The future of Evansville's Mesker Amphitheatre remains unresolved, more than a year after the Board of Park Commissioners accepted a proposal from an outside group to potentially lease and revive the historic outdoor venue.
Tim Drake, owner of The Mill amphitheater in Terre Haute, was the only party to express interest during a 60-day proposal window between July and September of 2025. Talks between Drake and the city have since stalled, and those involved have offered few public updates.
On Monday, Anna Raben, a spokeswoman for Mayor Stephanie Terry's office, said there have been no recent developments in discussions with The Mill. She added that conversations have not been formally closed and that the city will share information if there are updates. In an earlier message, she said the city is looking at identifying an approach for an amphitheater that best serves the community's long-term interests.
The 74-year-old venue hosted performers including Tony Bennett, Johnny Cash, Aerosmith, Waylon Jennings, Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne, but no performer has taken its stage since the Doobie Brothers in 2009. The city closed the venue in 2012, and it has deteriorated since, with seats removed and the concrete pavilion cracking.
A study commissioned by the city in 2012 estimated it would cost $9 million to $13 million to reopen Mesker safely, a figure the Courier & Press put at about $13 million to $18 million in today's dollars.
