Crews broke ground today on the Long Beach Amphitheater, the city’s $21.3 million outdoor entertainment venue set to open this summer.
The temporary venue is set to run for an initial 10-year period while the city considers a permanent plan. It’s become a major piece of Mayor Rex Richardson’s vision to use industries like tourism and entertainment to replace declining oil revenue that has traditionally bolstered the city’s budget.
He also hopes it solidifies Long Beach’s place as a music destination. During his speech at the groundbreaking, Richardson recalled attending his first concert at age 16 and later seeing Prince and B.B. King perform.
“Now, we get to have those moments right here in Long Beach,” Richardson said.
Long Beach Amphitheater will have 11,000 seats with grandstands at 36 feet high, facing a 51-foot high stage backdroped by the city’s skyline.
Planners estimate the venue will host more than 300,000 people across more than 100 shows in its first few years.
Construction has already begun. Supplies began arriving in December, Richardson said in an interview after the groundbreaking.
Originally promised to open in fall 2025, an inaugural show is now set for June 6, with a performer still to be announced.
The venue initially had a $14 million price tag, but that’s grown to $21.3 million.
That money was needed, city officials said, to offset increased construction and labor costs, add sustainability features, add accommodations for public transit and deliver a more “premium venue” with upgraded seating and a VIP lounge.
The increased cost will also pay for two more screens on stage.
The venue’s location, tucked on a small piece of land on a peninsula next to the Queen Mary, has the potential to cause traffic and parking headaches. Richardson said that will be assuaged by a bevy of options outside of driving, including a water taxi, shuttle, rideshares and even a helicopter.
“We have to think about this less as, ‘How do I get my car right there?’” Richardson said.
At last week’s City Council meeting, Richardson called the Long Beach Amphitheater a “low-hanging fruit revenue opportunity” for the city.
Conservative projections show that the venue should pay for itself within eight years, according to the city’s Economic Development Department, leaving room for a projected $7.4 million in profit during its final two years of operation.
At his State of the City address, Richardson noted the venue has already secured $11 million in private sponsorships.
Three bands — Toto, Motley Crüe and Five Finger Death Punch — already have shows scheduled.
Long Beach is paying the massive venue-management company Legends/ASM Global to run the amphitheater. Their contract includes a $15,000 monthly fee for consulting work until it opens and a $300,000 annual fee thereafter. They also get an 18% commision on the sale of naming rights and an opportunity to make money on concessions.
At the groundbreaking, Dan Hoffend, the company’s executive vice president of convention centers, said the venue will not only host “big bands” but will also create opportunities for musicians looking to launch their careers.
“Genres of music were created and discovered here in Long Beach,” Hoffend said.
Homegrown bands include Sublime, Tijuana Panthers and War, along with rappers Snoop Dogg, Warren G and the late Nate Dogg.
“This is really big,” said Kelvin Anderson, founder of the renowned record shop VIP Records. “This is the city of art, music and entertainment, so I’m all in on it.”
Anderson said he hopes to have a replica VIP Records sign installed at the venue and wants to host festivals with funk and soul music acts.
At the groundbreaking, Port of Long Beach CEO Noel Hacegaba said that the port has a band called “The TEUs” (the standard unit of measurement for cargo containers) that is lining up to play.
“If you need somebody to break this amphitheater in for free, we’ll be happy to be the opening act to the opening act to the opening act to the opening act to Sublime,” he joked.