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Venu CEO bemoaned low stock price before announcing Chattanooga amphitheater

JW Roth, founder and CEO of Venu, stands above the lower bowl of his 8,000-seat Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs, Colo. Venu has entered a purchase agreement for 15 acres at The Bend in Chattanooga for a 12,500-seat Sunset Amphitheater. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette) JW Roth, founder and CEO of Venu, stands above the lower bowl of his 8,000-seat Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs, Colo. Venu has entered a purchase agreement for 15 acres at The Bend in Chattanooga for a 12,500-seat Sunset Amphitheater. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)

By Daniel Dassow May 14, 2026 7 min read

The CEO of a Colorado-based developer planning to buy land in Chattanooga for a 12,500-seat amphitheater has expressed frustration with his company’s stock price, which has fallen more than 50% in the past year.

The decrease in value of Venu Holding Corp. shares on the New York Stock Exchange has been even greater since they traded at a high of $18.10 in August. Venu stock closed at $3.86 on Thursday, or nearly 79% lower than in August.

On a call with investors in March, Venu CEO JW Roth said the company is executing a plan to attract more institutional investors and raise its valuation. The company’s total stock Thursday was valued at $233 million, less than its assets are worth, Roth said.

“I can’t tell you how frustrated I have been with our stock,” Roth said on the call. “It drives me completely crazy. But I can tell you that I get up out of bed every single day with a plan to bring our undervalued stock back to where it belongs.”