CMAC Marks Two Decades as a Premier Finger Lakes Amphitheater

CMAC, the iconic outdoor amphitheater in Canandaigua, New York, has been punching above its weight for two decades.

The picturesque Finger Lakes venue has a total capacity of 15,000, with 5,000 seats under cover and another 10,000 on a sloped lawn. That’s enough room to accommodate the entire population of Canandaigua — 10,576 people — with more than 4,400 seats to spare.

And CMAC routinely fills them. The 2026 season includes sold-out shows by Jack Johnson, Ella Langley and Luke Bryan, while the venue’s season lawn-ticket package also sold out. The success is remarkable for a community of this size, but CMAC’s draw extends well beyond Canandaigua, tapping the larger Rochester market and Finger Lakes’ summer tourism business.

As CMAC and booking partner The Bowery Presents wrap another successful outdoor season in 2026, they are also celebrating two decades of concerts, community impact and the venue’s ongoing commitment to performing arts in the region.

“Why I think it’s so special, is we stayed focused all along on the vision – and the vision was to deliver great hospitality, whether it was front of house or whether it was back of house,” says Ginny Clark, President of Friends of CMAC, the volunteer 501(c)3 that operates the venue. “That has been steadfast to the core of the values that we all really work towards – and that is to give a great experience to the guests and to the artists. … And I think that that’s paid off in spades over time.”

Since opening in 2006, the venue has welcomed more than 1.6 million fans and hosted hundreds of acclaimed artists spanning genres and generations, including Tom Petty, Kenny Chesney, Bob Dylan, David Byrne, John Legend, The Killers, Maroon 5, Hozier, Diana Ross, Brandi Carlile, Phish, Ed Sheeran, Megan Moroney, Ringo Starr, Sheryl Crow, Benson Boone, and many more.

For much of that history, The Bowery Presents, an AEG Presents company, has played a key role in shaping CMAC’s concert programming, helping establish the venue as a must-play in Upstate New York’s wine country.

“The positive impact CMAC has generated for both the local community and touring artists to bring a wide variety of music and entertainment is impressive,” says Jim Glancy, Co-President The Bowery Presents. “The dedication of the team at the venue helps to deliver a best-in-class experience whether you are performing on stage or relaxing on the lawn. We are incredibly proud of our years supporting the CMAC team at such a spectacular venue.”

Originally founded in 1983 as the Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center, the venue was created by Marvin Sands alongside other community leaders who believed deeply in the power of arts and culture to strengthen communities. In fact, the name Canandaigua is derived from the Native American word “Kanandarque,” meaning “chosen spot.”

Sand’s vision was simple yet profound: to create a space where world-class performances and community connection could thrive.

By the early 2000s, the aging facility was losing shows and revenue as newer outdoor venues entered the market including the 21,600-cap Darien Lake Amphitheater operated by Live Nation 60 miles away in Darien Center, New York, which opened in 1993.

That led Constellation Brands and the Sands family to help organize a major revitalization of the venue located on the campus of Finger Lakes Community College.

“There was a lot more competition, if you will, and we took that into consideration,” explains Clark. “So, when we rebuilt it, we really built it with intention. What can we do differently than other sheds or amphitheaters? And it was to try to really deliver this higher quality hospitality.”

In 2005, a group of community leaders came together with Marvin Sands’ sons, Richard and Rob Sands, to ensure the venue would not “go dark.” Their shared commitment set the stage for the venue’s next chapter. In 2006, the venue underwent a $13.5 million renovation and reemerged as the Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC).

Covered seating was nearly doubled from 2,600 to 5,000, concessions were expanded, restrooms upgraded, and the stage, sound, lighting and video systems were enhanced. The project was largely privately funded through donations, corporate support and the sale of 56 VIP boxes. The boxes were sold for a period of 10 years each and the proceeds were used to pay down the debt service on the renovation.

“We sold them for 10-year commitments and didn’t have one person back out for 10 years,” remarks Clark. “It’s insane. It’s crazy. We are up for renewal in ’27 and we have a list of 21 people right now that would buy in and pay more just to have a box if they could.”

The privately funded project made possible through the sale of four-seat boxes and the support of Constellation Brands redefined the venue’s future and elevated its ability to attract top-tier artists.

“I hear it constantly, particularly from artists or agents and managers coming in, whether you have 4,000 or you have 10,000, it always delivers a great experience,” offers Clark. “It’s the way in which we built it, quite honestly, that makes an artist as well as a customer feel like they are playing to an audience. Even if it’s a small audience, it feels good.”

Even though the venue can accommodate up to 15,000, Clark says the “sweet spot” is between 7,000-8,000. “And it looks absolutely spectacular,” she says.

The recent season included Johnson, Langley and Bryan as well as Teddy Swims, Death Cab for Cutie, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Brandi Carlile, Sublime, John Fogerty and Steve Winwood, among others

Many of the artists who perform at CMAC return. Bryan’s first appearance was opening for Gary Allan in 2008 and then again in 2010 for Sugarland. “The rest is history and now he filled the venue a few weeks ago,” recalls Clark. “He loves the venue. He continues to come back. We have several artists like that.”

Clark credits Bowery Presents for the strategy of booking artists on the cusp of being famous like Benson Boone, Bailey Zimmerman and Megan Moroney or artists ready to jump from arenas to stadiums like Chris Stapleton who sold out two back-to-back nights at CMAC.

As CMAC celebrates 20 years since its transformative renovation, Clark is feeling sentimental.

“There’s many times I just get choked up – and I think I’m going to get choked up now – when I think about how they said we couldn’t do it,” offers Clark. “Once Darien got built, we were going to be the redheaded stepchild in the middle of wherever. We took that and turned it around to make something pretty damn special.”

_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/09/17/cmac-celebrates-20-years-in-the-finger-lakes/)._