31-625: Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre (later known as Verizon Wireless Amphitheater ) was an amphitheater operating from 1981 to 2016 in Irvine, California . The venue was built in 1980, funded by four local private investors under the Irvine Meadows Partnership. Providing 10,418 reserved seats, and 5,667 on the lawn seating, the outdoor arena was the largest amphitheater in Orange County until its final closure. The architecture
62-656: A Halloween concert in 1992 that sold out that none of the big commercial bands could sell out with people outside of the venue dancing around bonfires. The Eagles performed on six consecutive nights, from May 27 – June 1, 1994, for their Hell Freezes Over reunion tour. Prince and the New Power Generation performed during their Jam of the Year Tour on October 12, 1997. Phish performed two single-night engagements in 1999 and 2000. Iron Maiden , Motörhead and Dio performed on August 24, 2003, while Mars
93-546: A benefit concert for the recently deceased Social Distortion guitarist Dennis Danell . Since 1987, the establishment was the summer home of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, as well as the annual KROQ Weenie Roast . Because of the 1993 opening of the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (now Honda Center ), Irvine Meadows increasingly became an alternative to the much larger Pond, in addition to being
124-424: A central arena surrounded by perimeter seating tiers. The seating tiers were pierced by entrance-ways controlling access to the arena floor, and isolating it from the audience. Temporary wooden structures functioning as amphitheaters would have been erected for the funeral games held in honour of deceased Roman magnates by their heirs, featuring fights to the death by gladiators , usually armed prisoners of war, at
155-756: A particular rock formation naturally amplifies or echoes sound, making it ideal for musical and theatrical performances. An amphitheatre can be naturally occurring formations which would be ideal for this purpose, even if no theatre has been constructed there. Notable natural amphitheatres include the Drakensberg Amphitheatre in South Africa , Slane Castle in Ireland , the Supernatural Amphitheatre in Australia , and
186-790: A political rally at the venue on May 22 of that year. 33°38′15″N 117°44′59″W / 33.63750°N 117.74972°W / 33.63750; -117.74972 Amphitheatre An amphitheatre ( U.S. English : amphitheater ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ἀμφιθέατρον ( amphitheatron ), from ἀμφί ( amphi ), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and θέατρον ( théātron ), meaning "place for viewing". Ancient Greek theatres were typically built on hillsides and semi-circular in design. The first amphitheatre may have been built at Pompeii around 70 BC. Ancient Roman amphitheatres were oval or circular in plan, with seating tiers that surrounded
217-471: A production of the Broadway rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar . The show was a hit and was extended until cold weather forced its closure. During its early years, the stunt show was performed during the day while at night the venue hosted concerts. The theatre proved to be so popular that it regularly filled to 98% capacity. After one year, the studio expanded it to seat 5,200 patrons. The venue
248-503: A second time, and the name reverted to the original Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre moniker in 2015. Gwen Stefani was the last performer at the venue on October 29 and 30, 2016. The Irvine Company had informed the operators of the amphitheatre that the land lease would not be renewed after 2016, so the amphitheatre was closed and demolition started in November 2016, shortly after the final concert. The Irvine Company chose to build housing on
279-648: A venue for amphitheater tours. Live Nation (formerly SFX Entertainment ) bought the lease on the Amphitheatre in 1998. The Amphitheatre was renamed to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in April 2000. The 7-year sponsorship deal between Verizon Wireless and SFX Entertainment , then owner of the amphitheatre, was a multimillion-dollar contract. Verizon renewed this contract for another 7 years, extending it to 2014, but did not opt to renew
310-595: The Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of a partnership between Gibson, Universal and House of Blues . On December 6, 2011, it was announced that Universal Amphitheatre would close and would be demolished to make way for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park area at Universal Studios Hollywood . Although the venue had events scheduled until October 2013, it officially closed in September of that year. The final performance held at
