Long Beach officially has a new oceanfront venue.
The F&M Bank Amphitheater of Long Beach, located near the historic Queen Mary, officially opened its doors on Saturday, June 6 — with local legends, including rapper Snoop Dogg, helping christen the venue with its first concert.
Long Beach broke ground on the project earlier this year. With the amphitheater, the city is striving to redefine the city’s entertainment landscape, and welcome musical talents and visitors from around the world for a robust lineup of major concerts and events, as well as community celebrations and private gatherings, year-round.
The venue can welcome up to 11,000 attendees, with floor and box seats, a pit configuration and a VIP section. It will also offer premium food and beverage concessions, including a curated selection of local food trucks and vendors, officials said.
There’s arguably no one more representative of the city’s deep ties to the music industry than Snoop Dogg, who grew up in Long Beach and helped define the West Coast hip-hop sound in the 1990s, alongside other icons, including Dr. Dre, Warren G, Tupac Shakur and Nate Dogg, among others.
Snoop Dogg’s legacy and career are also deeply intertwined with Long Beach’s VIP Records — a cornerstone of West Coast hip-hop.
So fittingly, he and some special guests were scheduled to welcome the amphitheater to the city on Saturday evening.
“We’re definitely excited for Long Beach to have their own amphitheater, outdoors,” said Dana Wong from San Pedro, who was there with her friend, Sandra Barajas from Arcadia, “(there’s) easy access to Uber, shuttles, near to restaurants.”
“It’s awesome (Snoop Dogg is performing) because he’s from Long Beach. We’re super excited.”
People head into the new F&M Bank Amphitheater of Long Beach, which is near the historic Queen Mary and officially opened its doors on Saturday, June 6 — with a performance by local icon Snoop Dogg. (Photo by Drew Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
People head into the new F&M Bank Amphitheater of Long Beach, which is near the historic Queen Mary and officially opened its doors on Saturday, June 6 — with a performance by local icon Snoop Dogg. (Photo by Drew Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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People head into the new F&M Bank Amphitheater of Long Beach, which is near the historic Queen Mary and officially opened its doors on Saturday, June 6 — with a performance by local icon Snoop Dogg. (Photo by Drew Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The amphitheater project cost about $21 million and was funded through the city’s tidelands fund, city officials said previously. And now that it’s opened, the amphitheater is expected to start paying for itself. It is projected to generate around $600,000 annually in private sponsorships alone.
The city announced in late May that Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach entered into a landmark naming rights partnership, which officially names the new venue F&M Bank Amphitheater of Long Beach, formerly the Long Beach Amphitheater.
Under the multiyear agreement, F&M Bank is the venue’s inaugural naming rights sponsor and official banking partner, uniting one of Southern California’s most-trusted regional banking institutions with the region’s newest live entertainment destination, officials said.
The venue is operated by Legends Global, formerly known as ASM Global, which has also operated the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center and Terrace Theater for more than 30 years. It manages more than 450 other venues worldwide. The City Council unanimously approved the agreement in April 2025.
There are several shows already planned for the amphitheater’s inaugural season, including:
Claypool Gold, featuring Primus and more on July 3.
Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz on Aug. 1.
Toto, Christopher Cross and the Romantics on Aug. 14.
Luke Bryan on Aug. 15.
Lil Wayne with The Game and 2 Chainz on Aug. 1.
311 and Dirty Heads on Aug. 18.
Jack’s Mannequin, Something Corporate and Andrew McMahon on Aug. 22.
Nas & the Roots on Aug. 28.
Los Angeles Azules on Sept. 5.
Deep Purple on Sept. 11.
Five Finger Death Punch on Sept. 18.
Mötley Crüe on Sept. 19.
For the venue’s full schedule, go to longbeachamp.com.
Staff writer Christina Merino and staff photographer Drew Kelley contributed to this report.