VenuesNow 2026 All-Star Honoree: Patrick Nagle

Patrick Nagle
Executive Director
Allstate Arena & Rosemont Theatre

HOCKEY ROOTS
“Grew up playing with Chicago Blackhawks great Chris Chelios.”

Over the past three decades, Pat Nagle has played a key role running Allstate Arena (capacity 18,000) and the Rosemont Theatre (capacity 4,400).

Nagle, an accountant, started working as finance director for the Rosemont Horizon in 1989, nine years after the venue opened, and he was promoting concerts in-house by the early 1990s. The arena was rebranded in 1999 after Allstate Insurance Co. acquired naming rights. That same year, Nagle was promoted to general manager of the arena and the theater, which opened in 1995.

Although often going head-to-head with the downtown Chicago United Center, Nagle says – and the arena has consistently shown over the years ­– that there’s enough live content for multiple venues to thrive.

“When the bands and agents and promoters show up, they’re like, ‘Man, there’s not a bad seat in this place,’” Nagle said of Allstate Arena, noting the venue’s proximity to O’Hare International Airport and surrounding suburbs as a strength.

“It looks like a 10,000-seat arena, but it’s really 18,000. Even Garth Brooks fell in love with this place when we first came here, and I’ve done 30 shows with Garth over the years.”

That relationship continues, as Brooks’ “Blame It All On My Roots Tour,” announced at venues one at a time and with multiple shows in each market in typical Garth fashion, made four stops at Allstate Arena Sept. 10-13.

“Garth has always stood by us,” Nagle said in a previous interview for Pollstar’s Concert Venue Directory, noting he met the beloved country star before he hit the big time.

“He was the opening act for The Judds [in 1991]. I watched his set and thought, who is this crazy guy jumping all around, screaming and hollering? … I told him, ‘I loved your set and I know you’ll be doing this stuff by yourself and will be the main act soon and you’ll come back here and play.’ And he did. He’s very loyal.”