Drive south from Scranton on I-81, take the Montage Mountain Road exit, and follow the winding road up the hillside. At the top, tucked inside a ski resort that spends its winters buried in Pocono snow, sits one of the best outdoor amphitheaters in the Northeast. The Pavilion at Montage Mountain has been booking summers since the early 1990s, and if you have never made the trip from Upstate New York, you have been missing a venue that punches well above what most people expect from northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Pavilion holds up to 18,000 people — 7,500 under the covered amphitheater roof and another 10,000 on the hillside lawn — and it has hosted the kind of lineup that reads like a festival-circuit greatest hits: Dave Matthews Band, Lollapalooza, Ozzfest, Peach Music Festival, Lilith Fair, and Warped Tour have all called this mountain home.
How It Started
Montage Mountain Ski Area started hosting music festivals in 1990 as a way to bring revenue in during the off-season. A temporary stage with open lawn seating debuted on July 3, 1992, with Chubby Checker christening the space. The crowds kept coming, and by 2000, a permanent amphitheater had been built into the mountainside — a proper venue with a covered pavilion, professional sound and lighting, and the kind of infrastructure that could handle major touring acts.
The building has had its share of drama. On Valentine’s Day 2007, the Blizzard of 2007 collapsed the roof. Rather than patch it, the owners rebuilt — new roof, new seating, upgraded lighting, sound, and video equipment — all completed in time for that summer’s concert season. The turnaround was impressive, and the rebuilt venue came back better than what it replaced. The name officially became The Pavilion at Montage Mountain on January 1, 2014.
The Concert Experience
The amphitheater layout is classic for an outdoor shed venue. The covered pavilion holds 7,500 in reserved seating, with the roof providing protection from sun and the occasional Pocono thunderstorm. The lawn rises behind the pavilion and stretches up the mountainside, accommodating another 10,000 with a mix of general admission standing and blanket-and-chair territory.
The elevation matters. Montage Mountain sits at around 2,000 feet, and the hillside setting means the lawn has a natural rake that gives even the back rows decent sightlines to the stage. On clear summer evenings, the view behind the stage — the Lackawanna Valley stretching out below — adds a backdrop that indoor arenas cannot touch. The mountain air also means that even August shows cool down as the sun sets, which is a genuine luxury for an outdoor venue in the Northeast.
Sound quality under the pavilion roof is strong. On the lawn, the experience depends on the night and the production — some shows push excellent sound to the back, others lose clarity past the midpoint. For acts you want to hear precisely, spring for pavilion seats. For festivals and jam bands, the lawn is the entire point.
The Festival Connection
The Pavilion has an unusually deep festival résumé. Lollapalooza, Ozzfest, Lilith Fair, H.O.R.D.E. Festival, Crüe Fest, Mayhem Festival, Uproar Festival, and Vans Warped Tour have all staged editions here. The Peach Music Festival — the Allman Brothers Band-affiliated event founded in 2012 — turned Montage Mountain into a multi-day destination that draws jam-band fans from across the East Coast. The mountain setting, the ski lodge infrastructure for backstage and VIP, and the sheer lawn capacity make it a natural fit for multi-act events.
Beyond festivals, the regular summer schedule books hard. Luke Bryan, Zac Brown Band, Dierks Bentley, and the country touring circuit treat the Pavilion as a key regional stop. Rock, metal, hip-hop, and classic acts all cycle through. If a tour is playing amphitheaters in the Northeast, there is a good chance Montage Mountain is on the routing.
Getting There From Upstate NY
From the Southern Tier, the Pavilion is a straight shot south on I-81 — about two hours from Binghamton, three from Syracuse. From the Capital Region, take I-88 to I-81 South, roughly three and a half hours. The venue is at 1000 Montage Mountain Road, just off the interstate, so the final approach is quick once you get close.
Parking is on-site at the ski resort, with large lots that handle the 18,000-person capacity reasonably well. The mountain road in and out is a single route, though, so plan for post-show traffic that moves slowly. Arrive early, tailgate in the lot, and budget an extra 30 to 45 minutes after the show to clear the mountain.
The Scranton Scene
The Pavilion sits above the city, not in it, so pre-show dining means either the on-mountain options or a quick drive into Scranton or the Shoppes at Montage.
Slocum Hollow, inside the Montage Mountain ski lodge, serves American bistro fare and craft cocktails in a rustic setting — it is the closest restaurant to the venue and a solid pre-show option without fighting city traffic. At the Shoppes at Montage, Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar does farm-to-table plates in a polished casual setting with a wine list that takes itself seriously. For something more downtown, Cooper’s Seafood House in Scranton is a local institution — a sprawling, ship-themed restaurant with fresh seafood and a bar that has been drawing crowds since 1948.
Insider Tips
- Bring layers. The mountain altitude means temperatures drop 10-15 degrees once the sun goes down, even in July. A hoodie or light jacket is not optional for lawn seats.
- Pavilion seats for precision, lawn for atmosphere. If you care about sound quality, the covered seats deliver. If you want the full outdoor-festival experience, the lawn is the move.
- Tailgating is part of the culture. The parking lots open well before showtime, and the scene in the lots is half the fun for country and rock shows. Pack a cooler.
- Budget for post-show traffic. One road up, one road down. There is no shortcut off the mountain. Leave the lot patiently or hang back and let the first wave clear.
- Check the Peach Music Festival schedule. If you are a jam-band fan, the multi-day Peach Fest at Montage Mountain is one of the best-kept secrets on the East Coast festival circuit.
View the full concert schedule and purchase tickets at montagemountainamp.com.