Camden’s Waterfront Music Pavilion changes its name yet again

Waterfront Music Pavilion, we hardly knew you.

After three months, Camden’s massive waterfront music venue has yet another new moniker thanks to mortgage lender Freedom Mortgage, operator Live Nation announced Wednesday.

Now, the venue formerly known as the Waterfront Music Pavilion will be called the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion after its new name-in-title sponsor.

“We know gatherings with music are uplifting and can inspire us to continue to move forward,” said Freedom Mortgage president and CEO Stanley C. Middleman. “We are so proud to put the Freedom Mortgage name on such an iconic venue that provides so much joy for many, near and far.”

Prior to February, the venue was known as BB&T Pavilion. The venue dropped that name after Live Nation and Truist, which was created in 2019 after a merger between BB&T Bank and SunTrust Bank, decided to not extend their naming rights agreement.

The venue has had several names since it opened in 1995. From its debut to 2001, the venue was known as the Blockbuster-Sony Music Entertainment Centre, or the “E-Centre.” Then, from 2001 to 2008, it was the Tweeter Center. And from 2008 to 2015, it was known as the Susquehanna Bank Center. After that, it was BB&T Pavilion until February, when it changed to Waterfront Music Pavilion — by far the shortest-lived name.

Like everyone else, though, you probably still call it by the name it had when you started going there. And plenty of folks do go — annually, the 25,000-capacity venue draws about 560,000 fans to an average of 46 shows.

With its new name secured, the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion is set to reopen for the 2022 summer concert season May 20 with the 92.5 XTU Anniversary Concert, followed by the MMR*B*Q on May 21. Other artists appearing this summer include pop rockers Train, rapper Machine Gun Kelly, grunge pioneers Pearl Jam, and the country-focused Outlaw Music Festival.