The Meadows Music Theatre (Xfinity Theatre): A Complete Guide
Hartford's Meadows Music Theatre — known as the Xfinity Theatre from 2014 until its rename back to the original in December 2025 — is Connecticut's largest outdoor amphitheater, holding up to about 30,000 between a covered pavilion (~7,500) and a huge lawn (~22,500). It's the state's summer home for the biggest touring tours.
If a stadium-level act is touring through Connecticut in the summer, odds are they're playing the big shed in Hartford. It's had a lot of names over the years — but in late 2025 it came full circle, so let's start there.
Xfinity Theatre or The Meadows? A quick note on the name
This is the venue most people still search for as the Xfinity Theatre. That was its name from 2014 to 2025, but in December 2025 Live Nation rebranded it back to its original name, The Meadows Music Theatre. Over the decades it's also been the CTNow.com Meadows Music Theatre, the New England Dodge Music Center, and the Comcast Theatre — but it opened, and now once again operates, as the Meadows. We'll use the current name here; just know it's the same place.
The amphitheater (~30,000)
The Meadows is one of the largest amphitheaters in the country. Its reported capacity is around 30,000 — roughly 7,500 reserved seats under the covered pavilion and about 22,500 more on the open lawn. That scale is exactly why it draws the marquee pop, rock, country, and hip-hop tours on the national "shed" circuit each summer; few other Connecticut venues can hold a crowd anywhere near this size.
Best for: the biggest summer tours and a classic lawn-seat experience.
Never miss a Meadows show
See every upcoming Meadows Music Theatre (Xfinity) concert — plus 40+ Connecticut venues — in the free CT Concert Center app.
Download on theApp StoreA bit of history
The venue opened in 1995 as the Meadows Music Theatre, christened on July 9, 1995 with a concert by Hootie & the Blowfish at the height of that band's fame. Live Nation (then SFX) acquired it in 1997, and it has anchored the region's summer-concert calendar ever since — through a long string of corporate naming-rights deals and, finally, a return to where it started.
Planning your visit
- Getting there: the amphitheater sits just off I-91 in Hartford's Meadows district; arrive early, as lot traffic builds before big shows.
- Lawn vs. pavilion: the covered pavilion has the reserved seats and weather protection; the lawn is the cheaper, bring-a-blanket option.
- The rest of the capital: see our guide to live music in Hartford and the live Hartford events list.
Meadows / Xfinity Theatre FAQ
Is it still the Xfinity Theatre?
It was renamed back to The Meadows Music Theatre in December 2025. Same venue.
How big is it?
About 30,000 — ~7,500 pavilion + ~22,500 lawn.
When did it open?
1995, with Hootie & the Blowfish.
How do I find upcoming shows?
The free CT Concert Center app lists every show here in one feed.