by Emma Dooling | Philadelphia Business Journal

Highmark Blue Shield has expanded its sponsorship at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, inking a new naming rights deal for the entire Fairmount Park live entertainment venue.

The concert hub was renamed the Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday as part of the Pittsburgh-based health insurer's 12-year sponsorship agreement. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In January 2024, Highmark signed a 10-year sponsorship deal with the Mann Center to become the venue's official insurance sponsor through 2033 and to rename its 12-year-old Skyline Stage to the Highmark Skyline Stage @ the Mann. The Skyline Stage is the Mann Center's smaller, open-air stage on the north side of the property.

Highmark entered Philadelphia's commercial health insurance market at the start of 2024 and as of March had added about 70,000 members in southeastern Pennsylvania. The company also acquired the naming rights for The Met Philadelphia last January, renaming the North Broad Street live entertainment venue to The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark.

Catherine Cahill, CEO of the Highmark Mann Center, called the expanded naming rights deal a "transformational moment" in the venue's 49-year history.

Also on Wednesday, the venue broke ground on an overhaul of its main gate and entry plaza. When it opens for the 2026 season next spring, the 40,000-square-foot plaza will include a new entry canopy, a welcome center with a Music Hall of Fame and gift shop, a new ticket office and added restrooms, concessions and visitor amenities.

The renovated plaza will also feature the Satell Centennial Wall East, a 4,200-square-foot digital wall displaying videos on the exterior of the venue's main stage, the TD Pavilion. The wall is named after Ed Satell, founder and chair of Malvern-based nonprofit the Satell Institute.

The plaza project is being led by architect EwingCole, engineering firm Pennoni, Hunter Roberts Construction Group, innovation consultancy Crafted Action, and project manager JLL Philadelphia.

The Highmark Mann did not provide the expected cost of the project. The plaza upgrade coincides with the venue's ongoing $70 million capital campaign launched ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2026. About $59.5 million, or 85% of the total goal, has been raised to date.

Located in the Centennial District where the U.S. World's Fair was held in 1876, the Highmark Mann Center was founded in 1976 for Philadelphia's bicentennial celebration. Today, the entertainment destination hosts more than 400,000 visitors annually for live performances, including concerts by orchestras and touring artists.

As part of its 50th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the nation, the Highmark Mann's 2026 season will include signature programming honoring the history of the venue and the Centennial District in 1876, 1976 and 2026. Those will include performances from the venue's resident companies, including The Philadelphia Orchestra, BalletX and Mural Arts Philadelphia.