The Long Beach Amphitheater’s inaugural event is set for June, but details are scarce

Long Beach is standing on the precipice of becoming a music entertainment powerhouse on the West Coast — at least, that is what officials hope will be the result of the forthcoming Long Beach Amphitheater.

Backed by Mayor Rex Richardson and other Long Beach heavy hitters, particularly in the tourism sector, the operating contract as well as construction and operational funding for the music venue was approved by the City Council in April. Last month, the Planning Commission unanimously approved the project.

Less than three weeks after the commission gave the venue its blessing, the first show announcement was made when Mötley Crüe unveiled its “Return of the Carnival of Sins” tour — a celebration of the band’s 2005 "Carnival of Sins” tour.

The tour kicks off July 17 in Burgettstown, Penn. and comes to the Long Beach Amphitheater on Sept. 19.

Despite initial reports, the glam metal show is not the venue's inaugural event, according to Erin Bola, marketing manager for the amphitheater.

“While Mötley Crüe is the first show that we have announced so far, it will not be our inaugural show,” Bolan said in a Nov. 19 email.

In a follow-up email, Bolan noted that her team is “actively booking a solid mix of shows” for its opening season, with more announcements on the way.

The plan, according to Mayor Richardson, is to start with some “soft events” in late spring to “test” the venue and make sure it’s dialed in for larger events. The official inaugural event will then be hosted in early June, he said during a Dec. 1 interview with the Watchdog.

“The idea for the opening event will be a bit more boutique,” Richardson said. “[The city] will play a larger role in helping to shape the event to make sure it really elevates the amphitheater and really is an iconic moment that will make Long Beach residents proud.”

When asked what his vision for the show was, his response was simple: “Long Beach.”

Richardson refused to give further details, saying that more will be unveiled during his State of the City address next month.

Long Beach has produced a plethora of bands and artists who could grace the stage for the inaugural event. There are the obvious performers like Snoop Dog and Sublime, which are synonymous with the city, but that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the musical past and present of Long Beach.

War, Giveon, Frank Ocean, Rival Sons, Vince Staples, Tijuana Panthers, This Wild Life — all from Long Beach. Though the band claims Huntington Beach, TSOL (True Sounds of Liberty) frontman Jack Grisham grew up in Long Beach. Similarly, the punk rock band Joyce Manor has strong ties to Long Beach, with frontman Barry Johnson having lived in the city and worked at Fingerprints.

And that doesn’t even get into the countless small local acts of all genres working hard at their craft, just waiting for the chance to break out.

The possibilities aren’t endless, but they are abundant, and it’s anyone’s guess who the city will tap to christen the venue.

The finer details

The Long Beach Amphitheater will be located adjacent to the Queen Mary and Harry Bridges Memorial Park, taking the place of around 700 overflow parking spaces. The venue will have 11,000 seats as well as capacity for another 1,000 standing attendees for a maximum capacity of 12,000 people.

During the first year of operation, officials expect the venue to host 84 large-scale events and 20 smaller events such as symphonies and community events, according to a staff report. Typically, events will end by 11 p.m., while special events such as New Years Eve could go later, according to city staff.

The venue is temporary, expected to operate for five to 10 years, “with the possibility of extension,” according to city documents.

In April of this year, the Long Beach City Council approved funding for the amphitheater — $14 million out of the Tidelands Fund for everything from design and permitting to construction and furniture. The council also approved another $1.5 million for “pre-opening” services provided by operator ASM Global, a subsidiary of international venue operator Legends, which operates more than 450 venues around the world.

ASM, which also manages the Convention Center, including the Terrace Theatre and Long Beach Arena, was awarded the amphitheater operating contract worth $300,000 annually. The contract is for five years with an option for a five-year renewal.

Initial revenue projections for the venue include a net profit of $12 to $15 million over the first five years, according to city staff. After 10 years, profits are expected to be between $26.5 and $31.4 million.

During the Planning Commission meeting, transportation and pedestrian safety were a topic of focus. There will be 400 on-site VIP and premium parking spaces, according to city staff.

Multimodal transportation is the emphasis: Long Beach Transit, shuttles, walking, biking, rideshares and even water taxis will all be used to ferry people to and from the venue. Some concert tickets may even be sold bundled with transit passes.

An advisory group made up of city and Transit staff will make recommendations for adjustments or refinements if needed after the inaugural season.

One plan to moderate the flow of concert-goers, according to project lead Johnny Vallejo, is to stagger people’s arrival and departure with activations at the Queen Mary, Harry Bridges Park and possibly the return of daytime operations at the nearby Reef on the Water restaurant.

Richardson is bullish on the city’s future of music entertainment and said Long Beach is missing “just a few pieces to really bring it all together,” including a popular outdoor venue to complement the already booming music festival business the city has drawn in over the years, including festivals like the Vans Warped Tour, Country Jam and Day Trip as well as local events such as the annual Long Beach Jazz Festival.

While the amphitheater will be more of a seasonal venue operating from spring through fall, Richardson said once it’s launched, officials will begin looking at the Long Beach Arena.

“What’s it going to take to invest in the Arena to make it an iconic historic venue that rivals the Forum?” Richardson said.

In its heyday, the Arena hosted many legendary acts, including Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Rick James, Deep Purple and the Grateful Dead.

Many of those bands recorded live albums at the Arena, including Mötley Crüe. On Nov. 27, 1985, as part of its “Theatre of Pain” tour, the band recorded its famous “Live in Long Beach” at the Long Beach Arena. The live album was released on vinyl for the first time this year as part of a 40th anniversary boxset of “Theatre of Pain.”

“We’re serious about making Long Beach a world-class entertainment destination on the West Coast,” Richardson said. “We are already, in many ways, the undisputed cultural capital of the West Coast given our music, our history, the food, the people, the diversity — there’s no other beach city on the West Coast with what we have.”