The Acrisure Amphitheater’s Shows Can Go Later Than Most. Here’s Why.

UPDATE 5/15/2026: A previous version of this article cited that the Amphitheater must abide by the pre-existing GR quiet hour ordinances of Sec. 9.64 - Prohibited Entertainment or Commercial Sound. This has been updated to detail its exemption from that rule.

ORIGINAL:

Lionel Ritchie takes the stage in a mere two days as the debut concert for Grand Rapids' new outdoor amphitheater officially opens after years of talk. The Acrisure Amphitheater's summer lineup features 45 acts, ranging from concerts by Billy Idol and Pitbull to comedy shows by Jerry Seinfeld and John Mulaney.

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But if you've been scrolling through the amphitheater events page, you've likely noticed that the start times of most of the concerts vary; only 5 of the events start at or after 8 p.m. While plenty of us are more than happy to have performances starting at 6 or 7 p.m., there is an actual reason for these earlier starts: noise ordinances.

Acrisure Amphitheater and the Grand Rapids Code of Ordinances

Music and concerts have dedicated cutoff times in Grand Rapids, specifically Sec 9.64 - Prohibited Entertainment or Commercial Sound in the Grand Rapids Code of Ordinances:

2a) Nighttime Hours are that time between 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7:00 a.m. of each subsequent day, and 1:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

However, the Acrisure Amphitheater is actually exempt from the outlined quiet hours (Sec. 9.66). Instead, the Amphitheater's quiet hours are extended to 11 p.m., up from 10 p.m., to give acts wiggle room in case of weather or performance delays.

"6) Sounds and vibrations produced at the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority Amphitheater between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. except as provided in Subsection (7).

(7) Sounds and vibrations produced at the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority Amphitheater after 11:00 p.m. in the case of performance delays occasioned by unforeseeable, exigent circumstances..."

READ MORE: Grand Rapids Amphitheater: Live Nation Secures 25-Year Deal

Common practice for outdoor shows like this is to have the headliner finish 15 minutes before the cutoff time to give acts some time for encores or delays. But to ensure people can get in and out of the venue and allow performances to complete their acts, these shows may begin earlier than at other venues in the city.

Considering there is an apartment building directly across the street from the amphitheater, it is in their best interest to adhere to the noise ordinances.