VENU Closes $49.7 Million Sale-Leaseback on Ford Amphitheater Land

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 8, 2026--

Venu Holding Corporation ("VENU" or the "Company") (NYSE American: VENU), owner, operator, and developer of premium live entertainment destinations, today announced that it has successfully closed a $49.7 million sale-leaseback transaction on the land beneath its award-winning Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The transaction was completed with O'Neil Roth Real Estate LLC and marks the continued implementation of a key pillar of the Company’s previously announced financing strategy, alongside public-private partnerships and Luxe FireSuite ® sales, and thus marks a key milestone in the Company's national growth plan.

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Building on this capital milestone, VENU ® now intends to begin listing and selling an additional $200 million in comparable sale-leaseback structures across its growing portfolio of next-generation, omni-content entertainment destinations.

"We built a model that works and this validates it,” said JW Roth, Founder, CEO and Chairman of VENU. “Nearly fifty million dollars unlocked from land we still control, with a meaningful portion to be redeployed to in-development projects. These sale-leaseback transactions give us the runway to move fast and the momentum to build something this country has never seen in live entertainment.”

The Colorado Springs transaction is a component of the $200 million financing plan across VENU's current asset base and development pipeline. Two venues are approaching opening – in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (Tulsa market) and McKinney, Texas (Dallas market) – while projects in Houston and El Paso are under development. The Company recently announced a new planned location in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is actively exploring expansion into Northern Colorado.

VENU currently operates venues in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Gainesville, Georgia, with a national footprint that continues to grow.

An Innovative Model Driving National Expansion

VENU is powered by a differentiated financing approach that combines fractional ownership, public-private partnerships, and sale-leaseback structures to enable capital-efficient expansion across underserved markets. This model allows the Company to reduce debt, accelerate development timelines, and retain valuable real estate assets while generating diversified revenue through sponsorships, ticketing, premium hospitality, and its signature Luxe FireSuites program. VENU's approach is redefining the economics of live entertainment and setting a new national standard for fan-first, experience-driven growth.

About Venu Holding Corporation

Venu Holding Corporation ("VENU") (NYSE American: VENU) is a premier owner, developer, and operator of luxury, experience-driven entertainment destinations. Founded by Colorado Springs entrepreneur J.W. Roth, VENU ® has a portfolio of premium brands that includes Ford Amphitheater, Sunset Amphitheaters, Phil Long Music Hall, The Hall at Bourbon Brothers, Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse and Tavern, Aikman Owners Clubs, and Roth’s Sea & Steak. With venues operating and in development across Colorado, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas and a nationwide expansion underway, VENU is setting a new standard for live entertainment.

VENU has been recognized nationally by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Billboard, VenuesNow, and Variety for its innovative and disruptive approach to live entertainment. Through strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as AEG Presents, NFL Hall of Famer and Founder of EIGHT Elite Light Beer Troy Aikman, Aramark Sports + Entertainment, Tixr, Niall Horan, and Dierks Bentley, VENU continues to shape the future of the entertainment landscape. For more information, visit VENU’s website, Instagram, LinkedIn, or X.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While Venu believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the company’s filings with the SEC, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. Venu expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

VENU's Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs, CO

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s former Chief Justice David Maraga said he was arrested Monday alongside other activists protesting planned construction inside Nairobi National Park.

Police fired tear gas canisters at the protesters who were marching outside the park while carrying banners with messages denouncing land grabs.

Maraga was detained and later released while staging a sit-in on a major road outside the national park’s main gate. He was wearing a green T-shirt similar to those worn by other activists.

The police have yet to comment on the reason for his arrest.

Maraga wrote on X that he was arrested while heading to present a petition to the Kenya Wildlife Service.

“Our national heritage and environment must be safeguarded from greed and unnecessary destruction without public participation,” he said.

Hundreds of activists joined the protest against the planned construction inside the park and the relocation of an orphanage, calling it an attempt to grab public land.

Kenya has experienced incidents of land grabbing in the past, and environmentalists have often spoken out when parks and other green spaces are encroached upon.

Amnesty International in Kenya expressed solidarity with the protesters and called for members of the public to be included in decisions affecting the country’s environmental heritage.

“We want to categorically state that Nairobi National Park is not for sale; our public spaces, our environment, and our rights cannot be traded away behind closed doors,” the rights group said.

The Kenya Wildlife Service on Sunday defended the construction as part of a plan to expand the orphanage and improve the visitor experience, effectively dismissing claims of land grabbing.

Kenya Wildlife Service security personnel stand at the entrance to Nairobi National Park during a protest over plans affecting the park in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Plainclothes police officers arrest protesters during a demonstration against plans they say would affect wildlife habitat in Nairobi National Park in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Protesters carry placards during a demonstration against plans they say would affect wildlife habitat in Nairobi National Park in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Protesters flee as anti-riot police launch tear gas during a protest over plans affecting Nairobi National Park in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Kenya's former chief justice and presidential contender David Maraga, center, is shielded by protesters in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, June 8, 2026, during a protest over plans affecting Nairobi National Park. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)