Mission Ballroom

39°46′33″N 104°58′10″W

Mission Ballroom

Exterior of the venue (c. 2019)
Former names	AEG RiNo Concert Hall (planning/construction)
Address	4242 Wynkoop St Denver, CO 80216-3837
Location	Elyria-Swansea
Operator	AEG Presents Rocky Mountains
Capacity	3,950
Construction
Broke ground	April 2018
Opened	August 7, 2019 (2019-08-07)
Architect	Works Progress Architecture
Project manager	Westfield Development
Structural engineer	Martin/Martin, Inc. S. A. Miro, Inc.
General contractor	Mortenson Construction
Website
Venue website

The Mission Ballroom is a concert venue located in the RiNo neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. The building opened in August 2019 with a capacity of nearly 4,000 patrons. Operated by AEG Presents Rocky Mountain, the venue is viewed as a competitor to the Live Nation operated Fillmore Auditorium.

Background

The ballroom is a project that took 11 years to come to fruition. Chuck Morris, CEO of AEG Presents Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest, helped spearhead the project.^[1] After searching for the right spot, it was finally settled on the River North Art District, near the historic Denver Coliseum. Works Progress Architecture designed the space with unique flexibility allowing it to transform depending on capacity.^[2] The venue can accommodate 2,200 to 3,950 guests in the bowl-like seating arrangement - providing each guest with unrivaled sightlines. With assistance from Westfield Development, the music venue will be the anchor for the North Wynkoop District.^[3] This will be a mixed-use development space featuring retail and commercial spaces, a boutique hotel and residential housing. This project is expected to be complete by 2023.^[4]

The venue was announced to the public in April 2018, with construction beginning shortly afterwards. Initial designs and concepts were submitted in 2016. Morris cites the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Brooklyn Steel and The Anthem as design inspiration.^[5] Financed by FirstBank,^[6] the 60,000 sqft space will provide patrons with a club experience providing clear sight lines and state-of-the-art lighting and sound. With a sound system designed by D&B Audiotechnik, the venue will be the first to use a noise-cancelling system that will eliminate muddled noise caused by sounds emanating from the sides and rear of the system's speakers.^[7]

The space is also designed with a moving stage to accommodate crowds of 2,200 to 3,950.^[8] Each configuration can utilize a large dance floor area for general admission, with reserved seating allocated on both sides of the stage. VIP sections are available with a bar area.^[9]

Speaking about the venue, Don Strasburg, Co-President of AEG Presents Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest stated:

"We wanted to come up with a room that was purely focused on live music, but able to function properly for multiple types of audiences [...] We created a front row along the balcony rail that will always be general admission. We know there are certain people who want a higher level of experience, however, it's really important that the energy from the most die-hard fan, no matter what their income, goes directly to the artists.^[10]"

Construction completed July 2019. The venue opened on August 7, 2019^[11] with a performance by The Lumineers.^[12]

References

1. Sylte, Alison (August 7, 2019). "The Mission Ballroom: AEG's bid to 'build the best club' Denver's ever seen". KUSA. Tegna Inc. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
2. "Works Progress Architecture, Mission Ballroom". Works Progress Architecture. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
3. Harris, Kyle (April 9, 2018). "AEG Announces New RiNo Venue: The Mission Ballroom". Westword. Voice Media Group. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
4. Deorio, Christine (October 8, 2018). "Denver Design Week's Can't-Miss Architecture Tours". 5280. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
5. Speer, Deborah (April 24, 2018). "Q's With AEG Presents' Chuck Morris: After An 11-Year Search, A Dream Comes True With Denver's Mission Ballroom". Pollstar. Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
6. "FirstBank Launches 2018 With Strong Earnings Growth" (Press release). Lakewood, Colorado: FirstBank Holding Co. GlobeNewswire. May 7, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
7. Herbert, Kiran (August 2019). "An Inside Look at Mission Ballroom, Denver's Newest Music Venue". 5280. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
8. "AEG PRESENTS ANNOUNCES THE MISSION BALLROOM, A REVOLUTIONARY CONCERT EXPERIENCE OPENING IN DENVER'S RINO NEIGHBORHOOD SUMMER 2019" (PDF) (Press release). Denver, Colorado: Westfield Company. Aiello Public Relations & Marketing. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
9. Mason, Toni (March 19, 2019). "Colorado Music Hall Of Famer Excited For 'Multi-Purpose Monster' Concert Venue". KCNC-TV. CBS Corporation. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
10. Brooks, Dave (April 9, 2018). "Mission Accomplished: Inside AEG Rocky Mountains' Next-Generation Venue and Its Purpose-Driven Name". Billboard. Eldridge Industries. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
11. Harris, Kyle (August 8, 2019). "Mission Accomplished: AEG's New Denver Venue Nails the Small Stuff". Westword. Voice Media Group. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
12. Dahlke, Joe (March 20, 2019). "New 60,000-square-foot music venue in RiNo will open in August with concert by The Lumineers". KDVR. Nexstar Media Group. Retrieved September 20, 2019.