For 49 years, the Mann Center for the Perfoming Arts has been among the city’s premier outdoor music destinations. 

As it prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, the organization has announced a $70 million campaign and subsequent groundbreaking to a new project to renovate and reimagine its entry plaza and the entire visitor experience. 

Chris Bruner, board chair of the Mann Center, said this project will include a new 46,000 square foot plaza.

“That will be triple the size of our current plaza,” he added. “It will be the home to the centennial Welcome Center and the Digital Music Hall of Fame, and a brand new bar and lounge that we all believe will become a center meeting point for everybody that comes out to the Mann.”

In addition to the campaign, the Mann Center announced a new 12-year partnership with Highmark Blue Shield.

As a result of this new multi-million partnership, the organization has undergone a name change, now referred to as the Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts.

“Today’s groundbreaking marks an important step in securing the Mann’s legacy as a world-class destination for our patrons, our cultural position here as a leader in the city of Philadelphia, and as a caring neighbor,” said Catherine Cahill, president and CEO of the Mann Center.

She added that the two organizations share the same values, including a deep commitment to the arts, the Philadelphia community, and the future.

That was a sentiment shared by Highmark Blue Shield’s Southeastern PA Market President Dan Tropeano. 

“We are not just adding out names to a marquee,” he said. “We are solidifying a shared vision in the future of the arts, education, and community enrichment.”