The Mann Center for the Performing Arts is an outdoor amphitheater in West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, that has served as the summer home of the Philadelphia Orchestra since it opened in 1976. It picked up where the nearby Robin Hood Dell amphitheater left off, continuing a tradition of open-air orchestral performances in the park that dated back to 1930.
The venue opened as Robin Hood Dell West before being renamed the Mann Music Center in 1979 in honor of philanthropist Fredric R. Mann, and later becoming The Mann Center for the Performing Arts in 2000 as its programming broadened beyond classical music. In 2025, it entered a 12-year naming rights deal with insurer Highmark, becoming known as Highmark Mann.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Type: Outdoor amphitheater
- Opened: June 14, 1976
- Capacity: About 14,000 (roughly 4,743 seated under roof plus over 8,600 lawn and additional seating)
- Famous for: Summer home of the Philadelphia Orchestra
A Legacy Rooted in Fairmount Park
The Mann Center’s story is tied to the Philadelphia Orchestra’s long history of summer performances in Fairmount Park, which began at the Robin Hood Dell amphitheater in 1930. When the current venue opened in 1976 as Robin Hood Dell West, it gave the orchestra a modern outdoor stage while preserving the tradition of accessible, open-air classical music in the park.
The venue was renamed the Mann Music Center in 1979 to honor Fredric R. Mann, a prominent supporter of the arts, before adopting The Mann Center for the Performing Arts name in 2000 as its offerings expanded to include popular music, jazz, and other genres alongside its classical roots.
The Concert Experience
The Mann’s design pairs a partially covered pavilion with expansive lawn seating, letting concertgoers choose between traditional seats and a picnic-style lawn experience under the summer sky. That combination has made it a Philadelphia summer tradition and helped it earn Pollstar nominations for Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue in North America in 2010, 2011, and 2014.
Beyond its concert calendar, the Mann runs an extensive music education program that reaches more than 50,000 young people annually, reinforcing its role as both a performance venue and a community arts institution in Philadelphia.
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Mann Center for the Performing Arts FAQs
What is the Mann Center for the Performing Arts known for?
It is an outdoor amphitheater in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park best known as the summer home of the Philadelphia Orchestra, alongside a broader lineup of popular music and other performances.
When did the Mann Center open?
It opened on June 14, 1976, originally under the name Robin Hood Dell West.
What is the seating capacity of the Mann Center?
The venue holds about 14,000 people, combining roughly 4,743 seats under its covered pavilion with over 8,600 additional lawn and outdoor seats.
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Photo: Adeceve / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.