FivePoint Amphitheatre, which opened in 2017 as a temporary bridge between the demolished Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre and a permanent venue to be built in the Irvine Great Park, will close permanently after tonight’s concert by the Zac Brown Band, concert promoter Live Nation announced Saturday, Oct. 21.
ALSO SEE: FivePoint Amphitheatre has closed. Will there be live music in Irvine in 2024?
Live Nation had been in discussions with the city of Irvine to build a permanent venue in the heart of the Great Park, but the city ended its partnership with the promoter in July after residents and council members expressed concern about the size of the proposed amphitheater and its potential noise impacts on surrounding areas.
“Our venue was always planned to be a temporary location to keep live music in Irvine until a new permanent venue could be developed with the city,” Live Nation said in a statement released Saturday afternoon. “However, this doesn’t make saying goodbye any easier. Due to FivePoint residential development, there will no longer be road access or parking for the venue, making fan and production logistics unfeasible.”
Live Nation had proposed building a 14,000-seat amphitheater that it would operate. Concerts could last until 11 p.m. and Live Nation would retain the ability to sell naming rights for the complex. Councilman Larry Agran raised concerns that concert patrons would drive drunk through the city while leaving the venue; he also described Live Nation’s retention of naming rights as “one-sided.”
Instead of a Live Nation-run venue, city officials have proposed a 10,000-seat amphitheater that would be operated by a third party.
Live Nation contends that a larger venue is a more viable proposal for several reasons.
“The 14,000 cap venue would be similar to Irvine Meadows and FivePoint — which many fans in the community have expressed support for,” the promoter said in a statement. “It’s also important to note that a smaller venue could result in less economic revenue for the city, will likely attract less big-name talent, and has less infrastructure for noise buffering.”
The news of the amphitheater’s closure was met with groans by fans turning out for Saturday’s concert.
“It’s really sad,” said Aaron Maloney of Irvine, who attended with his wife, Brie. “I actually saw my first concert ever when I was a little baby, the Beach Boys, at Irvine Meadows. For Irvine Meadows to be gone and now this gone … Orange County needs an outdoor venue.”
Kelly Eckles of Costa Mesa arrived at the show with friends Heidi Giem of Santa Ana and Erica Kuehnel of Newport Beach.
“It bums me out because I think that every seat in this venue is amazing, like there’s not a bad seat,” she said. “I feel like it’s homey and I feel like for us locals it’s just an amazing venue.”
Fans commenting on Live Nation’s Instagram page also mourned the venue’s closure.
“Five Point is a fantastic venue,” wrote user graytscott. “All the seats are decent, the layout outside is welcoming and the atmosphere is wonderful also. Even a bathroom break was easy. I’m sick of driving to LA for shows. … OC needs a place like this for music.”
In its statement, Live Nation said it remains open to working with Irvine.
“If the city decides to build a new home for concerts one day, Live Nation will always stand ready to support,” the promoter said. “In the meantime, we are exploring options to bring a new venue to the broader Orange County area.”
Photographer Jeff Antenore contributed to this report.
