Satellite Music Hall opens in Crosstown
By Jacob Gallant – Action News 5
September 2, 2026
Live Nation’s new Satellite Music Hall opens this weekend in Crosstown Concourse, hosting two sold-out shows for The Band Camino.
The venue held a community preview Tuesday night ahead of Friday’s grand opening, featuring students from Stax Music Academy. The 1,300-capacity venue is built to host touring artists too big for small clubs and too small for giant arenas.
Satellite Music Hall in Memphis(Action News 5)
A five-year partnership
Ted Heinig, vice president of the Southeast for Live Nation, said the venue will change the city.
“This venue is going to change Memphis in a transformational way,” Heinig said.
Heinig said the goal is to attract 80 to 100 of the best national touring artists who play 1,300-capacity venues and get them to perform in Memphis and invest there so they will want to return.
“And that’s the void we’re filling in the Memphis live music scene,” Heinig said.
The five-year project is a partnership between Live Nation and Crosstown Concourse. Maggie Gessner, head of clubs for Live Nation, said the venue incorporates design touches from Crosstown, including wood pulled from the old Sears boardroom that is now the front of one of the bars.
“The touches that were applied from Crosstown, the way that they thought about the design, the bar, the wood that they used that they pulled from the Sears boardroom that is now the front of one of the bars ... there’s so many different elements that reference,” Gessner said.
Satellite Music Hall in Memphis(Action News 5)
Backstage and food offerings
Backstage, dressing rooms showcase Memphis artists, and a wall allows acts to sign after they perform. The venue also includes a private outdoor lounge.
The venue’s name is a nod to Satellite Records, the birthplace of Memphis soul, and the food and drink menu draws on that history.
Chef Ryan Derieux, with Live Nation, said the food and beverage offerings were designed to feel intentional.
“We wanted to have local touches, and we really wanted the food and beverage offerings all feel very intentional -- from the bologna sandwich to the bottomless popcorn, all the way through here to the Vinyl Room, where we’re offering food and tapas that you would expect to find in a restaurant ... not a music venue,” Derieux said.
Vinyl Room and layout
The second-floor Vinyl Lounge is inspired by 1970s Japanese listening rooms, offering elevated cocktails, small plates and a quieter way to watch a show. Downstairs, fans can get close to the stage.
Gessner said the venue offers different experiences for fans.
“It’s definitely going to be a choose-your-own-adventure concept, right? So, the fans can come in, you can be at the front of the barricade,” Gessner said.
“Or, if you’d like to come in and have a more elevated experience here in the Vinyl Room and really take it easy with some of your friends and then go sit in the balcony,” Gessner said.
Satellite Music Hall in Memphis(Action News 5)
Jobs and Memphis music legacy
Live Nation expects to host 100 shows a year at Satellite Music Hall, creating more than 150 local jobs, including more than 100 part-time positions starting at $20 an hour.
Heinig said the venue was built to honor the city’s musical history.
“Memphis has a rich musical legacy, and we really wanted to honor that legacy by created this sacred space to come and enjoy live music,” Heinig said.
“So that people could experience that Memphis is the greatest music city on the planet,” Heinig said.
Satellite Music Hall has partnered with Stax Music Academy to give students hands-on experience in areas including business decisions and audio technology.
