Mansfield's Comcast Center named nation's No. 1 venue

MANSFIELD - If you think the Comcast Center in Mansfield is the best place to watch an outdoor concert, you're not alone.The 19,900-seat venue off Route 140 won the prestigious honor of Amphitheater of the Year at the Billboard Magazine Touring Conference and Awards in New York. The award recognizes the nation's top-grossing amphitheater for the 2008 season."Driving sales this season were the most sold out shows the Comcast Center has presented in recent memory," Comcast Senior Vice President Dave Marsden said in a statement. "Ticket sales were up 50 percent from last year."Among this year's other highlights were:A higher per-show average attendance.

Dave Matthews performs during Farm Aid 2008, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008 in Mansfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole)The addition of 10 shows over 2007.Playing host to New England's first-ever Farm Aid concert as well as sold-out shows by Pearl Jam, the Dave Matthews Band, Tom Petty and Jimmy Buffett."The Comcast Center is one of the most uniquely beautiful amphitheaters in the country, which makes it an attractive venue for our loyal patrons to return to every summer season," Bruce Montgomery, general manager of the venue for the past 23 years, said in a statement."

As with most summers, we had an exceptional lineup of artists this year as well as our annual events including KISS 108's KISS Concert, WKLB 99.6's Country Fest, JAM'N 94.5's Summerjam which were all sell-outs."We were also very proud to host the first ever New England appearance of Farm Aid," he said.