Desert Sky Pavilion Is Now Ak-Chin Pavilion, Still Has Ke$ha and Pitbull Tomorrow

The venue intermittently known as Desert Sky Pavilion has seen a number of sponsors come and go since opening more than 20 years ago, so let's hope this one sticks: Out with Cricket and Blockbuster and Ashley Furniture HomeStore, in with Ak-Chin Pavilion, named for and sponsored by the Ak-Chin...

By Dan Moore

June 18, 2013

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The venue intermittently known as Desert Sky Pavilion has seen a number of sponsors come and go since opening more than 20 years ago, so let's hope this one sticks: Out with Cricket and Blockbuster and Ashley Furniture HomeStore, in with Ak-Chin Pavilion, named for and sponsored by the Ak-Chin Indian Community.

Live Nation announced the new name and the partnership at a press conference Tuesday afternoon, just in time for Ke$ha and Pitbull to get into town and yell "Hello Desert Sky Pavilion!!!" Wednesday night before being quietly corrected.

The Ak-Chin Indian Community, population 742, sits on the northern end of Pinal County. Among other things, it also operates the Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino south of Phoenix and the Ak-Chin Southern Dunes golf club.

So far the reaction seems to be, well, positive -- but wary of another change is how I'd describe it. It could definitely be worse.

Ak chin pavilion is better name than ashley furniture pavilion #keepitdesertsky
— Henri! Ng (@henri_ng) June 18, 2013

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