341-916: The Red Rocks and the Gorge Amphitheatres in the western United States . There is evidence that the Anasazi people used natural amphitheatres for the public performance of music in Pre-Columbian times including a large constructed performance space in Chaco Canyon , New Mexico . Universal Amphitheatre Universal Amphitheatre (later known as Gibson Amphitheatre ) was an indoor amphitheatre located in Los Angeles , California within Universal City . It
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#1732797631573372-515: The Universal Studios Studio Tour could watch stuntmen perform a western-themed stunt show and shootout. Construction began in 1969. By 1970, the stage was completed and three old west facades were constructed for the show. The arena was completed in 1971. Because it was empty at night, a young studio tour guide suggested that the arena be used to hold rock concerts. On June 28, 1972, the venue hosted its first concert,
403-404: The (by now demolished) Gibson Amphitheatre and Chicago International Amphitheatre . In other languages (like German ) an amphitheatre can only be a circular performance space. A performance space where the audience is not all around the stage can not be called an amphitheatre—by definition of the word. A natural amphitheatre is a performance space located in a spot where a steep mountain or
434-592: The 5th century and of staged animal hunts in the 6th, most amphitheatres fell into disrepair. Their materials were mined or recycled. Some were razed, and others were converted into fortifications. A few continued as convenient open meeting places; in some of these, churches were sited. In modern english usage of the word, an amphitheatre is not only a circular, but can also be a semicircular or curved performance space, particularly one located outdoors. Contemporary amphitheatres often include standing structures, called bandshells , sometimes curved or bowl-shaped, both behind
465-543: The amphitheatre from November 7–9, 1988, during his Bad tour . Metallica performed for three nights on their ...And Justice for All tour from September 21–23, 1989. Rush performed on June 29, 1990, for the band's Presto tour . Judas Priest , Alice Cooper , Motörhead , Dangerous Toys and Metal Church performed together on July 12, 1991 as part of the Operation Rock & Roll tour. Glenn Danzig and his solo band Danzig and White Zombie performed
496-499: The area of the Roman Empire . Their typical shape, functions and name distinguish them from Roman theatres , which are more or less semicircular in shape; from the circuses (similar to hippodromes ) whose much longer circuits were designed mainly for horse or chariot racing events; and from the smaller stadia , which were primarily designed for athletics and footraces. Roman amphitheatres were circular or oval in plan, with
527-601: The band. Ozzy Osbourne recorded a performance called Speak of the Devil at the venue on June 12, 1982, for home video release in Japan, later released on DVD in the US in 2012. Queen performed on September 11, 1982. The Grateful Dead performed at the amphitheatre fifteen times from 1983 through 1989. Oingo Boingo played its annual Halloween concerts at the venue, from 1986 through 1991, and one final time in 1993, before moving
558-505: The central performance area, like a modern open-air stadium . In contrast, both ancient Greek and ancient Roman theatres were built in a semicircle , with tiered seating rising on one side of the performance area. Modern english parlance uses "amphitheatre" for any structure with sloping seating, including theatre-style stages with spectator seating on only one side, theatres in the round , and stadia . They can be indoor or outdoor. About 230 Roman amphitheatres have been found across
589-556: The entrance to the theatre, allowing patrons to seek refreshments before and after concerts. On July 29 and 30, 1999, pop/R&B singer Whitney Houston gave her last two North American concerts at the theatre on her My Love Is Your Love World Tour . Houston would go on to have one more world tour in 2010, but did not tour North America again. The theatre was known as the Universal Amphitheatre from its inception until early 2005, when naming rights were acquired by
620-648: The funeral pyre or tomb of the deceased. These games are described in Roman histories as munera , gifts, entertainments or duties to honour deceased individuals, Rome's gods and the Roman community. Some Roman writers interpret the earliest attempts to provide permanent amphitheaters and seating for the lower classes as populist political graft, rightly blocked by the Senate as morally objectionable; too-frequent, excessively "luxurious" munera would corrode traditional Roman morals. The provision of permanent seating
651-603: The guitar with his feet in a special performance for Pope John Paul II as part of the pope's two day visit to Los Angeles . The Universal Amphitheatre hosted the Late Night with David Letterman 8th Anniversary Special in 1990. From 1991 to 2002, it served as the ceremony venue for the Academy of Country Music Awards . In May 1993, Universal added the Universal CityWalk shopping and dining district around
