The new War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale announces concert by The Driver Era

The highly anticipated new edition of the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale isn’t set to reopen until early 2025, but the renovated 3,400-capacity entertainment venue has announced its first booking: a March 7 concert by pop band The Driver Era.

A key part of the revitalization of the west side of Holiday Park by the city and the Florida Panthers, the War Memorial Auditorium abuts the new Baptist Health IcePlex , which includes the Panthers’ state-of-the-art practice facility, a public skating venue and The Federal restaurant.

The War Memorial Auditorium, which opened nearly 75 years ago, is being renovated from top to bottom, with numerous comfort upgrades and the latest sound and lighting technology. Concert titan LiveNation will book entertainment at the venue.

Led by brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch, The Driver Era will kick off the North American leg of the band’s global Obsession Tour at the WMA, with tickets going on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at SeatGeek.com . The tour is set to begin on Tuesday in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The Driver Era just released the single “You Keep Me Up at Night,” a followup to “Get Off My Phone.” Earlier this year, the band released its first live album, “Live at the Greek,” recorded at the iconic Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. For more on the band, visit TheDriverEra.com .

The Lynch brothers, both guitarists, once led the band R5, which had a blip of fame about 15 years ago. It also included brother Riker Lynch, sister Rydel Lynch and friend Ellington Ratliff.

Ross Lynch also is an actor with an interesting resume — his entry into mainstream pop culture came in 2011 as one of the stars of Disney Channel sitcom “Austin & Ally,” but he earned his best reviews for the title role in the 2017 serial-killer biopic “My Friend Dahmer.”

In a statement about the upcoming tour, Ross Lynch said: “We’re super excited to put on the best show we’ve ever done. Get ready to dance.”

This speaks to the versatility of the new War Memorial Auditorium, which has a large general-admission floor space surrounded by a seated mezzanine level. The venue is expected to host everything from DJs and comedians to graduations and galas.

For more information, visit FTLWarMemorial.com .

Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com . Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and Twitter @BenCrandell .