Arts Access Mission
Since 1990 we’ve had one mission - make the arts accessible to all.
Since 1990
Founded by Cynthia and George Mitchell in 1990 on the dream of shared arts experiences, The Pavilion has always been about making the arts more accessible to all.
George P. Mitchell, founder of The Woodlands, along with his wife Cynthia Woods Mitchell, for whom The Pavilion is named, dreamed of creating a first-class performing arts facility for The Woodlands since the community’s inception in 1974. They envisioned the facility as a venue for classical performances and educational events, as well as popular music.
The dream became a reality when The Pavilion opened with a star-studded gala weekend in April 1990. The Houston Symphony performed April 27, Frank Sinatra April 28, and Alabama with Clint Black on April 29. The original facility provided 3,000 reserved seats and room for 7,000 guests on the lawn.
Arts outreach has been part of the story from the beginning, connecting students and families to live performance. Large scale programs in The Pavilion's earliest day like "Sounds Like Fun" and "Children's Festival" paved the way for future efforts to grow and reach more students, families and communities than ever before.
Since The Pavilion's very first days, it has earned praise from both artists and audiences alike. The Pavilion now presents between 50 and 65 events every March through December, ranging in style from rock to classical, jazz to country, and modern opera to contemporary American ballet. We're the Summer Home of the Houston Symphony, the Home Away from Home of the Houston Ballet, and a presenting venue for the Houston Grand Opera and Texas Music Festival Orchestra. The Pavilion’s national commercial attractions are produced and promoted by Live Nation. Performing arts events, including the annual Children’s Festival, are produced and promoted by The Pavilion.
In the early morning hours of September 13, 2008 Hurricane Ike made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on the Gulf Coast and forever changed The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. One of the most costly hurricanes in United States history caused catastrophic damage to the facility forcing the cancellation of the remaining event season. In November 2008, The Pavilion Board of Directors approved the most ambitious construction project in venue history – the rebuild of nature’s greatest stage. That December, crews started construction and in an unbelievable 160 days reopened as a whole new chapter for The Pavilion with Dave Matthews Band on the Main Stage. The new facility expanded the roof by almost 2.5 times increasing the number of covered seats to over 6,000.
The mission sharpened around removing barriers so more people can experience the arts. The opportunity to see world-class performances from the Houston Symphony and other remarkable acts - completely for free - have helped remove financial barriers to arts access for decades. But in recent years, those efforts have expanded beyond our Main Stage and even beyond our venue - into classrooms, homes and gather spaces across the region.
With several more state-of-the-art additions in the years since, including a dynamic, 21,000 square event center and first-class club, The Pavilion has separated itself as one of the top venues to experience a live performance. The Pavilion's added capacity to host fans, students and community events highlight a glowing future for this Woodlands icon.
Sponsors
Corporate partners supporting major concert experiences and Pavilion audiences.
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Ticketing partner
Food and beverage partner
Corporate sponsor
Corporate sponsor
Corporate sponsor
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Corporate sponsor
Mission-focused partners helping keep performing arts accessible to the community.
Performing arts sponsor
Performing arts sponsor
Performing arts sponsor
Performing arts sponsor
Performing arts sponsor
Performing arts sponsor
Performing arts sponsor
Performing arts sponsor
Volunteer membership partner
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