Significant investment in live music venues, festivals, and public-private partnerships, including the renowned Orion Amphitheater, has established Huntsville as a premier music destination.City of Huntsville
Huntsville’s effort to rebrand itself as a music tourism destination has not gone unnoticed.
Because of the effort, business magazine Fast Company has named the city one of its 10 most innovative companies in economic development.
“Huntsville, the Alabama town famous for its history with NASA’s rocketry program, has remarketed itself as a music, arts, and cultural destination,” the story by magazine author Patrick Sisson said.
“Innovation is in Huntsville’s DNA, being the home to NASA,” Mayor Tommy Battle said on the city’s website. “We are honored to be recognized for harnessing music as a catalyst for economic growth. Our investment in music is not just about entertainment—it’s about job creation, tourism, and fostering a vibrant, creative economy that benefits our entire community.”
Sisson cited a 2018 music audit by the city that played a role in making music a key focus of economic growth.
“While this past year’s marquee event, the inaugural South Star Music Festival, was partially canceled due to bad weather, the changes wrought by this effort are visible—and vocal,” Sisson wrote. “Last year marked the conclusion of the city’s five-year plan, passed in 2019, to focus on music-related development, including hiring a music board and full-time music officer and investing in music programs and facilities in schools and libraries.”
Sisson cited the development of “a constellation of new, smaller venues, such as the-middle-school-turned-event-center Campus No. 805 and the multistage retail space Stovehouse—not to mention the Music Ambassador Program, which started in 2023 as a way to promote local musicians’ touring efforts and so far has provided support to more than 40 tours—have continued to attract more creative talent.”
“With a well-defined vision in place, the (Music Ambassador) program is set to expand and make an even greater impact on our community in the years ahead,” Battle said last month. “Our touring musicians are some of Huntsville’s best ambassadors, and they share stories about the exciting things happening in our music scene to audiences across the world.”
Sisson also mentioned the $2.2 million development of the Orion Amphitheater in MidCity becoming a strong music draw. The Orion has been recognized as one of the top venues in the country by Rolling Stone magazine.
See story: Is this Alabama outdoor music venue the best in North America? – al.com
“Huntsville has always seen this investment as not just a quality-of-life improvement but as an economically advantageous way to attract a young workforce,” Sisson writes. “As evidence of its appeal, the city points to its growing population, which has added 10,000 people a year since 2020; a 2.8% unemployment rate; and 2,500 new jobs added in the past year.”
“This recognition validates the work we’ve been doing to position Huntsville as a true music city,” said Matt Mandrella, Huntsville’s Music Officer. “By investing in music, we’re not only enriching our cultural landscape but also unlocking real economic opportunities for artists, entrepreneurs, and local businesses.”
Also recognized by Fast Company were:
“Our list of the Most Innovative Companies offers both a comprehensive look at innovation today and a playbook for the future,” said Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. “This year, we recognize companies that are harnessing AI in deep and meaningful ways, brands that are turning customers into superfans by overdelivering for them, and challengers that are introducing bold ideas and vital competition to their industries. At a time when the world is rapidly shifting, these companies are charting the way forward.”
The story can be found at: The most innovative companies in economic development for 2025 – Fast Company
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