The Sound in Gautier (Photo from The Sound website)
- As Gautier invests in trails, games, and future performances, The Sound symbolizes what Mississippi can create when vision meets community.
On April 12, 2024, over 6,000 music lovers gathered outside on a moonlit night in Gautier, Mississippi, for an opening like no other. KC & The Sunshine Band headlined, and Gautier’s youth choir lit the stage of The Sound, the state’s newest outdoor music venue, an ambitious amphitheater and centerpiece of the city’s visionary Town Commons Project.
The Sound is a part economic engine and part creative incubator. It is quickly becoming the rejuvenated cultural heartbeat, breathing life into the Gautier community and the region it serves. Therefore, Paula Yancey, Gautier’s city manager behind its rise, sees the purpose as much bigger than a venue.
Located along Dolphin Drive, The Sound seats 7,000, with space for 11,000 standing. Its modern woodsy architecture provides impeccable acoustics. The stage was built high with a gentle three-foot slope for better viewing from every angle and at every level of the audience.
“There’s really not a bad seat in the house,” said Yancey. “One of the best things about this venue is that when you sit out among the trees and watch the moon rise while listening to music, it is such a special experience.”
It took about a year from the bid award to the grand opening. Early lineups included Jason Isbell, Miranda Lambert, Sam Hunt, and Willie Nelson, proving that Mississippi can host A-list acts without sacrificing intimacy or Southern charm.
One of Yancey’s biggest surprises was Lauren Daigle’s performance, which drew a line around the roundabout. For attendees who bought the pre-performance tickets, Daigle gave a special performance during which the audience could ask her questions.
“Her performance was just amazing,” said Yancey, who presented a pair of handmade earrings to Daigle. “We always give artists gifts when they perform.”
After the concert, Daigle posted a reel on Instagram and Facebook telling the world how much she loved The Sound.
“We got voted the hottest venue and the best crowd she’d ever been around, and she went on and on about the earrings the city gave her. It was very down-to-earth and very endearing.”
Hosting some of the nation’s best entertainers is quite an accomplishment. In addition, The Sound also generates economic growth in Gautier and the Gulf Coast. Yancey estimates concert traffic brought an additional 80,000 visitors to the area in the past year.
“For Gautier, it’s an economic development catalyst because of the increase in traffic load, which means an increase in the need for hotels and restaurants,” she noted. “They buy gas, eat, stay in hotels and then explore the region. So, it’s had a regional impact.”
City leaders and state representatives echoed Yancey’s sentiment by financially supporting the vision. Still, their shared vision was more infrastructure than entertainment. “This venue has brought in revenue equivalent to a $57 million development,” Yancey added. “That money funds our firefighters, our police, our city services. It’s changed the quality of life here.”
Beyond music, the venue shares its campus with Mississippi’s only large-scale inclusion playground, Unlimited Play, an adaptive, music-themed space open to children of all abilities. The initiative was sparked by a call from George Cumbest, the current president of the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance, and enthusiastically embraced by donors and legislators. Unlimited Play has over 100 inclusive playgrounds nationwide, fostering dignity, understanding, and respect among children of all abilities.
“I submitted the project to the legislature, and they loved it. And because I had a donor, they gave us the rest of the funding,” said Yancey. “It’s wheelchair accessible with multiple floors and it’s always filled with kids.”
And there’s more on the horizon: pickleball courts, outdoor table games, trails with treehouses, and a boardwalk across the wetlands.
“We’re expanding the artist building to accommodate bigger acts,” Yancey said, underlining a future that keeps growing in both ambition and accessibility.
Also planned adjacent to the amphitheater is a Mississippi Songwriters Performing Arts Center and Hall of Fame. Together, they aim to position Gautier as the music leader in Mississippi.
“Instead of ‘Birthplace of America’s Music,’ we wanted Gautier to be “The Place for Music,'” Yancey said. “We’re working with the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance to build classrooms and a recording studio, something that speaks to the legacy and future of songwriting in this state.”
For Yancey, The Sound’s success lies in partnerships with the state and with promoters like 46 Entertainment. However, the community plays the most significant role.
“People forget the most important partners are the community. Their attitude and willingness to come to The Sound and support it is what fuels growth.”
The venue has quickly become a point of civic pride, a space where economic goals and cultural identity intertwine. As Gautier invests in trails, games, and future performances, The Sound symbolizes what Mississippi can create when vision meets community, and partnerships work together to make that vision a reality.
Richelle Putnam
