City seeks operator for future outdoor amphitheater near the Queen Mary
During a closed session last month, city officials met with agencies such as Live Nation and Goldenvoice to discuss the future venue.
Long Beach has a rich musical history but in recent decades it has fallen off the map for touring artists. Earlier this year, the mayor announced an outdoor amphitheater near the Queen Mary as the latest effort to bring back the spotlight. Now, officials are looking for an operator.
The city released a request for proposals Monday for the future music venue, which is expected to open in the summer of 2025.
“Long Beach is elevating its status as a premier entertainment and tourist destination in Southern California,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement. “The new Long Beach Bowl will be an iconic music venue on our beautiful waterfront that will highlight the spirit and culture of our community and will bring people together for concerts and festivals, further enhancing our landscape and stimulating our local economy.”
The venue is expected to have a capacity of up to 12,000 people on up to six acres between the historic ocean liner and Harry Bridges Memorial Park. The region’s other notable outdoor amphitheaters include the Greek Theatre and the Hollywood Bowl, which have capacities of 5,900 and 17,500, respectively.
The proposed amphitheater will be temporary, similar to the now-defunct FivePoint Amphitheater in Irvine, which shuttered in October of last year. The venue will operate for five years with the potential for extensions as the city considers a permanent facility, according to the announcement.
The selected firm will oversee daily operations of the city-owned asset, including coordinating bookings and programming, marketing and advertising, staffing and logistics, and noise management, according to the city.
In a closed session meeting on July 16, city officials sat down with leading music venue operators and promoters, including Live Nation, Goldenvoice, Insomniac and Emissary Media Group, according to the meeting agenda. The purpose of the meeting was to "discuss the feasibility study for the proposed amphitheater and potential next steps for the project," according to city spokesperson Chelsey Magallon
“There has been a significant amount of interest expressed regarding operation of the proposed amphitheater project, however we do not have information about any specific proposals at this time,” Magallon said in an email Monday.
Interested operators must submit proposals to the city's online vendor portal by Sept. 24 at 11 a.m. The city is hosting an optional pre-proposal meeting at 9 a.m. on Aug. 14.
A copy of the RFP is available on the Long Beach Buys website.
“We’re building the next great international city and unleashing the creative economy through music, athletics, tourism and hospitality like never before,” Economic Development Department Director Bo Martinez said in a statement. “The new amphitheater will offer a vibrant experience for local visitors and tourists with the spectacular Downtown skyline and waterfront as its backdrop.”
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the closed session meeting was not related to future venue operations.
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