By: Kerrick Shaw 

Pittsburgh’s concert scene hit a high note this month with the announcement of an upcoming venue headlining the papers. 

The Lower Hill District is set to welcome Citizens Live at the Wylie, a 4,000-capacity music venue, in late 2026. Located near PPG Paints Arena, the venue is a collaboration between Live Nation, Citizens Bank and the Pittsburgh Penguins set to honor the city’s musical heritage. 

---

An artist’s rendering of Citizens Live at the Wylie

Photo Courtesy: Live Nation

---

“The venue is part of an overall commitment to honor the history of the Hill District and lift up its current residents,” Mrs. Beth Turnbull, Deputy Director of Communications for Allegheny County’s Executive Office, said. “Funding from ticket sales will be going towards benefit housing and other programs in the Hill. The economic impact will really be huge.” 

Allegheny County’s involvement in the project is through the Downtown LETRA (Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance) Program that was enacted to support private investment and community collaboration. The program is designed to “prevent downtown’s economic downturn,” according to the County’s official website.

 It was announced at the groundbreaking ceremony, held on March 13, that a $2 surcharge from all tickets sold will be added to the Greater Hill District Neighborhood Reinvestment Fund. The project has created 350 unionized jobs, each with a base pay of $20 per hour. 

“It’s an exciting development, it’ll bring a vibrant new location to Pittsburgh’s Cultural scene,” Mrs. Turnbull said. “I’m excited for a venue I can get to easily from our office. I have tickets to Vampire Weekend, Lord Huron and Sabrina Carpenter in the coming months; I love concerts.” 

Carpenter is performing at PPG, a facility with a capacity over 15,000 more than at Citizens Live at the Wylie, in October. The upcoming venue’s size is comparable to that of Stage AE’s, which holds about 5,500 people in its outdoor amphitheater. 

The announcement of Citizens Live at the Wylie has generated excitement; Dean of Students Mr. Jeff Kronenwetter expressed his enthusiasm for a smaller events venue, saying he prefers venues like The Palace Theatre over Heinz Field.  

“Anytime that you can bring shows where people can gather for an evening is a great thing,” Mr. Kronenwetter said. “4,000 people sounds intimate; a smaller venue is just awesome. My wife and I just saw The Clarks at The Palace and that’s the kind of venue I like.” 

It will span 98,500 square feet, designed to host a wide range of events not limited to concerts, but also welcoming comedy shows, festivals and community gatherings.  

 Senior Paige Kline, who has seen numerous shows such as Fall Out Boy at PPG and Marilyn Manson at Star Lake, looks forward to seeing who will perform first in Pittsburgh’s newest venue. 

“I’m really interested to see what kind of artists they choose to bring there,” Kline said. “Having venues where you can say you’ve seen a rock show and a comedy act there is the kind of thing Pittsburgh needs more of.” 

Pittsburgh’s vibrant arts and culture scene is continuing to grow throughout the city with the recently announced Arts Landing outdoor civic space being just minutes away from Citizens Live at the Wylie.  

“I can imagine the improv they could get, it seems totally perfect for that,” Social Studies teacher Mr. Nicolas DeMary said. “It’s another place to have events, which I fully support. That’s what I love about Pittsburgh.”