VenuesNow 2025 All-Star Honoree: Katie Millar

KATIE MILLAR
General Manager
The Pinnacle

BEST SHOW SHE’S SEEN THIS YEAR:  
“After Bonnaroo was cancelled, we put on two last minute sold-out EDM shows with Levity & Justice; both were epic shows and the energy from the crowds was truly unforgettable.”

Since The Pinnacle opened its doors in February with a performance from Kacey Musgraves, the 4,500-capacity venue has become a major tour stop and industry hang as part of the Nashville Yards development, with shows from Jason Isbell, T-Pain, Fisher, Zac Brown Band, Santana, Wilco and Jack White, among others. At the helm of one of Nashville’s hottest venues is General Manager Katie Millar.

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly incredible,” Millar says. “We’ve filled a significant gap in Nashville’s music scene as a mid-size space in the heart of the city. There are so many thoughtful design elements incorporated into this build that allows us the flexibility to do high-end shows without the need for arena-level scaling. Seeing the impact we’ve already made in a market like Nashville has been really rewarding.”

Millar notes that with The Pinnacle being AEG’s “first venue in the Nashville market, there wasn’t a lot of existing local infrastructure to lean on, so establishing vendor relationships and service agreements added extra layers of navigation. Thankfully, our corporate team offered an immense amount of support throughout the pre-opening process.”

She adds, “With our venue being the anchor of Nashville Yards, a new 19-acre mixed-use development, and the first business to open within the campus, we’ve also had to collaborate at every level with the site developers to ensure mutual success, and will continue to do so as the campus continues to grow over the coming years.”
Though The Pinnacle has been fortunate to see healthy ticket sales, the venue isn’t taking it for granted, with the marketing team doing “a phenomenal job with community engagement and getting our brand out to our target audiences.” Plus, the venue is using dynamic pricing to align with demand.

Millar is now focused on expanding the venue’s premium offerings and guest experiences. “At its core, this industry is about creating meaningful moments for people – and I’m excited to bring more thoughtfulness and intention to every touchpoint of our business,” she says.

When Millar’s not at The Pinnacle, she’s passionate about helping local animal shelters, “whether that’s through donations or volunteering my time to help animals find loving homes.”