DALLAS — After months of delays and a last minute name change, Dallas' newest concert venue had its grand opening Tuesday night.
Echo Lounge & Music Hall is located right off Stemmons Freeway, in the Design District. The venue, a collaboration between Live Nation and Mark Cuban, offers a more intimate concert and entertainment experience than other venues in the city.
In a press conference for opening night, Cuban said there are "1,500 seats, give or take."
The venue was originally supposed to open in May as HiFi Dallas. Cuban said the name had to be changed because of a copyright issue.
Sting performed Tuesday for opening night, and fans were lined up hours before the show.
"You can just start to see the vibe and the feel for what’s possible here," Cuban said.
The venue sits right next to the Dallas Mavericks practice facility, just on the other side of the highway from the American Airlines Center.
"The hope is a big act plays across the street and wants to do something here after party-ish, we can do it over here," Cuban said. "I think that’s going to be a big part of what we do.”
He also said he has a vision for the Design District to become an entertainment hub for the city.
"After a game, after a concert, people can come over here," Cuban said.
Cuban said he purchased a lot of land for the Mav's practice facility, and there are a lot of possibilities for the future.
"Everybody can’t wait really for the Design District to blow up, and I think this is a great first place for it to happen," Cuban said.