VenuesNow 2025 All-Star Honoree: Jaclyn Lash

JACLYN LASH
Senior Vice President, Special Events
San Diego Padres

FIRST INDUSTRY GIG
Booking musical acts and guest coordination with the ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ show.

The San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball have made the sports and entertainment industry interesting in the past five years, not only with its competitive rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but also with its commitment to live music.

In addition to Petco Park, long considered one of the best baseball stadiums by sports writers and fans alike, the Padres have Sycuan Stage at Gallagher Square, a grassy space past the outfield wall, that hosts concerts and gives Jaclyn Lash, the team’s senior vice president of special events, opportunities to bring all kinds of artists to San Diego.

“Over the last year, we will have booked over 40 shows within this renovated space,” says Lash about the $40 million investment in the transformation of Gallagher Square. “This is especially unique and impactful because it requires us to strategically work around many other events and activations at our venue to find dates that work with concert tours.”

The intimate Sycuan Stage has hosted Teddy Swims, Becky G, Brad Paisley, Yellowcard and Riley Green, and the stadium is just as busy with upcoming events like Día de los Deftones and WWE’s Survivor Series, both set for November. Though busy is always good for any venue, it can be challenging.

“We believe we continue to see success because we prioritize quality, and we are committed to delivering on those standards for our venue partners and clients,” says Lash, who added that her team will have worked more than 320 events by the end of the year.

Her team also books events for The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, a popular amphitheater, and EVE at RaDD, which only underscores the growth of the San Diego music scene and where the Padres see it going, even with the economic uncertainty during this time.

“I think people are being more careful with their spending decisions,” Lash says. “We take that very seriously and find it even more important to provide an incredible experience during live shows. We’re in the process of opening our own hospitality space adjacent to the ballpark for special events while continuing to grow our business in all areas.”