The Mann Center

Capacity: 14,000

Events: Music concerts, Comedy Shows, Drama, Dance

About The Mann Center

As one of the US's biggest non-profit outdoor performing arts centers, the Mann Center naturally brings exciting events to Philadelphia. This 14,000-capacity venue has hosted popular musicians like Celine Dion, Ed Sheeran, Bob Dylan, Jack Johnson, Phish, and many others.

The center was renamed The Mann Center for the Performing Arts because it accommodated much more than music concerts. You can watch entertaining comedy, dance, and drama shows or any other event that falls within the scope of performing arts here and be thrilled.

The Mann Center Rules

The goal of the center’s rules is to ensure everyone has undisturbed fun at an event, and as an attendee, you have to keep to the rules.

What You Can Bring:

• 20oz sealed bottle of water or empty reusable water bottles

• Blankets, Strollers, Breast pumps

• Umbrellas, if they are small and compressible

• Costumes are allowed, but they should not include masks, sharp objects or weapons

• Prescription medicines

• Lawn chairs are allowed only in picnic series performances

What You Can’t Bring

• Outside food

• Weapons, laser pointers, or glass containers

• Illegal drugs

• Lawn chairs if the event is not a picnic series performance

• Cigarettes or Vape pens

• Selfie sticks

• Long, non-compressible umbrellas

• Drones, tablets, laptops, or professional camera equipment

• Animals

• Musical instruments, noisemakers or bullhorns

When you enter The Mann Center, you must submit yourself to a security check to ensure you aren’t carrying any prohibited items. The center also does not allow re-entry into the venue.

The Mann Center Bag Policy

The center only accepts small bags with a maximum size of 12"x 6" x 12". Security will search your bag as you enter the center to ensure you are not carrying any prohibited items.

The Mann Center Seating

Configuration of seats may vary between events, so check the event maps of the ticketing site from which you bought your tickets. Confirm your seat location on the Mann Center Seating Chart right here.

You can get seats in the Pit, Prime, Main, and the Balcony if you want cover. However, if you are seated in the Connelly Terrace or the Lawn, you won’t get cover. Also, if you are attending a Highmark Skyline Stage concert, there won’t be any cover at all.

The Mann Center Review

Lawn Seating Review

Attendees who sat in the lawn area of the venue have different reports on their experience at the event. Some positive reviews that we’ve seen are that the BYOB or picnic-type experience makes the concerts a lot more fun. Furthermore, at events where seats are allowed, there is a strict no-high-seats rule at the Mann Center that ensures everyone gets a good view of the on-stage action.

On the other hand, there are also negative reviews of the experience from the Lawn area because you get a really poor view of the stage. The venue has screens installed for attendees to still see the stage, but some concert goers say it is simply not enough.

Terrace Section

The Terrace is one of the uncovered sections of the venue, and fans who had a good time here reported that it was almost identical to sitting in the Pavilion. In fact, if you sit at Row A, you are practically sitting on Pavilion seats at the Terrace section price. There are speakers mounted where the Pavilion section ends, so the sound at the Terrace is excellent.

However, attendees have also complained that it is difficult to see the performer from this section because of the distance, and the screen that is provided is blocked by the balcony bridge from some seats. Also, since this section is uncovered, you should come with rain gear just in case.

Getting to The Mann Center

Mann Center by Car

The venue is located at 5201 Parkside Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131. You can input this address into a digital navigation guide to direct you to the center. Alternatively, the venue’s official site has a guide to help you drive to the arena if you are coming from North, Northeast, East, South, Southwest, West, or Center City. There is also an alternative route to try out.

Mann Center Parking

There is on-site parking at the venue, and the main entrance is at Belmont & Montgomery, but there are other entrances at South Concourse or 52nd Street. The venue also has parking attendants to guide attendees trying to park.

Note that while your car is at the venue, the cars are parked at the owner’s risk, so Mann Center will not be held liable for any damage done to your car in their parking lot. In addition to this, we always recommend driving in early or carpooling because there is usually a lot of traffic for big events and finding a space to park can be a real hassle. If you arrive late, you will have to park far away and walk down to the venue.

You can access the map of the lot here.

How Much Does The Mann Center Parking Cost?

On-site parking at The Mann Center is free; however, this lot gets filled up very fast. The only other on-site parking option is the VIP lot. To access this lot, you have to be a member of The Mann, and you must be at least at the President level.

There is also on-street parking available at $2 per hour Philadelphia rates.

Mann Center by Public Transportation

If the Mann Septa Loop Bus is available for your event, you can use it to get to the venue. Bus Routes 38, 40, and 43 also stop close to the venue, so you can drop off at any of these points and walk to The Mann.

The venue also has a dedicated Rideshare drop and pickup point at the North Gate.

Hotels Near The Mann

• The Windsor Suites

• Courtyard Philadelphia City Avenue

• Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

• Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue

• Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown

Restaurants Near The Mann

• Independence Grill

• Hilltop Grill

• The Lucky Well

• Luciano’s Pizza

• Rita’s Ice

Accessibility at The Mann

The Mann has different built-in features designed to accommodate people living with disabilities. The goal is to ensure that everyone has a chance to come into The Mann to watch live events, have fun like other people, and leave when they want to. This is a list of the disability services available in this venue.

• Wheelchair accessibility

• Personal care attendant complimentary ticket and folding chair

• Accessibility service request form

• Reserved parking

• Free assisted listening devices

• Sensory-friendly performance guide

• Elevated ADA seating at the Skymark Line stage

• Trained service animals are allowed

• Accessibility stalls in public restrooms at The Mann