Riverport Amphitheatre

The outdoor venue near St. Louis where a 1991 Guns N' Roses show turned into the Riverport Riot.

Riverport Amphitheatre is the original name of an outdoor concert venue in Maryland Heights, Missouri, close to St. Louis, now called Hollywood Casino Amphitheater. It has also traded as the UMB Bank Pavilion and the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. The venue opened in June 1991 and within weeks became infamous as the site of the Riverport Riot, when a Guns N' Roses concert on the Use Your Illusion Tour erupted into violence on July 2, 1991. Since then it has remained a major summer stop for touring bands and festivals in the St. Louis area.

Quick Facts

Address: 14141 Riverport Dr / Maryland Heights, MO 63043-4807
Location: Greater St. Louis
Opened: June 14, 1991
Owner: Live Nation
Cost: $12 million / ($ in US dollars)US
Former Names: Riverport Amphitheatre / (1991–2002) · UMB Bank Pavilion / (2002–2006) · Verizon Wireless Amphitheater / (2007–2014)
Capacity: 20,000
Public Transit: bus · 1 MetroBus

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

The amphitheater cost roughly $12 million to build and opened on June 14, 1991, with a show by Steve Winwood. Less than a month later, the Guns N' Roses concert descended into a bloody riot that left 65 people hurt, 25 of them police officers, led to dozens of arrests and caused property damage running to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The local promoter that built the venue, Contemporary Group, was bought by SFX in 1998, and SFX's corporate successor, Live Nation Entertainment, still owns and runs it. Naming rights passed to UMB Bank in 2002 and to Verizon Wireless in November 2006.

Reader's Guide

On December 17, 2014, Live Nation signed a multiyear title sponsorship with Hollywood Casino St. Louis, about 2 mi to the north, giving the venue its current name. Beyond the riot, it has seen many memorable nights: REO Speedwagon and Styx recorded a joint live album there in 2000, Sting played with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2010, and Red Hot Chili Peppers closed their Unlimited Love Tour there in 2024. It has hosted festivals such as Lollapalooza, Ozzfest, Lilith Fair, Farm Aid and the Vans Warped Tour.

Did You Know?

The venue opened on June 14, 1991, less than three weeks before the riot.
In July 2010 Kings of Leon cut their set short after three songs, reportedly because pigeons were fouling the stage.
The REO Speedwagon and Styx live album from the venue is called Arch Allies Live at Riverport.
AJR headlined there on May 31, 2022, touring OK Orchestra.