At a ceremony earlier this month, Long Beach officials formally broke ground on a new watefront concert venue that will be located steps from the Queen Mary.

The Long Beach Amphitheater, billed as the largest venue of its type on the west coast, will span a roughly seven-acre property at 1051 Queens Highway which is currently used as surface parking. New bleacher-style seating will provide seated capacity for 11,000 spectators (and standing room capacity for 12,000), with other structures providing concession areas, lounges, offices, and a performance stage.

Renderings of proposed Long Beach Bowl temporary amphitheater, anticipated to hold 10,000 to 12,000 seats and be located adjacent to the iconic Queen Mary in DowntownCity of Long Beach

The $21-million project is being funded through the City's Tideland Funds Group, and will be repaid through operating profit from the amphitheater. The City expects to generate between $2.5 million and $3 million each year. The Port of Long Beach will serve as the venue's first sponsor, providing $650,000 over a five-year term for branding and marketing purposes.

Long Beach officials expect the amphitheater to host 40 concert-scale events each year. The first events are confirmed for August and September 2026, including concerts by Mötley Crüe, TOTO, Christopher Cross, The Romantics, and Five Finger Death Punch.

Long Beach is not the only waterfront community with designs on a new concert venue. A 6,200-seat amphitheater is also to be built as part of the West Harbor development in San Pedro.

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