December 2024/January 2025| maconmagazine.com 35
A l o o k b a c k
o n t h e f i r s t
y e a r o f t h e
At r i u m H e a l t h
A m p h i t h e a te r
BY EDNA RUIZ ADAMS | PHOTOS BY MATT ODOM
R
oars, music, and excitement now live
in West Macon thanks to the addition
of Atrium Health Amphitheater. This
was a project that once sounded like a
rumor. People would say things like:
"There's no way it'll get done."
"It's a waste of my money."
"There's nothing that can be done with
the mall."
People had a lot to say online, in heated social
media comment sections of news articles or
shares of viral moments. Those comments have
quickly turned into sentiments such as:
"Love the new amphitheater!!!! Thank you,
mayor!!!"
"So many people gave up on our city. Lester,
thanks so much for fighting for it!"
Almost three years ago in February 2022, Macon-
Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller stood in an empty
lot of what was once a department store at the
bustling Macon Mall. Following the trend of indoor
malls across America, the Macon Mall had slowly
emptied out over time, with large swaths of empty
commercial space around it. In this surprising
environment, Miller told the world this space would
bring in new energy and hope to West Macon. It
was on this very site that they would build a new
10,000 seat amphitheater. He told people at the
announcement that they were standing where
some of the best acts in the world would soon be
on stage performing.
Two years later, that is exactly what happened
when the Atrium Health Amphitheater opened
in March.
The opening
concert of the
amphitheater
featured ZZ
Top and Lynyrd
Skynyrd this
past March.
