Above from left: City and Port of Long Beach officials and representatives from Legends Global commemorate the groundbreaking of the Long Beach Amphitheater on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026; proposed rendering of the Long Beach Amphitheater, which will serve as the largest waterfront amphitheater on the west coast.
It was a picture-perfect mid-winter day, the sun shining brightly, in the shadow of the Queen Mary, that Long Beach city officials, including Mayor Rex Richardson, donned hard hats and grabbed shovels for the symbolic groundbreaking on a $21 million waterfront amphitheater set to open in August of this year. The facility will be managed by Legends Global, the company founded in 2019 after the merger between AEG Facilities, AEG Ogden and SMG, and acquired by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ Legend Hospitality after Onex Corporation and Anschutz Entertainment Group sold their shares. Legends Global operates more than 450 venues worldwide – including L.A.’s Crypto.com Arena, Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum and Minneapolis’ US Bank Stadium and Target Center.
“The power of music is inescapable in this city, and we needed to bring it back,” commented Legends Global executive vice president of North American Venues Dan Hoffend in his remarks. “The Mayor and the Council understood what needed to be done and how to do it. It’s all about creating memorable experiences and making Long Beach a world-class destination.”
The project brings a much-needed new 12,000-capacity music venue to the “LBC” (Long Beach, California) music community, which has famously spawned both OG west coast rappers like Snoop Dogg and Warren G and punk-rockers including Sublime, Zack de la Rocha and Suburban Lawns. The city has been without an operating venue since the Long Beach Arena, now part of the Convention and Entertainment Center, stopped regularly booking rock and hip-hop acts. With the Port of Long Beach as its first founding member, the amphitheater will open this summer, having booked shows with Motley Crue (alongside Tesla and Extreme), Toto, Christopher Cross, The Romantics and Five Finger Death Punch (with opening acts Cody Jinks and Eve Under Fire).
The project was funded from the city’s Tidelands Funds Group, which will be repaid through the estimated $2.5-$3 million in annual net operating income without the use of any public money.
Mayor Richardson, a huge music fan, reminisced about his very first concert, seeing the Ruff Ryders/Cash Money “Drop It Like It’s Hot” tour at the Verizon Amphitheater in Costa Mesa as a 16-year-old, then watching Prince do one of his 40 shows at the L.A. Forum or shaking BB King’s hand after a concert at Cal State San Bernardino.
“We get to create some of those memorable moments right here in the LBC in our own background,” he exclaimed from the podium. “The amphitheater represents an investment in our city’s future, to embrace our creative community, to shape how people experience Long Beach for generations to come.”
Richardson explained the amphitheater – dubbed the largest outdoor waterfront venue on the west coast – is just a first step in transforming Long Beach’s waterfront, while adding the project will be built with union workers. “Music has always been a part of this city’s culture, creativity has always lived here. This city is the cradle for west coast hip-hop and punk.”
Councilwoman Mary Zendejas also touched on some of the economic benefits expected from “the kind of bold, forward-thinking, forward-investing that shapes how cities grow, compete and define themselves. We are creating both jobs and supporting local businesses, developing Long Beach into a world-class destination.”
“This project signals a defining new chapter for Long Beach and our responsibility to plan boldly and intentionally for what comes next,” added City Manager Tom Modica. “It is about building an asset that enhances our waterfront, strengthens our city’s infrastructure for arts and entertainment and creates benefits that extend well beyond the venue itself, which speaks to its potential to shape Long Beach’s future and deliver enduring value for our community.”
Ultimately, as Legends Global’s Dan Hoffend pointed out, the venue is “about that kid learning to play guitar in his garage, or rapping behind turntables, waiting for their own opportunity. This is all happening because of a shared vision between the city and its partners. We expect this venue to build on Long Beach’s rich legacy in live entertainment by bringing together today’s top artists and tomorrow’s rising starws to create unforgettable moments on the waterfront.”