AMC Theaters is getting into the live concert business. In other words, fans will no longer have to pay hundreds of dollars for a ticket to see their favorite artists up close and personal. Alternatively, they can go to their local theatre.
Adam Aron, CEO of AMC Theaters, revealed the launch of what it calls Arena One at AMC during the company’s earnings call on May 5. Arena One has a revenue-sharing model where AMC keeps a “significant” percentage of admission revenue and food and beverage sales at the theaters, and Arena One will also receive a “significant” share of the revenue, Aaron said. AMC will have an exclusive Arena One deal for itself “for the foreseeable future.”
The program is designed to provide a live concert experience at a more accessible price than traditional concerts, especially when compared to the cost of attending a live show in person, including travel and accommodations.
Ticket prices range from $40 to $75 before taxes and any applicable online fees, depending on the artist and market. Online ticket fees are consistent with standard movie ticket fees.
Arena One marks AMC’s biggest move into music since 2023, when Taylor Swift and her team bypassed the usual Hollywood studio route and struck a deal with the nation’s and world’s largest motion picture circuit to distribute footage of her blockbuster concert. Taylor Swift: Tour for the Ages. Not only was this a coup for Aaron; Tour of the ages It earned over $261 million at the global box office to become the highest-grossing concert picture of all time (the category that does not include concert docs).
Arena One will debut in June 2026, with performances by Bebe Rexha on June 17, Paris Hilton on June 18, and Maren Morris on June 20, which can be experienced live at more than 300 AMC locations in 89 markets across the country, or as Aaron says, “from sea to shining sea.”
Additional artists and dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
“The next chapter of live performances is not about proximity to large venues, it is about creating a deep, intimate and affordable direct connection between artists and fans no matter where they are,” Rohit Kapoor, founder and creative director of Arena One, said in a statement.
The CEO added, “Arena One gives artists a new cinematic canvas to create live shows, while amplifying the raw energy and engaged audiences that make live shows so memorable.”
No matter where they are, fans will be part of the concert, with audience noise, voices and reactions flowing back and forth between various locations and performers in real time through innovative interactive technology designed for an immediate and electric feeling aided by massive screens and powerful sound, according to a statement announcing the details of Arena One at AMC.
“We view this as a big announcement, as AMC Entertainment is once again taking an innovative step forward. Arena One at AMC has the potential to open a whole new chapter in live entertainment,” said Aaron. “Thanks to Arena One at AMC, music fans across the country will be able to come together for the same live concert, at the same time, all with the premium experience accessible from the huge screens, powerful sound, and comfortable seating that AMC guests have come to know and expect.”
Peter Hamilton, CEO of Arena One, added, “We’ve built a movie theater optimized to translate seamlessly into movie theaters, but artists define what it becomes. They don’t adapt rides; they build something new. That’s when the medium stimulates renewal.”
