The Whitewater Amphitheater, a long-standing country music venue in New Braunfels, Central Texas, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, taking many fans and artists by surprise. The filing, made as the venue faced a scheduled foreclosure sale, matters because Whitewater has been a leading regional live-music destination since the early 2000s and is preparing to host a high-profile summer lineup. The venue's operators have stressed that the restructuring is intended to protect its future rather than close its doors.

Kona Coast Venture Ltd., the company operating the venue, filed the petition at 10:26am in the US Bankruptcy Court in San Antonio on Tuesday, ahead of a foreclosure sale scheduled for 10am; it was not immediately clear whether that sale had already gone ahead, though bankruptcy law generally imposes an automatic stay on collection actions. Whitewater insists it remains open, with all scheduled concerts proceeding and staff continuing to work through the season. Its summer programme includes Bob Dylan (30 June), Randy Rogers Band (11 July), Flatland Cavalry (17 July), Dwight Yoakam (18 July), The Black Keys (25 July), Hudson Westbrook (14–15 August), Hardy (21 August), and Dylan Gossett with Charles Wesley Godwin (29 August).