Aug 31, 2021 | Entertainment, General News
UNCASVILLE, CT (August 19, 2021) – CelebrityAccess proudly announced
this year, the First Annual “Innovator of the Year Award.” This award is designed to recognize our entertainment industry’s most innovative organizations, who pave new paths and initiatives to creatively bring new business and productivity to our industry.
This year’s recipient: Tom Cantone, President of Sports and Entertainment, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE); is largely responsible for revolutionizing casino entertainment to one of the most ambitious and wide-reaching on the planet. Tom’s career spans over many years spent in the gaming and entertainment industry. Currently Cantone has been at Mohegan Sun for 14 years.
2020 caused us all to take a step back and find ways to stay relevant and reimagine how to stay open and keep staff employed. “Our first recipient embodied all these accomplishments by creating a remarkable story of historic significance during the height of the pandemic that shut down the world” stated Marc Gentilella, President/CEO of CelebrityAccess.
Mohegan Sun Arena, part of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment’s (MGE) network of properties worldwide, never actually closed during the pandemic; Mohegan Sun partnered with ViacomCBS to broadcast a series of “Bubble” broadcasts from the facility that brought SHOWTIME Boxing and Bellator MMA events to over 12 million television screens and streaming viewers all over the world.
“We found a way to stay relevant during historic times,” Cantone says. “We could have sat it out and waited but we took advantage of opportunity that comes with a crisis. We were able to keep a lot of people working and kept the venue alive and well with non-stop programming to viewers around the world. Live From Mohegan Sun Arena were 5 special words people looked forward to every week”.
These efforts caused CelebrityAccess to name Cantone and MGE Properties, Innovator of the Year for 2020.
“This recognition is shared with great respect and empathy for all our Team Members at Mohegan Sun,” Cantone says. “At a time of uncharted territory and personal risk, they found a way to show the world what leaders do best even during an historic pandemic.”
In a huge step, Mohegan Sun Arena is now open for live audiences that included hosting a private concert to show player appreciation for Mohegan Sun and to provide a chance for ticket-takers, security, vendors and other employees to reacquaint themselves with the routines of live events and focus on Guest Service.
“It was such a great night,” Cantone says. “People were hugging each other and there was a genuine sense of rejuvenation. I think we all realized how much the people who work in the Arena and throughout the property realize this is a great place to work. It sounds corny, but we’re back to making memories.”
To date, Mohegan Sun Arena has over three dozen concerts, sporting events and performances scheduled for the Arena into December. They include Brantley Gilbert, Blake Shelton, Harry Styles, Sebastian Maniscalco, the Dave Matthews Band and the Doobie Brothers with Michael McDonald
New events will continue to be announced, Cantone says, and we have secured a commitment to host the Miss America pageant for the next three years. Justin Bieber, The Weekend and Brad Paisley have each also confirmed for shows in 2022.
“Undoubtedly, Tom’s vision of a ViacomCBS Residency will go down as one of the most successful game plans to beat a pandemic in casino and venue history”, said Marc Gentilella, President/Founder of Celebrity Access, as he presented Tom with their first and Annual Innovator of the Year Award.
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May 19, 2021 | Boxing, Breaking News, Entertainment, General News, Sports
Fans Excited to Return for Major Sports & Shows
UNCASVILLE, CT (May 19, 2021) – Mohegan Sun Arena, consistently ranked 
among the top entertainment venues worldwide according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and others, was excited this past weeknd to welcome back fans with return of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, who are currently 2-0 and led by DeWanna Bonner and Jonquel Jones. Mohegan Sun Arena’s first public concert since winter 2020 is also scheduled, when Soft-Rock duo, Air Supply, plays on Sunday, July 18th. More exciting upcoming concerts planned in Mohegan Sun Arena include Lady A on July 29th, Dustin Lynch on August 5th, Straight No Chaser on August 8th, Deftones on August 21st, Tom Segura on August 27th, Toby Keith on September 3rd and back-to-back Sebastian Maniscalco dates on October 1st and 2nd. Major 2022 Mohegan Sun Arena concerts announced recently also include The Weeknd (February 6, 2022), Brad Paisley (May 27, 2022) and Justin Bieber (June 18, 2022). Exciting MMA action returns on Friday, June 11th as well, with Lima (32-8) vs. Amasov (25-0)
With guidance and collaborative work with the Mohegan Tribal Health Department, Mohegan Sun Arena reopens with limited capacities in place during May, June and most of July. This will include private shows, CT Sun games, Bellator MMA and the return of the first public concert on July 18th. Mohegan Sun Arena plans to return to full capacity when Lady A, whose national tour starts at Mohegan Sun, performs on Thursday, July 29th. Health & safety measures will be in effect at Mohegan Sun Arena, including some limitations on food and beverage service. Tickets will also be managed electronically, with ease-of-use on smart phones included. For more information, visit mohegansun.com/arena-policies
“While much of the past year Mohegan Sun Arena was one of the few venues producing live events, it’s with great excitement we can now bring back live fans to enjoy both sports and entertainment at our world-class venue.” –said Jeff Hamilton, President & General Manager of Mohegan Sun. “As the summer approaches, Mohegan Sun will also be announcing additional events and festivities to take place across our property, including some of our most popular outdoor events.”
Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster and an up-to-date Mohegan Sun Arena calendar for 2021 is available via mohegansun.com/arena-calendar, with highlights below:
- Air Supply | Sunday, July 18th | Tickets on-sale now
- Lady A |Thursday, July 29th | Tickets on-sale May 21st
- Dustin Lynch |Thursday, August 5th| Tickets on-sale May 21st
- Frankie Valli | Friday, August 6th |Tickets on-sale now
- An Evening with Straight No Chaser | Sunday, August 8th | Tickets on-sale now
- Jeff Dunham | Friday, August 20th | Tickets on-sale now
- Deftones | Saturday, August 21st | Tickets on-sale now
- Tom Segura| Friday, August 27th | Tickets on-sale May 21st
- Big & Rich | Wednesday, September 1st | Tickets on-sale now
- Toby Keith | Friday, September 3rd | Tickets on-sale now
- Dan + Shay | Saturday, September 11th | Tickets on-sale now
- CMN Presents Marc Anthony | Saturday, September 18th | Tickets on-sale now
- Sebastian Maniscalco | Friday, October 1st & Saturday October 2nd | Tickets on-sale now
- Harry Styles | Saturday, October 23rd | Tickets on-sale now
- The Doobie Brothers | Thursday, October 28th | Tickets on-sale now
- The Monkees Farewell Tour | Friday, October 29th | Tickets on-sale now
- Old Dominion | Saturday, October 30th | Tickets on-sale now
- Dave Matthews Band | Tuesday, November 9th & Wednesday, November 10th | Tickets on-sale now
- Chris Young | Sunday, December 5th | Tickets on-sale now
“We have been preparing for this day for a long time and we believe that being open this past year operationally makes us more than ready to safely deliver the memorable entertainment experiences that we have become known for.” Said Tom Cantone, President of Sports & Entertainment for Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE). “July 18th will certainly be a special night when our first public concert returns with Air Supply taking the stage.”
For the first half of the 2021 WNBA season, leading up to the Olympic break, the Connecticut Sun will safely host their full and partial plan season ticket holders. Connecticut Sun games will also still require masks, to align with current WNBA guidelines. For more information, visit Connecticutsun.com or call 1.877.SUN.TIXX. Details on individual ticket sales will come at a later date. Upcoming CT Sun home games include May 19th vs. The Indiana Fever, May 28th vs. The Washington Mystics, June 1st vs. Las Vegas Aces, June 5th vs. the New York Liberty, June 13th vs. the Seattle Storm, June 22nd vs. The Dallas Wings and June 27th vs. The Chicago Sky.
Mohegan Sun Arena was named “Innovator of the Year” by Celebrity Access in part due to the transformation that Mohegan Sun Arena underwent during much of the pandemic, becoming a broadcast residency center for sports including MMA, Boxing and College Basketball. ViacomCBS and Mohegan Sun partnered to host the most championship MMA (Bellator) and Boxing fights ever held at a venue in one year, seen by millions around the world. This partnership is also currently the longest running residency in the US. In late 2020, Mohegan Sun Arena was also home to “Bubbleville,” where the Basketball Hall of Fame and Gazelle Group safely completed 26 Division 1 NCAA Men’s and Women’s games in the span of 10 days.
