OUR STORY
MISSION
Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts – situated in historic Fairmount Park with breathtaking views of Philadelphia’s skyline – serves as one of the nation’s premier non-profit and intercultural outdoor performing arts organizations by:
• Creating, presenting, promoting, convening, and collaborating on a broad spectrum of highquality, compelling, welcoming, and inspiring entertainment experiences in its acclaimed multi-stage campus;
• Providing leadership in arts education through innovative and high-impact, collaborative educational activities for young people throughout the Philadelphia region;
• Fulfilling the expectations of 21st-century audiences by embracing multimedia platforms;
• Being a deeply valued civic asset to everyone in the Philadelphia region, an active community stakeholder in West Philadelphia and its immediate neighborhoods, and a responsible steward of its natural campus and resources;
• Making its facilities available as a public service to other non-profit organizations.
Highmark Mann will be recognized as the national model and trusted curator of “must-see” performances and transformative experiences in Philadelphia and beyond.
VALUES
Highmark Mann is committed to fostering long-standing relationships with its stakeholders—both internal and external—based on the following core values:
Excellence – We seek to create first-class experiences that are unparalleled. We strive for exceptional quality in everything we do by always putting forth our best effort.
Respect and Belonging – We foster a community marked by openness, fairness, and equality. We value, respect, and leverage our differences, while sharing a common mission.
Integrity – We consistently operate with unyielding honesty, honor, and transparency. We hold ourselves and each other to the highest ethical standards.
Welcoming – We create an inclusive and friendly community, where everyone feels special. We focus attention on serving our artists, guests, donors, team members, volunteers, and students.
Innovation – We seek transformative, cutting-edge, and unique experiences on- and off-stage. We use creativity in all we do—from programming to problem solving.
OVERVIEW
Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts, located in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, is one of the country’s foremost outdoor music centers, welcoming more than 400,000 visitors annually. Celebrating five decades of great performances on our iconic campus, we have established a remarkable legacy of artistic excellence and become a beloved non-profit cultural and civic treasure.
We are a world-class entertainment destination presenting premier artists each summer season (May to October). In addition to presenting annual summer performances by resident companies, The Philadelphia Orchestra and BalletX, our seasons feature world-premiere commissions as well as leading artists in rock, hip hop, R&B, jazz, pop, and more.
Highmark Mann’s 14,000-seat TD Pavilion and the open-air Skyline Stage are part of a 21-acre campus in Fairmount Park that boasts multiple event spaces surrounded by lush green lawns, bountiful gardens, historic art and sculptures, a fountain, and a panoramic view of the city’s iconic skyline.
The Institute of the Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts officially launched in 2025. This bold new initiative is focused on expanding our commitment to arts education, workforce development, and community engagement—all in service of reimagining the role and responsibility of a performing arts institution to its community.
To learn more about our leadership including our Board of Directors and Chairman’s Council, visit
Highmark Mann’s roots extend back to 1930, when the Robin Hood Dell Concerts opened as a unique outdoor summer home to present The Philadelphia Orchestra.
Our current campus opened during the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 with an inaugural concert featuring The Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Eugene Ormandy in a star-studded program. The first season included appearances by Ella Fitzgerald, Leonard Bernstein, and Beverly Sills, and marked the North American conducting debut of Zubin Mehta, setting the stage for the spectacular decades to follow.
In 1979, the campus was named in honor of the philanthropist and businessman Fredric R. Mann, who served as director of Robin Hood Dell and was a driving force in the creation of the current campus.
Throughout our history, there has been an impressive and diverse roster of landmark performances and international artists ranging from Luciano Pavarotti and James Taylor to Mikhail Baryshnikov and Ringo Starr; Aretha Franklin and Yo-Yo Ma to Van Cliburn and Whitney Houston; Marian Anderson and Cyndi Lauper to Miles Davis and Steve Martin.
For more information, please visit HighmarkMann.org/History
HIGHMARK MANN @
50 years later, we are marking this milestone anniversary by reimagining Highmark Mann’s entire campus. The centerpiece is a new 46,000-square-foot plaza that more than triples the footprint of the previous plaza. New features include a 4,900-square-foot light-and-sound digital wall which animates the plaza with vivid installations, as well as a new Welcome Center featuring the Music Hall of Fame.
