When Irvine Meadows closed the doors last fall after a 35-year run, it wasn’t immediately clear what venue would step in to host large-scale concerts and events for the Orange County audience. Now we have an answer—at least temporarily. A new 12,000-seat amphitheater will be going up in time for the summer outdoor concert season.
How can such a large venue be erected in just a few months? Because this is no ordinary amphitheater. Live Nation, the concert promoter responsible for booking the bands that played at Irvine Meadows, has partnered with FivePoint Communities Management Inc. to assemble a temporary venue, according to the L.A. Times.
It’s not the first time they’ve built one of these large, short-term structures. The plans will be based on the success of the America’s Cup Pavilion that was erected in San Francisco in 2013.
Located on the former Marine Station El Toro next to Orange County Great Park, the facility will hold 12,000 and have parking for 4,000 cars. No specific performances have yet been announced, but with summer tours and festival lineups being announced seemingly every day, we may have at least an initial lineup soon.
So far, the Irvine City Council has only signed off on the temporary pavilion, and made no statement as to what might come next. Nonetheless, Live Nation and FivePoint have made it clear that they’re hoping to break ground on a permanent venue at some point in the future.
“I only hope that soon we will be celebrating the approval of the permanent amphitheater at the Great Park to ensure live music in Irvine continues for many generations to come,” Emile Haddad, chairman and CEO of FivePoint, told the Times.
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