In the immortal words of Tim Armstrong, “If I fall back down, you’re gonna help me back up again.” And so is the case about music venues in OC… it’s back on again with a little help of friends in all the right places!
We all remember how Irvine Meadows was the place where many of our friends, parents and even grandparents went to see shows in Orange County. If you frequented that venue, you can’t forget that long walk from the parking lot to your seats. That, and the roar of the ions from their neighboring house of really big cats (Lion Country Safari). The venue provided 10, 418 seats with an additional 5,667 in lawn seating.
All the unreal shows that came to Irvine, Boingo Halloween spectaculars, Lollapalooza, Blink, No Doubt, and of course home to so many of the KROQ Weenie Roasts.
Then, Irvine Meadows was no more, and FivePoint Amphitheatre was given life with a potential permanent build out by the city of Irvine. The venue provided 5,500 seat with an additional 1,000 spaces for standing room.
Well, that didn’t happen. The permanent FivePoint project was shot down, and for a minute at least, there was no music venue that could accommodate larger shows and festivals in The OC. Then, with a sense of ironic timing, the city of Long Beach approved the building of a new Hard Rock Café Hotel and music venue.
Now, word about a temporary and permanent amphitheater at the Great Park in Irvine has come to the surface. Recently, the Great Park Board and City Council approved a three-year, $6.6-million contract that allows Irvine-based PSQ Productions to run the just-approved temporary venue (5,000 seat capacity) at the Great Park Sports Complex. They also approved a $15-million deal for a permanent location. Like John Wayne Airport, special accommodation will be put into the planning that is framed around noise abatement.
It is unclear why a negotiation for the FivePoint project couldn’t be reached. Maybe a combination of the Long Beach news and very unhappy Orange County music plans had a little to do with this new announcement? In the end, there is a sigh of relief that there will be a venue in OC – and more importantly, in Irvine – again.
The new venue will be called Great Park Live, initially it will hold 5,000 concertgoers, and it will serve and the primary home of the Pacific Symphony. City leaders stated that the venue would also be available for cultural and community events. The multifaceted use of any venue is always a good thing for the community it serves.
OPENING SUMMER 2024
It’s not known which events are coming just yet. In all honesty, once the spigot is turned on, it will only be a matter of time before Irvine is a destination again for music again and not just cool looking condos and greenbelts.
Get ready for music again – depending on a few factors – maybe as early as this summer. Let’s cross our fingers and wish the project good luck as we all could use more music in our lives – and future memories courtesy of the city of Irvine.
