The Mann Center

The Mann Center has served for many decades as the City of Philadelphia’s premier outdoor summer performing arts festival, presenting a wide array of cultural programming and popular events that has created a lifetime of memories for generations of Philadelphians. As it prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2016 at its 20 acre home in West Fairmount Park, the Mann is poised to launch an exciting, creative and comprehensive plan for the future that will position it with all Philadelphia residents and visitors alike as the Delaware Valley’s town square—the “go to” place for consistently high quality, compelling, accessible and fun, communal entertainment events, as well as powerful educational experiences.  The Mann fully embraces and welcomes the expectations of 21st century audiences, who are seeking more than a passive listening experience, no matter how good the music. They want participatory, new engaging experiences, with video screen close ups of the performers and an opportunity to share their reactions to the performance in real time through interactive social media. They want to escape from their daily pressures and socialize with friends or family around an entertainment event, in a relaxed, informal, festive environment, with good food and drink. They gravitate to venues with state-of-the-art amenities and unparalleled customer service. And, they have varied, eclectic musical tastes that are less “siloed” in terms of genre than previous generations, with many of them being as passionate about an emotionally compelling orchestral score and 60’s retro tour, as they are for the latest hot indie band.  The Mann—with its upgraded multi-stage facilities in a natural park setting and a breathtaking skyline view—has a unique opportunity to meet the expectations of these 21st century audiences. By taking on a more assertive role as an initiator of innovative programming, events and themed festivals, the Mann will become recognized by all in the Philadelphia region as a trusted curator of “must see” performance experiences.