Stubb’s, Iconic Austin Venue, Acquired by C3 Presents and Live Nation

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Stubb’s Bar-B-Q

Promoter C3 Presents and its parent company Live Nation have acquired full ownership of Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, the iconic Austin, Texas music venue and barbecue restaurant. Located in the center of Red River Cultural District. Stubb’s is something of a de facto hub for the annual SXSW Conference and synonymous with incredible live music performances hosting shows by everyone from Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop and Willie Nelson to The Beastie Boys, Metaliica and Loretta Lynn to the New York Dolls, George Jones, Lady Gaga and far beyond.

“Stubb’s is truly one of the most special music venues, not only in Austin, but in the country,” said Amy Corbin of C3 Presents, who started her career at Stubb’s, in a statement. “The C3 team has handled bookings for the past 26 years, and most of the dedicated staff have been working there for most of their careers.”

The ownership change will likely have little impact on the business of Stubb’s. Charles Attal, who co-launched Stubb’s in 1996 and has helped run it ever since, also co-owns C3 Presents, which in 2014 Live Nation acquired a controlling interest in.

C3 Presents, which is based in Austin and promotes more than 1,100 concerts annually throughout North America, is one of the world’s largest music festival producers. Its portfolio includes Austin City Limits Music Festival and Lollapalooza in Chicago and its six international editions — drawing a combined 2 million fans annually. The current event roster also includes Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (Manchester, Tenn.), Music Midtown (Atlanta), Innings Festival (Tempe, Ariz., and Tampa, Fla.), Shaky Knees (Atlanta), Sea.Hear.Now (Asbury Park, NJ), Austin Food + Wine Festival, the NFL Draft Fan Festival (Chicago/Philadelphia/Dallas/New Orleans/ Nashville/Cleveland/Las Vegas), among others.

In the last few years C3 Presents and Live Nation have made significant investments in Austin’s venues, including the Moody Amphitheater and the Moody Center which opens on April 20-21 with an inaugural performance by John Mayer

Stubb’s hosts more than 100 shows each year, with a capacity of 2,500. According to Pollstar Boxoffice reports, which lists a whopping 2,456 shows dating back to 1999 with nearly 2.28 million tickets sold, the average gross at Stubb’s is $24,900 with an average of 966 tickets sold per show .

The sale also includes the entire block where Stubb’s is located between 8th Street and 9th Street, and Red River Street and Waller Creek, which may offer opportunities to expand the business. Plans are currently underway to improve the property, though no exact details were given. “We are really excited to get to work on upgrading the current space to enhance the overall experience for both artists and fans,” Corbin stated.

Stubbs opened in 1996 in partnership with its namesake, BBQ chef, C.B. Stubblefield, who passed before its opening. He opened his first restaurant in Lubbock in 1968 and moved to Austin in the 1980s.

Though the sale was announced this week, The Austin American-Statesman reported that the venue was actually purchased late last year from Stubb’s Austin Restaurant Company — a partnership between Attal, Edward Patterson, John M. Scott, Scott Jensen and Jeff Waughtal.

Looking ahead, Corbin says the future for Stubb’s is much like its heralded past. “It’s part of our DNA as Austinites,” she said, “and we intend to carry on the outstanding legacy and experience.”