Just before Mohegan Sun’s temporary closure related to the pandemic last year, Bellator MMA was the last public sporting event held in Mohegan Sun Arena. On Friday, June 11th, they are now planned to be the first to welcome back fans, in limited fashion, when Douglas Lima defends his title against the undefeated and #1 ranked Yaroslav Amosov. Tickets start at $60.00 and will be available through Ticketmaster.com on Friday, May 21st, with a special presale starting on Thursday, May 20th from 10:00am – 10:00pm EST.
This fight will also be on SHOWTIME. Bellator MMA will also feature a main event between heavyweight Tim Johnson (15-6) and heavyweight Valentin Moldavsky (10-1) live from Mohegan Sun Arena, with limited fans, on Friday, June 25th. More details on these events are available via bellator.com/articles
A Hall of Fame Tip-Off NCAA Tournament is also being planned at Mohegan Sun Arena for the start of College Basketball later this year. North Carolina, Villanova, Purdue and Tennessee are expected headliners.
Additionally, Mohegan Sun’s award-winning Wolf Den venue inside Casino of the Earth is back. Limited capacity shows returned this month, and upcoming shows include local favorites Crazy on You – A Tribute to Heart, The 60s Explosion Show and Mullett, to name a few.
This past weekend, Mohegan Sun also successfully hosted the nationally televised Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend, celebrating the class of 2020. The likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Julius “Dr. J” Erving and other legends were on hand Saturday, May 15th, for the Enshrinement Ceremony inside Mohegan Sun Arena, which hosted 2,000 socially distanced fans. Kobe Bryant was posthumously inducted into to the Basketball Hall of Fame, along with an incredible class that included Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Tamika Catchings and more.
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN ARENA
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Now and is also consistently ranked top 15 in the world for “All Size Venues.” The award–winning venue was named “#1 Social Media Venue in the World” in 2016 and is a seven–time Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) national award–winner for “Arena of the Year,” with the most recent recognition coming in 2019. In 2020, Mohegan Sun Arena remained one of the top venues in the world according to year-end reports by both Pollstar and Venues Now. For more information and updates on Mohegan Sun Arena, call 1.888.226.7711 or visit Mohegan Sun.
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Oct 25, 2019 | Entertainment, General News, Special Events, Sports
UNCASVILLE, CT (October 25, 2019) — Earlier today, Mohegan Sun honored Bellator MMA with their very own Walk of Fame star outside of the Mohegan Sun Box Office. The event took place prior to the start of Bellator 231 (Mir vs. Nelson), as Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment’s Sr. VP of Sports & Entertainment, Tom Cantone, presented Bellator President, Scott Coker, with the honor. In accepting the recognition on behalf of Bellator MMA, Coker said, “This is quite an achievement, it’s a milestone for the company, and it all started with Bellator 2 here at Mohegan Sun, and now we’re at Bellator 231& 232. I’ve seen a lot of great fights here and I’m looking forward so many more.”
In introducing Coker, who was joined by MMA legends Royce Gracie & Chael Sonnen, as well as Bellator MMA broadcasters and well-known personalities, Jay Glazer & “Big” John McCarthy, Cantone touched on the impactful 10 year relationship with Bellator in mentioning, “110,000 people later, 20 events later, 500 fights later, we’re here to induct [Bellator MMA]… and It’s the first time that Mohegan Sun has inducted a sports organization, so Bellator has the bragging rights as our first ever sports related Walk of Fame induction!”
Bellator MMA becomes the 34th inductee into the Walk of Fame, where names like Bon Jovi, Kevin Hart, KISS, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and so many more long-time sell-out acts are enshrined outside of the Mohegan Sun Box Office forecourt. Owned by media and entertainment giant Viacom, Bellator MMA has hosted over 20 events at Mohegan Sun Arena since their first show on April 10, 2009 at Bellator 2. In that span, there have been incredible moments along the way, including major title-fights, season premieres and highly anticipated matchups in both the heavyweight and welterweight World Grand Prix tournaments. MMA stars that have fought at Mohegan Sun Arena and for thousands of fans over the years include Michael “Venom” Page, Matt Mitrione, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, Alexander Shlemenko, “Pitbull” Freirree, Brett Cooper, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and many more.
