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Atlanta's Lakewood Amphitheatre and Buckhead Theatre Get New Names in Scana Energy Deal
Live Nation has struck its first naming-rights partnership with Georgia natural gas provider Scana Energy, rebranding Lakewood Amphitheatre and Buckhead Theatre effective immediately. The deal raises questions about corporate influence over the city's cultural landmarks.
Two of Atlanta's most storied music venues are getting new names. Effective Tuesday, Lakewood Amphitheatre becomes Scana Energy Amphitheatre at Lakewood, and Buckhead Theatre becomes Buckhead Theatre by Scana Energy, under a naming-rights partnership between concert giant Live Nation and Georgia natural gas provider Scana Energy.
The agreement marks Scana Energy's first naming-rights deal and Live Nation's first such partnership with the company. Jen Bowden, Scana Energy's general manager, said the pairing offers a chance to connect with venues that already carry significant cultural weight. "I think this gives us the opportunity to have a connection to two venues that carry a lot of weight on their own," Bowden said.
Buckhead Theatre, a roughly 1,400-capacity room on Roswell Road, opened as a movie house in 1930. In the 1970s, late promoter Alex Cooley and Peter Conlonânow chairman of Live Nation Georgiaâconverted it into a music venue. It alternated between live music and films through the late 1980s before focusing exclusively on concerts. Over the decades it has operated under several names, including the Coca-Cola Roxy, a title later revived for a larger venue at the Battery. Live Nation took over operations in 2017.
Lakewood Amphitheatre, an outdoor shed in southwest Atlanta, has hosted major acts for decades. The venue has undergone several ownership and naming changes, including a previous stint as Coca-Cola Lakewood Amphitheatre and, more recently, Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood. Live Nation has operated the venue since 1999.
Bowden framed the partnership as more than marketing. "We want to be a good community partner," she said, adding that the company aims to support the venues' reach. Live Nation said in a statement that the deal reflects a shared commitment to live music and community. "That's what we're aboutâputting on a great show and being a good neighbor," the statement read.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Neither company would comment on the length of the deal or the specific dollar figures involved.
The rebranding comes as Atlanta's live music scene continues to draw national touring acts and as corporate naming rights increasingly shape the city's cultural infrastructure. For concertgoers, the change is mostly symbolicâtickets and shows remain under Live Nation's operationâbut it underscores the growing role of energy companies in civic life, even as Georgia ratepayers face rising utility costs and debates over fossil fuel expansion.
Upcoming shows at the renamed venues include country band Treaty Oak Revival at Buckhead Theatre and rock acts Iron Maiden and Adam Ray at Lakewood Amphitheatre.