The famed Westcott Theater in Syracuse is currently facing some issues. The theater closed back in June 2025 citing safety concerns. This month, the venue was forced to close again after being denied a Large Crowd Entertainment License. Now, owner Daniel Mastronardi is suing the city to reopen the venue.
The Wescott Theater was originally a movie theater that opened up over a hundred years ago, in 1919. It functioned as a movie theater up until 2006, transforming into a music venue in 2007. Since then, it has seen local musicians, cover bands, comedy shows, and other live entertainment take place inside the venue. It has also seen famous names such as Slick Rick and Lacuna Coil.
Mastronardi is suing Syracuse to reopen his business. They were denied a Large Crowd Entertainment License for an event on Saturday. Mastronardi says he doesn’t see why the license was denied. The city says the business did not provide enough security for previous events at the venue and therefore, no one can occupy the building.
The city’s claims are not unfounded. After a concert in May 2025, reports came out of shots fired outside of the venue. The theater has also been the site of multiple fights and two stabbings that happened just this August. However, Mastronardi claims nothing happened.
As a result, the city has determined Westcott Theater as a danger to the public. The Westcott Theater continued to remain open after the stabbings on August 1, which is still under investigation. A few days later, Mastronardi officially received notice about the entertainment license being denied.
Additionally, reports of numerous code violations plague the venue’s chances of reopening. Four violations mention the closed-in patio, which prevents guests from leaving the property easily in case of emergency. Another violation details that the venue fails to maintain a peaceful atmosphere following the fights and stabbings. On August 7, days after the recent stabbings, an unlicensed show with jam band Eggy took place.
Mastronardi continues to plead his innocence and will not let the city shut down the venue, especially with shows scheduled through April 2027. Mastronardi filed a lawsuit over the denial of the license, stating that he was losing revenue from the cancelled Saturday event.
The Westcott Theater were preparing to host a 3-day “Syracuse Welcome Week,” but took down tickets on their website following the venue’s closure. It is unclear if the event is still going on, as other sites are continuing to sell tickets.
The next show on their website is for August 28, which is an Elvis Presley tribute show. With safety concerns and code violations hanging over the venue’s head, upcoming shows at the venue face a risk of being cancelled and artists pulling out.
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