Here are today’s 8 verified theme park & live event stories, covering Theme Parks & Roller Coasters, Stadiums & Arenas and Live Music & Venues.
Every item below links to its original source.
The TLDR
- Theme Parks & Roller Coasters: AZA Names Melissa Howerton Executive Vice President
- Stadiums & Arenas: Allegiant Stadium’s North Entry Gets $75 Million Overhaul Approval
- Live Music & Venues: Pollstar Names Brett Murrihy 2026 Impact International Honoree
Theme Parks & Roller Coasters
AZA Names Melissa Howerton Executive Vice President
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has named Melissa Howerton its new executive vice president, effective September 1, 2026. Howerton, who has spent 18 years at AZA including more than nine as senior vice president of member services, succeeds Craig Hoover and will oversee the association’s internal departments, per blooloop.
Disney Cruise Line Reveals 2027 Halloween and Holiday Cruise Dates
Disney Cruise Line has revealed its 2027 dates for Halloween on the High Seas and Very Merrytime Cruises, announced via Instagram on September 3. Halloween sailings begin in September 2027, while Very Merrytime cruises return in November and December 2027, with general bookings opening September 8, according to WDW News Today.
Second Disney Store Limited Time Opens in New Jersey
A second Disney Store Limited Time location has officially opened, this time at Westfield Garden State Plaza in New Jersey. The pop-up-style shop, run in collaboration with Go! Retail Group, gives fans a dedicated space to browse Disney merchandise, per WDW News Today.
Stadiums & Arenas
Allegiant Stadium’s North Entry Gets $75 Million Overhaul Approval
The Las Vegas Stadium Authority unanimously approved up to $75 million toward a North Entry overhaul at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Raiders. The funding comes from the stadium’s Waterfall Residual Fund rather than new taxes and supports a roughly $158 million project meant to ease crowding at the entrance nearest the Las Vegas Strip ahead of Super Bowl LXIII in 2029. See where it ranks among all 30 NFL stadiums by capacity, according to Coliseum.
Teams Are Investing Millions in Next-Gen Locker Rooms
Pro and college teams are pouring millions into next-generation locker rooms, treating them as a recruiting and retention tool in the transfer-portal era. USC’s Bloom Football Performance Center carries a $225 million price tag and includes more than 100 zero-gravity recliners, while the WNBA’s New York Liberty are building an $80 million facility set to open in 2027, according to Front Office Sports.
Live Music & Venues
Pollstar Names Brett Murrihy 2026 Impact International Honoree
Pollstar has named WME’s Brett Murrihy its 2026 Impact International honoree for Australia/New Zealand. The Sydney-based agent, who joined WME in 2015, built the agency’s Sydney office into a permanent music-booking presence in the region and, over the past year, guided Paul Kelly’s first sold-out arena tour and a Crowded House run that drew 250,000 fans across Australia and New Zealand, per Pollstar.
UMHL Takes Over Programming at London’s Outernet, Adds New Hotel
Universal Music Group’s hospitality arm, UMHL, has struck a deal to take over programming and operations at The Lower Third, a 200-capacity venue inside London’s Outernet complex. The partnership, announced September 2, also includes UMHL opening its first UK hotel, UMusic Hotel Denmark Street, within the Outernet district in the fourth quarter of 2026, according to IQ Magazine.
Lollapalooza India and Shillong Cherry Blossom Fest Reveal Lineups
Lollapalooza India has revealed the lineup for its fifth edition, with Olivia Dean, Limp Bizkit, KATSEYE, and Fontaines D.C. topping the bill at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Race Course on January 23-24, 2027. Separately, the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival announced Khalid, Swae Lee, and Boys Like Girls as its first headliners for its November 20-21, 2026 dates at a new permanent venue, according to IQ Magazine.
Explore more: every RMC coaster ranked by speed, all 30 NFL stadiums ranked by capacity.
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Photo: Cls With Attitude at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.