As a key cultural cornerstone, Highmark Mann’s 2026 season will celebrate this transformational moment, presenting a slate of original commissions and celebratory performances that highlight our rich history and service to the community as America marks its 250th anniversary.
For more information, please visit HighmarkMann.org/50
STATISTICS AT A GLANCE
• 400,000+ patrons annually
- 260,000+ patrons for co-presented popular programs at TD Pavilion
- 50,000+ patrons for co-presented popular programs at Skyline Stage
- 60,000+ patrons for cultural programs
- 30,000+ patrons for free events
• 14,300+ students and community members reached annually through free education and community engagement programs
• 870,000+ email subscribers
• 140,000+ social media followers
• 2,200+ times Highmark Mann is mentioned in the media annually
• 170+ events annually
• 4 performance spaces
- Presser Foundation Main Stage at TD Pavilion
- Skyline Stage
- Full Campus Festival Format
- Downstage @ Highmark Mann
The Institute of the Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts provides transformative opportunities for Philadelphia’s youth, fostering career pathways in the music industry, enhancing out-of-school time programming, and deepening Highmark Mann’s role as a cultural hub.
Our vision is for Highmark Mann to serve as a creative catalyst for civically engaged youth and economic development that enriches the quality of life for Parkside and Greater Philadelphia. The Institute of the Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts is designed and guided by three core initiatives:
Out-of-School Time (OST)
Out-of-School Time initiatives offer students increased opportunities to explore and develop skills that are otherwise more difficult to access. These programs are shown to improve a student’s in-school engagement and retention of materials, proving the value of a program extends well beyond the time limitations of a specific project.
Workforce Development (WFD)
Highmark Mann’s Workforce Development programs seek to provide valuable learning environments and opportunities to students and young adults ages 10–25 with the goal of each participant gaining skills and tools needed for success. Through innovative partnerships, Highmark Mann offers a variety of WFD programs targeted to address three main pillars: Awareness, Exposure, and Experience.
Cultural Convening (CC)
Cultural Convening initiatives help promote growth and enhancements to quality of life within our community through arts and culture programming. Successful CC programs require strategic partnerships across sectors and effectively intertwine cultural institutions, community developers, artists and other stakeholders within the surrounding neighborhoods.
For more information and to learn about the programs of the Institute of the Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts, please visit HighmarkMann.org/Education
A CULTURAL BEACON
Highmark Mann has a historic legacy of artistic excellence as a world-class entertainment destination presenting premier artists. Each summer season, renowned symphony orchestras, iconic rock stars, and the latest touring artists in indie rock, hip hop, R&B, and pop take the stage here. Highmark Mann is the summer home of The Philadelphia Orchestra and has presented critically acclaimed performers in every decade since the 1930s.
In 2020, Highmark Mann and Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company, entered into an exclusive, multi-year booking partnership. Through this partnership, Live Nation Entertainment delivers dynamic leading touring artists, joining Highmark Mann in investing capital resources to enhance Highmark Mann’s patron experience through VIP opportunities, new concession options, expanded production of large experiential musical festivals, and more.
Throughout the course of Highmark Mann’s history, the organization has hosted a multitude of premieres and landmark performances, from the Philadelphia premieres of The Metropolitan Opera and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra to international debuts of Yo-Yo Ma and Midori to over 10 world premiere performances.
