars combined with some of the best sightlines and entertainment experiences—that match any building anywhere in the country.”

The Magnolia grows Live Nation’s 1,700 clubs and theatres and complements recently acquired or exclusively booked venues including the Observatory venues in Santa Ana and San Diego as well as Mitchell Frank’s Spaceland venues.

The division’s recent activity is not limited to major markets like Los Angeles, however, as explained by Live Nation Clubs &Theatres President Ron Bension.

“We opened up in Delaware, we opened an incredible venue in Phoenix called The Van Buren, took over The Depot in Salt Lake City, took over two venues and spent over $2 million refurbishing The Summit and Marquee in Denver.  We look at those as key markets. We’re looking in Albuquerque, Greensboro, anywhere where there’s a good, sound music scene, that’s where we’re going to go.”

Bension added, “One thing we do when we do go into the market, a perfect example is the Summit and Marquee in Denver. Once we were approached by the owner to take the buildings over, we put $2 million into them. 

“We took the Summit from a dark, poor visibility, club into – I’m pretty confident to say – the best club of its size in the marketplace. We put our money where our mouth is and did that with both.

“The Masonic in Cleveland is another example. Those shows had nowhere to go in the Cleveland market. We worked with the Masonic folks, we put some money in, they put some money in, they restored the interior of the music space. And now they just had their first two shows and now have a full slate of shows lined up.

“No one spends the kind of money we do in these buildings to make it right for the bands and the fans.”

Magnolia’s initial show lineup:

·   09/13/19 – Countess Luann and Friends 

·   09/24/19 – Al Di Meola – PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE – Music of Di Meola, Piazzolla & The Beatles U.S. Fall Tour 2019

·   10/01/19 – Roy Orbison & Buddy Holly – The Rock ‘N’ Roll Dream Tour

·   10/03/19 – Patti Labelle in Concert

·   10/09/19 – Dave Mason Feelin’ Alright with very special guest Richie Furay

·   10/10/19 – Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers

·   10/16/19 – MasterChef Junior Live!

·   10/17/19 – Leo Dan

·   10/18/19 – Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo 

·   10/23/19 – Engelbert Humperdinck: The Angel on My Shoulder Tour

·   10/27/19 – Dream Theater: Distance Over Time Tour + 20 Years of Metropolis Pt. 2

·   11/01/19 – Ramon Ayala y Sus Bravos Del Norte  

·   12/13/19 – Stassi Schroeder: Straight Up with Stassi Live – Featuring Beau Clark & Taylor Strecker

·   12/29/19 – PJ Masks – Save The Day Live!

·   01/09/20 – Art Garfunkel 

·   02/20/20 – Kathleen Madigan – Hot Dogs & Angels Tour

·   03/07/20 – Dennis DeYoung: The Grand Illusion 40^th Anniversary Album Tour