building levitt Pavilion san jose
Music is a universal language.
It builds trust, empathy, and real human connection. Picture families laying out picnic blankets, children dancing freely, and strangers becoming friends as they sway to the same rhythm.
That’s the vision behind Friends of Levitt Pavilion San Jose—a nonprofit founded in 2016 to build community through music and revitalize St. James Park as a safe and inclusive destination for people of all ages and backgrounds. Since 2022, thousands have enjoyed Levitt’s pop-up concert series in the park, bringing the lawn to life through safe, inclusive and joyful experiences.
We are moving towards our dream of building a permanent Levitt Pavilion in St. James Park, in partnership with the Levitt Foundation and City of San Jose. This plug-and-play, state-of-the-art performance venue will offer 40-50 free concerts a year, and be available for use by schools, local arts groups, nonprofits, and civic organizations, making it a true cultural asset for the entire city.
A CULTURAL HOME FOR ALL
A LEVITT PAVILION IN SAN JOSE WILL:
Add $14.3 million annually to the Downtown San Jose economy*
Make St. James Park safer through 50 free concerts and community rentals each year**
Employ 50 regional music acts annually to perform on the Levitt Pavilion stage
Give schools, arts groups, and producers an affordable, plug and play outdoor venue to use
Aart de geus TECH CHALLENGE
“Silicon Valley? Talent, creativity, and amazing teamwork invent tomorrow, every day! Are we engineers or artists? The answer is yes!
As a blues guitar player in a band I love, I am slightly biased, but, for sure, I am proud to support Levitt Pavilion San Jose. May I humbly encourage my fellow tech-leaders who live passion and love music, to co-invest in a place where creativity, community, and innovation will find a new soundtrack? Thank you! …By the way, it’s a bit like ‘open source’: the Levitt concerts are free!”
—Aart de Geus, Executive Chair and Founder, Synopsys
Read more on Aart’s transformative investment in Levitt Pavilion San Jose.
join aart and Woz in getting Levitt built for silicon valley musicians and music lovers. reach out to suzanne@levittsanjose.org.
THE RICK HOLDEN
LEADERSHIP WALL
Top supporters of the Friends of Levitt Pavilion San Jose campaign will be honored in perpetuity on our Founder Rick Holden’s Wall, to be placed on the side of the Levitt Pavilion San Jose concession’s building.
in partnership with
We are uniquely positioned to lead this transformation, drawing on the proven success of Levitt venues and concert sites in partnership with the Levitt Foundation, which has helped over 50 cities across the country reclaim neglected spaces through the power of free, live music.
For more information on how you can support the build, please contact:
Suzanne St. John-Crane, Director of Strategy, suzanne@levittsanjose.org.
*Per the National Independent Venue Association’s economic impact calculator and Americans for the Arts 2022 study in San Jose.
**92% of St. James Park visitors feel “safe or very safe” coming to the park when there is an event. (San Jose Downtown Association 2025 Starlite Cinema Survey)
