The cost of a downtown Winston-Salem, N.C., amphitheater project has expanded to approximately $25 million, two and a half times the previous estimate, Business North Carolina reported Dec. 17, 2025.

In addition, plans call for opening the entertainment venue in 2027, at least several months later than previously expected.

The 5,000-seat amphitheater will be built within a largely vacant block owned by Don Flow, CEO of Winston-Salem-based Flow Automotive, and bound by Fifth, Spruce, Sixth and Marshall streets between the city's Benton Convention Center and First Baptist Church.

The project is a joint venture between Flow and Concert Stuff Group CEO Jim Brammer.

No public funds, tax breaks or incentives are being requested for the amphitheater, and there will be no debt on any of the improvements.

City officials are considering a revised noise ordinance that will enable concerts at the venue, while addressing neighbors' concerns. A resolution on the matter is expected by this spring.

The ownership group cannot book performers until the noise ordinance is resolved.

"Community support for the amphitheater has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic since we announced the project last summer," said Bucky Dame, the amphitheater's president and general manager. "Since the announcement, our vision for the amphitheater has continued to evolve and expand, resulting in design and approval challenges that the design team overcame with a ground-up construction model versus the original concept that called for modular structures that were built off-site and then assembled on-site.

"With our increased budget and enhanced design, we are building a world-class amphitheater in a way that ensures it will be a driving economic force for the downtown area of Winston-Salem," he added.

As the planning progressed over the last several months, and the potential economic impact became clearer, the amphitheater's developers decided to go bigger.

"We now have party decks above certain buildings that people [can enjoy]," Dame said. "[The goal is to] make sure we have space for people to sit and enjoy the show or enjoy a drink and have the show up on a screen within the plaza area. In designing it this way, we had that flexibility to kind of do things that the modular units didn't allow us to do."

New Amphitheater Is Another Step in Downtown's Revitalization

The proposed amphitheater is a key component of the 10-year Downtown Winston-Salem Plan, which was adopted by the city council and the city-county planning board in 2023. Together with the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership, a recommendation was made to build an outdoor venue to host a diverse selection of live entertainment events.

The various entities subsequently established a subcommittee which was tasked with learning more about amphitheaters in other communities, determining the feasibility of an outdoor venue in downtown Winston-Salem and exploring potential sites. At the end of 2024, the subcommittee began discussions with Flow about the possibility of using the site he owned at the northwest corner of Marshall and Fifth streets as the location for an amphitheater.

When completed, the outdoor theater would generate an estimated $50,000 a year in property taxes for the city.

The proposed street closing on Sixth Street is approximately 200 yds. long and would only happen on concert days (which would be approximately 30 times per year). The fire department and police would have access to the street during periods of closure. In addition, the proposed amphitheater would pay for its own security with no extra cost to local law enforcement.

"Before planning began, the Amphitheater Subcommittee looked closely at similar venues — particularly Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh, N.C., — for information about construction, adaptability, operations and parking," said Jason Thiel, Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership president. "Our amphitheater will spark and sustain downtown vitality by bringing large groups together to enjoy downtown Winston-Salem and support a wide range of downtown businesses, including restaurants, retailers, hotels and the Benton Convention Center."

He added that parking for the amphitheater will be available at a number of nearby surface lots and in parking decks that are largely underused, particularly at night. Concerts at the venue will end by 11 p.m. to comply with noise ordinances and out of respect to downtown residents.

Thiel explained that in addition to bringing highly diverse national touring acts to the amphitheater, it will be available for community performances and events, including those by the Winston-Salem Symphony, the International Black Theatre Festival and local universities as well as community events such as graduations and religious ceremonies. Wake Forest University, including The Grounds, he said, is aware of the amphitheater and is supportive of it.

"This unimaginable opportunity to partner with Jim [Brammer] is a gift," said Flow shortly after the project was announced in August. "Jim's expertise and his world-wide relationships in the industry combined with his deep love for Winston-Salem would serve well as the catalyst for enabling the … amphitheater to immediately host extraordinary events attracting thousands of people downtown.

"Additionally, with Bucky Dame as the president and general manager, we would have a leader who is deeply knowledgeable about our community and who has overseen concert venues and music festivals all over the U.S."

Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership is an active member and advocacy organization leading the efforts to revitalize and strengthen the core of the city through business recruitment and support, economic development, marketing and special events.