Bellator MMA is back in Mohegan Sun Arena tomorrow (Saturday, October 26th) with the Welterweight World Title (Bellator 232) between Rory McDonald and Douglas Lima.
Mohegan Sun’s Walk of Fame awards seek to recognize individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the success of Mohegan Sun as the Northeast’s premier entertainment destination. All of the inductees into the Mohegan Sun Walk of Fame will have their name engraved on a plaque that will be permanently placed at the entrance to Mohegan Sun Arena.
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May 22, 2019 | Entertainment, General News
UNCASVILLE, CT (May 22, 2019) – The 54th Academy of Country (ACM) Music Awards announced Industry Award winners on Monday, May 20th, and Mohegan Sun Arena was once again named “Casino of the Year” for large capacity venues. This is the seventh time Mohegan Sun Arena has been awarded an ACM award in the last 12 years. It is also the 16th national award for the 10,000-seat Arena that’s gearing up for a summer line-up that so far includes Toby Keith, Little Big Town, Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert.
“We have such a strong calendar of Country music throughout the year, and it’s in no small part due to the incredible relationships we have with so many great acts, many of which started here in the Wolf Den” said Tom Cantone, Senior Vice President of Sports & Entertainment for Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment. “These awards are a tribute not only to our commitment to providing the top names in Country music and their fans, but is also a credit to the talented entertainment team we have here at Mohegan Sun. We’re a top producer of live entertainment in the industry, with Mohegan Sun Arena consistently among the highest grossing and top ranked venues in the world.”
Voted on by professionals with the Academy of Country Music, the large capacity category honors the behind-the-scenes industry professionals and venues who contribute so much to the artistry, success and longevity of Country music.
For more information on the ACM Awards and all ACM events, visit ACMcountry.com. For more on Mohegan Sun’s concert lineup, visit mohegansun.com/entertainment.
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Now. Mohegan Sun Arena is consistently ranked among the top three “Arenas in the World for its Size” and top 15 in the “World for All Size Venues.” The award – winning venue is the “#1 Casino Venue in the World,” “#1 Social Media Venue in the World” and a seven – time national award – winner for “Arena of the Year.” For more information on concerts and other great events, visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711.
Mar 16, 2015 | Entertainment, Special Events
Oakland Soul, R&B, Funk and Jazz greats to perform and be placed alongside Wolf Den’s best with special ceremony
UNCASVILLE, CT (March 16, 2015) – Mohegan Sun is proud to announce that the next Wolf Den Hall of Fame inductee will be none other than the legendary Tower Of Power. The Oakland, CA band will be live in concert on Saturday, April 18th at Mohegan Sun. The longtime Wolf Den performers will kick off at 8:00pm and early into the show, Senior VP of Sports & Entertainment, Tom Cantone, along with Mohegan Tribal Chairman, Kevin Brown, will take the stage to present Tower of Power with their well-deserved Wolf Den Hall of Fame honor.
About Tower of Power:
Tower of Power’s musical odyssey began in 1968 when tenor saxophonist/vocalist Emilio Castillo met baritone sax player Stephen “Doc” Kupka in July of that year. Originally named The Motown’s, the guys paid homage to the R&B sound that influenced them while adding their own personal twist. In 1970, the now renamed Tower of Power landed its first record deal with Bill Graham’s San Francisco Records. Their next album, Bump City, was recorded on Warner Brothers and produced a string of hits giving the band its first national exposure. At least 60 talented musicians have toured or recorded with the band in its 47 years and they have been featured with artists as diverse as Aerosmith, Elton John, Little Feat, Phish, Santana, Heart and many others, forever infusing the radio airwaves with Tower’s musical DNA. Each year Tower of Power tours the United States, Japan and Europe, playing sold out shows all over the world. Tower of Power has never been busier or more in demand. New generations of fans come to see the band perform as their timeless music continues to excite fans of all ages.
Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Hall of Fame is an exclusive club that recognizes a distinct class of performers whose longevity and dedication have made Mohegan Sun a world-class entertainment destination. As some of our most celebrated performers, these artists have shown loyalty to fans at Mohegan Sun and have helped shape the Wolf Den into the successful venue it is today. The induction ceremonies will take place on the Wolf Den stage at the beginning of each performance.
