Arts Landing — the 4-acre, outdoor civic space located at Eighth Street and Penn Avenue in the Cultural District — is open on time ahead of next week’s NFL Draft.
The $31 million project’s completion after 22 months contributes to what elected officials and civic leaders called a generational, arts-driven revitalization of Downtown.
“It’s hard not to be a little bit emotional today,” said Kendra Whitlock Ingram, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
Operated by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Arts Landing will serve as the new permanent home for the Three Rivers Arts Festival, host performances and exhibit public art, including a program that will rotate every 12 to 36 months. Officials emphasized that beyond large-scale events, Arts Landing is designed to serve residents year-round as a park and recreational space, including Downtown’s first-ever playground.
“Pittsburgh is having a moment,” said Pittsburgh Cultural Trust board chair and Highmark Health CEO David Holmberg. “And now we have a new backyard. We’ve created something very special that’s not just for (the NFL Draft) next week, but for generations to come … where people can come live and play.”
Arts Landing will host its first public event during the NFL Draft on April 23. A Pitt Block Party at Arts Landing is billed as an “immersive football experience” with a museum about University of Pittsburgh football, live music and an activity zone.
A public soft opening will follow in May, during which the Arts Landing fencing will be removed and final landscaping completed. A grand opening celebration will coincide with the 2026 Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, taking place June 5-7 and 11-14.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust website also teased events coming to Arts Landing this summer, including movie nights on the lawn, outdoor salsa and fitness classes, and the Trust’s JazzLive series and Family Fest.
Visitors on Friday gathered on the 1-acre, sloping lawn at the heart of Arts Landing. The lawn and canopied Dollar Bank Stage will host the Arts Festival and a slate of regular events to be announced in May. Other key features nearing completion include a “backyard” with seating and games that will double as an event space. A 30,000-square-foot recreational courtyard features artist-designed pickleball courts and a walking track to be opened in July. A visitor’s center will provide 24-hour security, public restrooms and a water bottle refill station.
An overlook and “lawn ledges” offer elevated views of the stage and Downtown skyline. Native landscaping and 100 newly planted trees surround a pedestrian-friendly garden walk. Sculptures and installations from local artists, including the late Thaddeus Mosley, also debuted on Friday.
Gov. Josh Shapiro highlighted Arts Landing as progress in the $600 million Downtown revitalization plan, also pointing to the first phase of improvements completed in December at Point State Park. A renovated Market Square is scheduled to reopen in time for the NFL Draft next week, while nearby residential conversions — including the Smithfield Lofts, 933 Penn Avenue and the May Building — are due to start construction in mid-2026. The Cultural Trust cited its recently conducted economic impact study that concluded Cultural District visitors generate $175 million for the region’s economy each year.
“We’re going to keep investing in Downtown,” Shapiro said. “We’re going to see through these projects to the end, and then we’re going to start new ones in their wake.”
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor applauded Arts Landing as a family space — claiming he went down the playground’s slide — that will encourage residents to stay in the city long-term.
“This is how we start having that long-term conversation about families … about why you want to raise your kids and your families in Pittsburgh to provide them with opportunities that our generation hasn’t seen,” O’Connor said.
He mentioned Arts Landing as a new amenity for Pittsburgh CAPA, the creative and performing arts magnet school on Ninth Street, which overlooks the new space, as students gathered and cheered from the school’s rooftop.
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato praised efforts to ensure Downtown’s revitalization is equitable.
“We can’t forget the little details, too,” she said. “We can’t forget about the people who are impacted by designs like this.”
Building on Holmberg’s statement, Innamorato said, “Pittsburgh is having a moment, but I really think this is part of a movement where we’re all coming together and really building the Pittsburgh that we want, that we desire, that we deserve.”
An event schedule for Arts Landing can be viewed on the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s website at trustarts.org.