RETURN OF THE PARROTHEADS: Jimmy Buffett plays Simmons Bank Arena in 2012. His June show at the venue was one of the highlights of a busy 2019. (Nelson Chenault) Arkansas’ Simmons Bank Arena has a new naming-rights deal and a successful 2019 to build on Simmons Bank Arena opened in North Little Rock, Ark., in 1999, and the building and its veteran staff have seen changes over the years: naming rights sponsors, sports tenants that have come and gone, improvements to make the experience of attending more special for its patrons. There have been plenty of big moments and big shows, like the George Strait concert back in 2006 that drew a building-record 18,000 people. But like venues around the world, it’s never seen anything like what’s going on now, as COVID-19 keeps the doors closed and live sports and entertainment stands at a halt. Michael Marion, general manager of the… Continue Reading Deep South: Rock Solid

To access this content you must be a subscriber and logged in with your subscriber credentials here. To subscribe to VenuesNow, click here for more information or here for combo subscriptions including sister-publication Pollstar.