Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre facts for kids
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Venue during Epicenter 2013
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| Former names | Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre (1981-99; 2014-16) Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (2000-14) |
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| Address | 8808 Irvine Center Drive Irvine, CA 92618 |
| Coordinates | 33°38′15″N 117°44′59″W / 33.63750°N 117.74972°W |
| Owner | Irvine Company |
| Operator | Live Nation |
| Type | Amphitheatre |
| Seating type | Reserved seating, lawn seating |
| Capacity | 16,085 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | August 21, 1981 |
| Closed | October 30, 2016 |
| Demolished | Late 2016 |
The Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre was a popular outdoor concert venue in Irvine, California. It was open from 1981 to 2016. For some of that time, it was also known as the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Many famous musicians and bands performed there over the years.
Contents
History of the Amphitheatre
The Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre was built in 1980. Four local investors helped pay for it. This outdoor arena was the biggest amphitheatre in Orange County. It had 10,418 seats and space for 5,667 people on the lawn. The design was special because it was built on a hillside. This made a natural slope towards the stage.
Land and Neighbors
The land where the amphitheatre stood was once part of Lion Country Safari. This was a park where people could see animals. The safari park closed in 1984. Later, a water park called Wild Rivers and a summer camp opened nearby. These places were neighbors to the amphitheatre for many years. The water park and summer camp closed in 2011. The land was then used to build new homes.
Famous Music Events
The amphitheatre was well-known for hosting many music festivals. Some of these included Area2 Festival, Fishfest, Gigantour, Lilith Fair, and Lollapalooza. It was also the summer home for the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. The annual KROQ Weenie Roast was a very popular event held there too.
In 1998, a company called Live Nation took over the amphitheatre. They continued to bring many exciting shows to the venue.
Name Changes and Final Shows
In April 2000, the amphitheatre changed its name to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. This was part of a big sponsorship deal with Verizon Wireless. Verizon renewed this deal once. However, they did not renew it again after 2014. So, in 2015, the venue's name went back to Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre.
The very last performer at the venue was Gwen Stefani. She played two shows on October 29 and 30, 2016.
Why the Amphitheatre Closed
The company that owned the land, the Irvine Company, decided not to renew the amphitheatre's lease after 2016. They wanted to build new homes on the land instead. Demolition of the amphitheatre started in November 2016. This meant the entire area, including where the Lion Country Safari once was, would become a large housing development.
After Irvine Meadows closed, a new temporary amphitheatre was built. It is called FivePoint Amphitheatre and is located at the Orange County Great Park.
Memorable Performances
Many famous artists performed at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre. Here are some of the highlights:
1980s Concerts
- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were the first rock band to play there on September 18, 1981. Stevie Nicks even joined them on stage!
- Ozzy Osbourne recorded a live video at the venue in 1982.
- Queen performed in 1982.
- The Grateful Dead played at the amphitheatre fifteen times between 1983 and 1989.
- Oingo Boingo held their popular Halloween concerts there for many years.
- Bon Jovi performed for three nights in a row in 1987.
- Michael Jackson had three concerts there in 1988 during his Bad tour.
- Metallica also played for three nights in 1989.
1990s Concerts
- Rush performed in 1990.
- A big concert with Judas Priest, Alice Cooper, and Motörhead happened in 1991.
- The Eagles played six shows in a row in 1994 for their reunion tour.
- Kiss performed in their famous makeup and costumes in 1996. This was part of their big reunion tour.
- Prince and the New Power Generation performed in 1997.
2000s Concerts
- Britney Spears had a sold-out show in 2000.
- Iron Maiden, Motörhead, and Dio performed in 2003.
- Kelly Clarkson performed in 2006. She even wrote a song called "Irvine" after her show!
- Miley Cyrus performed in 2008 for her Hannah Montana show.
2010s Concerts
- Fall Out Boy performed in 2016.
- Bernie Sanders held a political rally at the venue in May 2016.
See also
- List of contemporary amphitheatres
