Attendance to cultural and entertainment venues and events in Downtown set a new record in 2013 at almost 9.6 million visitors, up 2.5 percent from 2012. The increase was due primarily to a greater number of events held at the Verizon Center. The Verizon Center hosted more hockey games in 2013 because of a denser schedule—an outcome of the hockey players’ strike which cancelled games in 2012. The nearby and award-winning Shakespeare Theatre also had a strong season in terms of attendance.
The performing arts venues in the DowntownDC BID area are among the most popular in the city: the Shakespeare Theatre’s two performance spaces (Sidney Harman Hall and the Lansburgh Theatre), Warner Theatre, Hamilton Live, the National Theatre and the Woolly Mammoth Theatre. This past year, the National Theatre began an especially exciting new management contract for programming in partnership with SMG, a manager of large venues throughout the world, and Jam Theatrical, a Chicago-based entertainment company. This partnership began with a splash in the fall of 2013 with the developmental run of a new musical, “If/Then,” starring Tony Award winner Idina Menzel.