Irvine, Calif., officials voted last week to approve $130 million towards the construction of a new amphitheater in the city’s Great Park. The park’s board, which is composed of the city’s councilmembers, voted 4–1 in its approval with councilman Larry Agran dissenting.
The new 25-acre amphitheater will serve as the Orange County equivalent of Los Angeles’s Hollywood Bowl, according to city officials, and will replace the park’s current FivePoint Amphitheatre.
The project will partner with Live Nation, a live music managing company, for 30 years with the option of two 10-year extensions. The company will contribute $20 million towards the initial costs of the amphitheater’s development and pay for operating costs.
But some residents during the meeting on the issue, said they were worried about loud music from the amphitheater disrupting their quality of life.
“If it is anything like the current amphitheater, the noise is extremely loud and annoying to anyone living within a far distance of the theater,” one Irvine resident said.
But there were many in attendance who voiced support for the new development.
“The location in the middle of the Great Park is very comforting and it brings so many people together,” another Irvine resident said.
Parissa Yazdani, co-chair of the Great Park Task Force—a group of 15 residents appointed by city councilmembers—said over 80 percent of Great Park residents approve of the project according to a recent poll they conducted.
The task force was created to help oversee the development of the Great Park, through providing more input from residents working with city staff.
Yazdani said city staff met multiple times with the group, which unanimously approves of the new amphitheater’s development.
According to city staff documents, to reduce noise the stage will be 20 feet below street level with 20-foot mounds surrounding it.
Noise level will be limited to 50 decibels. After four violations of that threshold, a fine of $10,000 will be imposed on Live Nation and doubled every time thereafter, city officials said.
Live Nation has addressed noise complaints in recent years according to the city.
In 2021, an average of 17 complaints per event were reported at the FivePoint Amphitheater, which was also managed by LiveNation. According to city officials, about $300,000 in sound mitigation equipment was installed, which reduced complaints by 80 percent, the expenses were covered by LiveNation.
The new amphitheater will seat 14,500 people and have an adjacent 4,500-space parking lot.
According to an environmental report conducted by city staff, it will not create any more pollution or traffic than the current setup.
The city will receive an estimated $4.5 million in annual fees from LiveNation, which more than covers their initial investment costs through their contract duration.
Councilman Agran said he voted against the project saying it will have a long-lasting impact on the community and shouldn’t be rushed.
He said the city should take time to explore other options, including the possibility of an enclosed venue to avoid weather impacts. He additionally said he was concerned about noise levels, even with the project’s current mitigation plans.
“I really would like to see this go back to staff and get some serious additional work done before rushing this through,” Agran said.