To view the full list of historic perfomances, please visit HighmarkMann.org/History
LEGACY PERFORMANCES AND PROGRAMS
• Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (1976)
• Zubin Mehta (1976)
• The Metropolitan Opera (1978)
• American Ballet Theatre with Mikhail Baryshnikov (1979)
• Yo-Yo Ma (1981)*
• Midori (1983)*
• Kirov Ballet (1986)
• Cats (1989)
• Riverdance (1998)
• Bolshoi Ballet and Orchestra’s Spartacus (2005)
• The Royal Ballet’s first Philadelphia performances of Romeo and Juliet & Swan Lake in 31 years (2007)
• Du Yun’s Angel’s Bone (2011)
• Symphonic Sports-tacular (2011)^
• Philadelphia Freedom Festival featuring Uri Caine’s The Passion of Octavius Catto (2014)
• Firebird: Reimagined (2016)^
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ In Concert (2016)
• New Frontiers Festival featuring Nolan Williams, Jr.’s Hold Fast to Dreams (2017)
• A Championship Season (2018)^
• Brilliantly Bernstein: Beyond the Baton Festival featuring Darin Atwater’s South Side, Symphonic Dances (2018)
• The Philadelphia Community Mass (2019)
• Ellen Reid’s SOUNDWALK (2020-2021)
• Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story In Concert (2021)
• Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company’s Deep Blue Sea (2019-2022)
• Darin Atwater’s Black Metropolis (2023)
• Considering Matthew Shepard (2024)
• BalletX’s Maslow’s Peak (2025)
• BalletX’s The Four Seasons Reimagined (2026)^
• Peter Boyer and Mark Campbell’s A Hundred Years On (2026)^
PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE WORLD PREMIERE ^COMMISSION/CO-COMMISSION *INTERNATIONAL DEBUT
OUR GALAXY OF STARS
ABBA • ALISON KRAUSS • ARETHA FRANKLIN • B.B. KING
BARRY
DOLLY PARTON • DURAN DURAN • ELLA FITZGERALD • GEORGE THOROGOOD & THE DESTROYERS
GLADYS KNIGHT
HALL & OATES
HARRY CONNICK, JR. • HERBIE HANCOCK JACKSON BROWNE • JAMES BROWN • JAMES TAYLOR • JEFFERSON STARSHIP • JETHRO TULL
LYNYRD SKYNYRD • MAVIS STAPLES • MAZE • PATTI LABELLE
JOAN BAEZ
JOE COCKER
JOHN MELLENCAMP • JOSH GROBAN • KENNY ROGERS
SANTANA
SMOKEY ROBINSON • STEELY DAN • STEVE MARTIN & MARTIN SHORT • STEVE MILLER • THE BEACH BOYS • THE FOUR TOPS • THE MONKEES • THE MOODY BLUES THE WHO (ROGER DALTREY) • TONY BENNETT • VANESSA WILLIAMS • WILLIE NELSON • YANNI ANIMAL
OUR CAMPUS
Located in the heart of Fairmount Park, Highmark Mann’s 21-acre campus boasts lush green lawns, bountiful gardens, historic art and sculptures, a fountain, and a panoramic view of the city’s iconic skyline, making it a unique backdrop for memorable performances, events, and gatherings. With a host of dynamic spaces, the campus is comprised of six primary locations.
Interested in renting Highmark Mann? Please visit HighmarkMann.org/Rentals
TD PAVILION
Featuring covered seating and the Presser Foundation Stage, TD Pavilion is recognized for its warm, cedar interior, metal exterior, and striking roofline with a total seating capacity of approximately 13,000 (4,500 seats under the roof and more than 8,500 outside on the Russ and Wendy Palmer Great Lawn).
SKYLINE STAGE
A state-of-the-art scaffolding stage situated at the top of Highmark Mann’s hill, providing an additional open-air venue with an expansive view of the city of Philadelphia and a football-field-sized green space that accommodates 3,000 to 7,500 guests during sold-out performances.
ACCLAIM
Gift of the Gdula Family
The campus’s newest event space, Acclaim, hosts 2,400 square feet of tented space featuring wonderful views and lush garden accents. The tent can accommodate up to 280 guests theater style and up to 200 guests for seated receptions.
ZAKIAN CRESCENDO
Our 5,000 square foot tented space is located at the Top of the Hill with unparalleled views of the city skyline. Traditionally used as Highmark Mann’s pre-concert restaurant, Zakian Crescendo can host up to 624 guests theater style and up to 450 guests for seated receptions. Crescendo can also be transformed into the Skyline Lounge @ Zakian Crescendo, hosting up to 75 people in a more intimate setting.
DONOR TERRACE AND GARDEN
Built in 2006, the Donor Terrace and Garden is utilized to entertain major donors and guests in an elegant and private setting. Surrounded by lush gardens and unique sculptures, this twinkle-lit space hosts a lush outdoor area as well as the campus’s only indoor, climate-controlled location and features a private bar and restrooms.
TD WOODLANDS
Featuring stunning arboreal lighting and comfortable Adirondack and picnic bench seating, the TD Woodlands is the perfect open-air setting for your outdoor event. With over 8,500 square feet, this versatile space offers easy accessibility for a wide array of interactive activities and attractions such as live entertainment, food trucks, and specialty vendors.
