MILWAUKEE — Landmark Credit Union Live is a 4,500-capacity venue designed to attract national touring acts while giving fans an up-close concert experience. Venue leaders say it fills a key gap in Milwaukee's music scene and marks another major step in positioning the city as a growing music destination.
The venue officially opens Friday, but a Community Preview Night put local artists on stage first.
Earlier today, Landmark Credit Union Live gave TMJ4 a first look inside the new concert space ahead of the preview. Community members got a taste of the new facility, with performances from several local groups.
Joel Plant, CEO of Frank Productions, said the project is a milestone for the city.
"Milwaukee deserves this. As a Milwaukee native, we've all watched how the city's grown and evolved over time. And every once in a while, you get an opportunity to do something big and bold that you know is going to be impactful for generations to come — and that's this project for me."
Plant said the venue is also a commitment to Milwaukee's future as a music city.
Watch: Landmark Credit Union Live opens in Milwaukee's Deer District, bringing 4,500-capacity venue to city
"I think the community should be very proud of the way that Milwaukee's grown. We should be very excited about the path that we're on now in terms of a music city. This venue is going to bring more artists to Milwaukee to connect with more of their fans in their hometown — and as we do that, Milwaukee will continue to be a must-play city for national touring artists for decades to come."
The venue is also rooted in local partnerships. Art installations inside come from local artists, and the venue has committed to working with organizations like Greater Milwaukee's Grace Weber Music to support arts education and job training opportunities — including access to the non-performance side of the music industry.
Plant said the community investment runs deep.
"The art installations that we have inside all come from local artists. We have local bands opening the stage for us tonight at our community event. We're committed to partnering with local organizations like Greater Milwaukee's Grace Weber Music to continue to fuel education and opportunities in the arts and entertainment space, including access to the non-performance side of the music industry with job training here at Landmark Credit Union Live."
Food is also a focal point at Landmark Credit Union Live. Head Chef Ryan DeRieux said the venue is working to change expectations around concert food.
"For a long time, you know, the joke always was — you come to a building, you get a warm beer and a slightly warmer pretzel or hot dog — and we've worked really, really hard to bring the food center stage and focus on it. Whether it's the general concessions food or the VIP spaces, it's really important that we're serving the highest quality, freshest product that we can and highlighting local whenever possible."
DeRieux said there is something for every fan.
"So, what you can expect at the Landmark Credit Union Live is a little bit of something for everyone. We've got everything from hot dogs all the way up to Wagyu beef burgers in the vinyl room and something in between as well."
The venue's Vinyl Room offers a more elevated experience for concertgoers.
"Upstairs in our vinyl room, it's an opportunity to have a restaurant-style experience in a concert venue. The food is all really fun and whimsical. It really matches the energy of the show, and it's not normal what you would expect in a venue. So you can sit down, you can have a full meal."
Local partners at the venue include Koko's Bavarian and Third Space Brewing. The opening marks another expansion for the district as a growing entertainment hub.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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