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#1732797631573682-812: The owner still holding 13 years on the lease, which he then subleased to the operators of the Wild Rivers water park and the Camp Frasier (later Camp James) summer camp, which became the neighbors of the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre. The water park and summer camp closed in 2011, with the land turned into a housing development by the Irvine Company . The amphitheatre was famous for hosting popular music festivals, including Area2 Festival , Fishfest, Gigantour , Lilith Fair , Lollapalooza , Projekt Revolution and Uproar Festival ,
713-482: The remaining 1994 and 1995 shows to Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Tangerine Dream performed on June 6, 1986, captured on the illicit recording Somnambulistic Imagery . The Smiths performed on August 28 of that year on their The Queen Is Dead tour. Bon Jovi performed for three consecutive nights on their Slippery When Wet tour , from June 20–22, 1987. Michael Jackson performed three concerts at
744-636: The stage and behind the audience, creating an area which echoes or amplifies sound, making the amphitheatre ideal for musical or theatrical performances. Small-scale amphitheatres can serve to host outdoor local community performances. Notable modern amphitheatres include the Shoreline Amphitheatre , the Hollywood Bowl and the Aula Magna at Stockholm University. The term "amphitheatre" is also used for some indoor venues, such as
775-780: The terrain, such that the entire space of the original Irvine-based Lion Country Safari Park would become a 3,700-unit housing development. Live Nation and FivePoint built a temporary amphitheatre at the Orange County Great Park named FivePoint Amphitheatre in 2017, for a limited term of three years, based on the Conditional Use Permit process. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were the first rock act to perform there, on September 18, 1981. They were joined onstage by surprise guest Stevie Nicks , who performed " Stop Draggin' My Heart Around " with
806-412: Was built as an outdoor venue, opening in the summer of 1972 with a production of Jesus Christ Superstar . It was remodeled and converted into an indoor theatre in 1982 to improve acoustics. The amphitheater closed on September 6, 2013 and was demolished for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood . The Amphitheatre was built as a daytime arena where patrons of
837-562: Was designed by Gin Wong Associates, based in Los Angeles. Built on a hillside, the venue's unique design created a natural steep slope toward the stage. The site was previously part of Lion Country Safari , one of seven such parks located in the United States. The owner of the safari park held a 29-year lease, and subleased a portion to the owners of the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in 1981. The safari park closed in 1984, with
868-662: Was no standard size; the largest could accommodate 40,000–60,000 spectators. The most elaborate featured multi-storeyed, arcaded façades and were decorated with marble , stucco and statuary. The best-known and largest Roman amphitheatre is the Colosseum in Rome , also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre ( Amphitheatrum Flavium ), after the Flavian dynasty who had it built. After the ending of gladiatorial games in
899-497: Was the site of various live albums recordings beginning with Joni Mitchell 's Miles of Aisles from August 14 to 17, 1974 and John Denver 's An Evening with John Denver from August 26 to September 1, 1974. In 1980, the venue closed for two years for a major renovation. A roof was constructed to enable year-round entertainment. Acoustics were improved and seating was expanded again to 6,251 seats. On September 15, 1987 singer Tony Melendez sang Never Be The Same while playing
930-612: Was thought a particularly objectionable luxury. The earliest permanent, stone and timber Roman amphitheatre with perimeter seating was built in the Campus Martius in 29 BCE. Most were built under Imperial rule, from the Augustan period (27 BCE–14 CE) onwards. Imperial amphitheatres were built throughout the Roman Empire, especial in provincial capitals and major colonies, as an essential aspect of Romanitas . There
961-589: Was vividly visible to the audience against the backdrop of the stage. Dream Theater and Megadeth performed on July 24, 2005. Kelly Clarkson performed on August 1, 2006, during her Addicted Tour . After the show, she wrote the song "Irvine" at the venue, later released as a hidden track on her 2007 album My December . Miley Cyrus performed in October 2008 for the promotional show of the series Hannah Montana . Fall Out Boy performed on March 26, 2016, during their Winter Is Coming Tour. Bernie Sanders hosted