All-New Dome Brings Music Back To Virginia Beach

Live music has returned to The Dome in Virginia Beach, with an all-new build resurrecting the famous concert venue of decades past with a soft opening tonight to be followed by a May 4 concert by rock veterans Three Dog Night, who played the final performance at the original Dome when it closed in 1993.

 “The revival of The Dome is a monumental moment for Virginia Beach,” said Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer. “This isn’t just about bringing back a beloved venue; it’s about investing in our community, celebrating our vibrant arts scene, and creating a destination that will draw visitors. It’s an exciting project and will reinforce Virginia Beach as an outstanding place to live as well as a year-round vacation destination.”

A community preview party taking place tonight promises performances from local musicians and food and beverage samplings to go along with a look at the venue, an indoor/outdoor space topping out at 5,000 capacity and looking to host 100 concerts per year.

Partners include the city of Virginia Beach, concert promoter and venue operator Live Nation and Oak View Group, who are partnered on the operations side with OVG providing hospitality services at The Dome.

The project is a long time coming not only since the old Dome closed in 1993, but for those behind the project, including OVG SVP of facilities Doug Higgons, a Virginia Beach local. Momentum on the project was gaining in 2017, but COVID put the breaks on development.

“For years it feel like it was just thoughts on paper, but now it’s been breathtaking to see and walk through it,” says Higgons, who was previously with Pinnacle Venue Management, which was acquired by OVG. “We spent a lot of time with the city really developing a facility that paid homage to the beach and The Dome.”

He notes wooden touches at the entryways and bars that pay homage to the old Dome, while the prime location just three blocks from the ocean allows for views of the ocean from VIP spaces and balconies.

“It really is a spectacular venue. Virginia Beach is my hometown as well, and from a local standpoint, it’s going to change the complexion of that part of the Virginia Beach oceanfront. Add in the fact that it’s an indoor-outdoor venue and there’s nothing like it that I’ve seen on the East Coast.”

Oak View Group is parent company to Pollstar.

The opening month’s lineup includes Melissa Etheridge and Joss Stone (May 5); Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo (May 7), Killswitch Engage (May 18), Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (May 22); and Coheed and Cambria & Mastodon (May 24).

“We’re thrilled to bring The Dome back to Virginia Beach. Growing up in this community, I know how much this place meant to local music fans,” said Tabatha Webster, Venue Operations Market Manager at Live Nation. “We want to build on this legacy and create a space where everyone can come together to enjoy great shows and make new memories. As a lifelong Virginia Beach resident, it means a lot to be part of this next chapter.”

The venue anchors the $350 million Atlantic Park mixed-use, multi-venue development, which encompasses 10.35 acres on space known as the Old Dome Site. The opening of The Dome will be followed by restaurants and retail locations later this month with a Surf Lagoon coming online in July and residential properties opening in the fall.

“Our vision for The Dome is focused on next-level hospitality, with a culinary program designed to match the energy and creativity of the live performances,” said OVG Hospitality President Ken Gaber. “In partnership with Live Nation, we’re set to deliver an unparalleled food & beverage experience alongside world-class artists and a stunning oceanside setting in Virginia Beach.”

The old Dome, which opened with a space-age facade in 1957, hosted everything from roller skating to The Rolling Stones, in its heyday bringing in some of the biggest acts of the late 1960s. It fell into disrepair by the 1980s, with artists often opting to play larger, more modern concert facilities in the market.

For the new Dome, which has foregone the space-age facade for more utilitarian hangar doors that can open out to a outdoor lawn space, Higgons said the partners involved in the project were fully aligned in the vision for the venue, which was simply to make something spectacular.

“That’s really where we started,” Higgons said. “The city stepped up from a financial standpoint, Oak View Group and Live Nation stepped up from a financial point, and it’s hard to believe that as I, I walked through the venue over the weekend, that’s it’s finally come to be. It really is cool.”