Beloved Whitewater Amphitheater Files for Chapter 11, Sale Pending
It’s one of those venues that makes Central Texas and the Hill Country such a special place to take in a show. Texas might not have the topography of some Western states, or the blue water of the Florida coast. But in the hills west of New Braunfels along the banks of the Guadalupe River is a little piece of heaven, and a destination spot for many to take in their favorite artist or band.
With its larger outdoor capacity, but abundant reserved seating and sky boxes surrounding the general admission area where fans can get right up to the stage, the Whitewater Amphitheater is designed to channel the energy of a live performance from the stage, to the audience, and vice versa. It’s just big enough to attract some of the bigger names in music, while also being comparatively intimate to many arena or larger amphitheater shows.
This summer The Randy Rogers Band, Flatland Cavalry, Dwight Yoakam, and The Black Keys are all scheduled to perform there. Willie Nelson regularly does a residency there each year, and it’s where Eric Church performed two free shows in 2022 after cancelling his arena show in San Antonio to take in a basketball game. It was the perfect combination of larger capacity (5,600), but intimate feel.
In 2025, Saving Country Music took in a show headlined by Braxton Keith at the venue, as well as the star-studded flood benefit arranged by Robert Earl Keen that Tyler Childers appeared at among others.
But despite the big shows and enthusiastic crowds that come from surrounding areas to take in a show at the iconic spot, it’s currently facing serious financial hardship.
On Tuesday (7-7), it was announced the venue had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in an attempt to stave off an impending foreclosure that very well could have put the future of the venue in peril. The owner, Kona Coast Venture Ltd., filed the bankruptcy petition in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Antonio at the last minute before the foreclosure sale.
A lawyer for Kona Coast told San Antonio Current on Tuesday, “There is an offer to purchase the entire complex that will pay all creditors,” Butler said. “We ran out of time to close the sale prior to the foreclosure date.”
The venue insists all of the legal wrangling and bankruptcy won’t affect upcoming shows or the service patrons see whatsoever. “Our focus remains on our employees, our guests, our artists, our partners, and preserving everything that has made Whitewater special,” Whitewater founder William Korioth said in a statement. However, what’s for certain is the Whitewater Amphitheater will have new owners. One can only hope those new owners share Korioth’s focus.
First opened in 2007, playing the Whitewater Ampitheater is one of those “you’ve made it” moments for Texas performers, while being a destination venue for many in Texas and beyond. It might be a stretch to called it the Red Rocks of Texas, but nestled below the canyon bluffs and right on the banks of the Guadalupe where in the summer the tubers enter and exit the river, for many it’s the epicenter of Hill Country culture.
The Whitewater is able to work despite its otherwise remote location because it’s ideally set right between the major markets of Austin and San Antonio. In recent years, New Braunfels and the surrounding area has also seen dramatic growth, including in and around the amphitheater itself. It would be fair to characterize the real estate in and around the amphitheater as “prime.” But since it’s a large, outdoor venue, it’s only available to host events at certain times, and for certain performers.
Hopefully whoever ends up in control of the Whitewater Amphitheater continues the welcoming culture and that has made it one of the premier places to see live performances in Texas.
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