Irvine, California is missing something in the heart of their city: an amphitheater for live music. After Irvine Meadows and FivePoint amphitheaters closed — and the city rejected a proposed venue from entertainment giant Live Nation — city leaders are now mulling the idea of constructing a temporary amphitheater.
For the first time since the 1980s, the city is no longer home to a major music venue. While Irvine plans to finish a permanent amphitheater at the center of Great Park with an opening date of 2027, the city is considering building and funding their own amphitheater on the Great Park’s north lawn. This would be constructed in time for the 2024 concert season.
City Manager Oliver Chi told Voice of OC that the temporary facility, which would hold between 6,000 and 8,000 attendees in a seven-acre multipurpose recreation area, could “break even.”
“Over the course of three years you can earn enough money so it doesn’t end up costing anything,” Chi said. “The challenge though is how do we want to operate it.”
However, a city staff report also noted that the facility could cost the city as much as $3 million over the next three years if they don’t have enough acts to take the stage. Chi said that before moving forward, city leaders want more direction from the city council.
“It’s just a matter of making sure that the community is happy in terms of being able to continue with live music,” Councilmember Tammy Kim told OC Register. “We collectively agreed that this is a good thing for the community.”
This proposition follows the closing of FivePoint Amphitheater in October. Live Nation, who ran the venue, closed the amphitheater, noting that “our venue was always planned to be a temporary location to keep live music in Irvine until a new permanent venue could be developed in the city.”
The closing, however, aptly followed Irvine’s rejection of Live Nation’s proposed amphitheater earlier this year. Live Nation’s proposal drew significant opposition, as it would have cost the city as much as $110 million in construction costs in addition to $40 million for parking facilities in the area. One city council member called the deal “lopsided” in favor of the promotor, as Live Nation would have received all parking revenue, sponsorship rights, other revenue steam generated from events held there, as well as complete control over its event calendar. It also would have taken the city between 20 and 30 years to break even on the investment.
Instead, Irvine wants to develop its own 10,000-seat venue that would be managed by a third party and allow multiple event promotors to book shows there. Live Nation allegedly threatened it would not book any shows at the new venue if the city went against them during negotiations — something that the company has been accused of in the past and has even led to a probe by the Department of Justice over its alleged anticompetitive practices.
Nonetheless, when FivePoint Amphitheater closed, Live Nation offered a contrasting promise, noting “if the city decides to build a new home for concerts one day, Live Nation will always stand by ready to support.”
If the city decides to move forward with the temporary amphitheater, FivePoint will direct a $600,000 sponsorship toward its establishment, OC Register reports, which will cover initial deposit costs for a stage and bleachers.
