Venue on Track to Generate More Than $75 Million
in Economic Impact for City of Atlantic City
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (October 10, 2025) – The Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ, is on a hot streak. As the venue prepares to welcome the two-day Atlantic City Comedy Festival (October 11-12) and two-time rock and roll Hall of Famer Stevie Nicks (October 18), the venue is filling its calendar with many world-class entertainers representing a wide range of musical genres, much to the delight of audience members, many of whom are visiting Atlantic City from Philadelphia, New York, and other parts of the Northeast.
“Atlantic City has long been a premier destination for world-class entertainment, and Oak View Group’s leadership in bringing in top concerts and sports strengthens that position,” said Eric Scheffler, Executive Director for the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. “At the center of it all is Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, a historic venue that remains a powerful driver of tourism and economic growth by attracting visitors from across the region and supporting local jobs and businesses.”
“Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall is a historic venue with a rich legacy, and we have had an incredible 2025 with a lineup featuring a wide range of musical genres,” said Jim McDonald, General Manager of Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall for Oak View Group. “We have many more great artists and sporting attractions the remainder of the year and into 2026. We are grateful to the promoters, agents, managers and tours who have routed through Atlantic City this year and we look forward to bringing more great shows to Atlantic City and continuing to revitalize the live entertainment scene here at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.”
“Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall stands as one of Atlantic City’s most iconic and cherished landmarks, and we’re thrilled to see it welcome an incredible lineup of legendary performers to its stage this year,” said Gary Musich, President and CEO of Visit Atlantic City. “As we transition from the vibrant summer season into the dynamic fall and winter months, world-class entertainment remains a powerful driver for tourism. Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall continues to set the standard, cementing Atlantic City’s reputation as a premier destination for music, comedy and unforgettable live experiences.”
According to McDonald, nearly 235,500 people have attended events at Boardwalk Hall since January 1, 2025, and he anticipates another 60,000 visitors by the end of the year. According to Visit Atlantic City, the City stands to gain over $75 million from these visitors based on an economic impact factor of $3.2 million for every 10,000 attendees at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.
NON-STOP ENTERTAINMENT AT BOARDWALK HALL:
Upcoming at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall is the two-day 2025 Atlantic City Comedy Festival featuring Sommore, Lavell Crawford, Arenz J., Don DC Curry, Talent, Earthquake, Gary Owen, Sheryl Underwood, Tommy Davidson, Junior, and Skeet Carter on Saturday, October 11 and Sunday, October 12. A limited number of tickets remain at BoardwalkHall.com.
Then, the two-time member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Stevie Nicks, will perform in front of a sold-out crowd at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall on Saturday, October 18.
Disney On Ice’s Jump In! will attract many young families from South Jersey and beyond to Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall for five performances from Friday, November 7 through Sunday, November 9.
The Boy Is Mine Tour featuring Brandy & Monica with special guests Kelly Rowland, Muni Long, and Jamal Roberts will fill Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall on November 22. A limited number of tickets are available at BoardwalkHall.com.
The 2026 winter and spring calendar at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall is also looking just as busy with All Stars of Hip Hop featuring Public Enemy, KRS One Montell Jordan, Furious 5 and Sugarhill Gang and Schoolly D on January 18, The R&B Lovers Tour featuring Keith Sweat, Joe, Dru Hill, and Ginuwine on February 14; The Harlem Globetrotters 100th Anniversary Tour on February 16; and Fantasia & Anthony Hamilton on March 28.
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall’s busy 2025 included a stop by Kane Brown High Roads Tour (May 17), Vybz Kartel (June 14), Los Tigres Del Norte (September 19), five-time GRAMMY® Award-winning rapper Lil Wayne on August 2; followed by a sold-out show featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members, The Who, playing their farewell North American tour. the stop was one of only a handful of dates across North America; and Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle, along with Chaka Khan and Stephanie Mills, performing together in "The Queens! 4 Legends, 1 Stage" (October 4).
COMPETITIVE SPORTS AT BOARDWALK HALL:
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall will once again host the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Basketball Championships from March 5-10, 2026, featuring the league’s top 10 teams and broadcast on ESPN channels followed by the NJISAA State Wrestling Championships which draws 35,000 annually.
Championship boxing made a triumphant return to Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall Arena on April 12, 2025, when Jaron “Boots” Ennis defeated Eimantas Stanionis in sixth-round TKO for the blockbuster unification battle for the IBF, WBA and Ring Magazine World Welterweight Titles. It was one of the biggest boxing events at Boardwalk Hall, once one of the premier destinations for many of the biggest fights of the past three decades, since Sergey Kovalev earned a 12-round, unanimous decision over Bernard Hopkins in a light-heavyweight unification fight. Summer also saw AEW Wrestling make its return on May 3 and Professional Flight League made its debut at Boardwalk Hall and hosted its Championships on August 1.
Opened in 1929, Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall was originally built to be Atlantic City’s convention center. Throughout its near-century, the venue has played host to significant events in American history, including the 1964 Democratic National Convention, the setting of Lyndon Johnson’s nomination. Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall is also home to the world's largest musical instrument, with two pipe organs.
In 2001, the Boardwalk facility reopened after a $90 million renovation that transformed the building into a modern special events arena capable of variable seating for up to 14,770 people. Through the years, it has hosted incredible performances, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and more.
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall and the Atlantic City Convention Center are operated by OVG and owned and funded by the CRDA.
About OVG
OVG is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client-partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client-partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG provides a set of services, resources and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health, and public safety and more.
About the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA)
The only agency of its kind nationwide, the CRDA has used Atlantic City casino reinvestments as a catalyst for meaningful, positive improvement in the lives of New Jersey residents since 1984. Under the 2011 Tourism District Act, the Authority's mission evolved from statewide projects to becoming the state's key economic development agency for Atlantic City. CRDA's expanded responsibilities now include land use regulation, tourism marketing and clean and safe initiatives. The CRDA also oversees Historic Boardwalk Hall (the leading entertainment venue of its size in the country) and the Atlantic City Convention Center. In total, CRDA has invested nearly $2 billion in more than 400 projects statewide, of which $1.8 billion has been invested in Atlantic City, spurring business investments and expansions, and creating permanent jobs in the process. For more information about CRDA and our projects, visit www.njcrda.com.
About Visit Atlantic City
Visit Atlantic City is a 501(c)(6) organization formed and funded as a public-private partnership by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) to create economic development through leisure tourism, conventions, sporting events, film production and group tourism.
Atlantic City is a premier travel destination on the East Coast with the first Boardwalk to open in the United States. Attracting visitors with its diverse array of tourism offerings, Atlantic City is home to nine casino resorts, an eclectic culinary scene, vibrant history, thrilling entertainment and family-friendly adventures, making it the ultimate destination where celebrations live on and inspire visitors to create memory making moments.
For complete Atlantic City tourism and convention information, visit www.visitatlanticcity.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagramand LinkedIn.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Rachel Matteson
609.348.7023