US Concert Hotspot Is Right Here In The Garden State

NEW JERSEY - The summer concert season is just getting started around the region, and according to a recent national ranking, the Garden State is home to one of the top spots to catch an outdoor show in all of the United States.

The PNC Bank Art Center in Holmdel beat out the likes of the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado to gain the runner-up slot In USA TODAY‘s 10BEST Reader’s Choice Awards for 2025. Only the Pavilion at Bethel Woods in New York ranked higher.

The venue stood out for its “distinctive fan-shaped pavilion and expansive lawn seating” and “…a killer lineup of performances.”

The nominees for the annual 10BEST winners are selected by a panel of experts. The final group is then narrowed down through editorial review by USA TODAY 10BEST editors.

Anyone then is able to vote online for a period of four weeks for their favorites.

The summer lineup at the PNC Bank Arts Center continues with the Dave Matthews Band on Tuesday, June 3. Click here for tickets, venue information and details about future shows.

Crowning themselves as "NJ's Biggest Backyard Party," the PNC Bank Arts Center opened in 1968 as The Garden State Arts Center and holds up to 17,500 people.

The on-site box office is open from 12:00 p.m. through 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 12:00 p.m. through 9 p.m. on show dates.