Irvine City Council approved agreements with Live Nation for a permanent Great Park amphitheater and USA Water Polo for an aquatics facility at Great Park at its meeting Tuesday night.
The approval of these agenda items will facilitate the City’s implementation of its new Framework Plan for Great Park by cementing agreements with key partners from the world of Entertainment and Olympic Sports. These partnerships will assist the City in the design and operation of two key features coming to Great Park, strengthening the City’s long tradition of great live music and world-class athletics.
The City of Irvine will design the facility in collaboration with Live Nation, the country’s premier concert and live event promoter. Once complete, the 14,000-seat amphitheater will be owned by the City, located on 25 acres near the intersection of Great Park Boulevard and Skyhawk, and operated by Live Nation pursuant to a 30-year agreement. The total cost of the project is approximately $130 million. In addition, Live Nation will contribute $20 million toward construction and is expected to provide the City with approximately $4.5 million annually in operating revenue and maintenance contributions.
“I’m thrilled to see the Great Park Development Framework becoming a reality. Each step we take will help us achieve our goal of making Great Park a world-renowned facility that reflects the needs and interests of our community,” said Mayor Farrah N. Khan. “The City and Live Nation are working hard to complete the new facility in time for the 2025 concert season.”
“The design process has been a team effort with input from residents and stakeholders as well as lessons learned from the current temporary amphitheater,” shared Irvine City Manager Oliver C. Chi. The amphitheater plan calls for a sunken stage, 20’ below grade, and an earthen mound as high as 20’ around the entire venue to contain noise. The facility was planned to avoid the use of neighborhood streets, bringing event goers in and out on main arterials. The City of Irvine will oversee construction of the facility and will retain the ability to use the facility for community events.
The amphitheater is a key component of the Great Park Framework Plan, a comprehensive vision for the Great Park approved by the City Council in July 2022.The Framework Plan also includes the addition of an aquatics facility in the Sports Complex. The aquatics facility will support the City’s growing need for public pool space and provide USA Water Polo teams with a new state-of-the-art facility.
The approved Partnership User Agreement (PUA) and Memorandum of Understanding with USA Water Polo and the City of Irvine reflect both parties’ mutual interests in developing a multi-pool aquatics facility that will both serve the broader Irvine aquatic community while also meeting facility use needs.
The aquatic facility is approximately 5 acres and includes multiple pools suitable for water polo, swimming, artistic swimming, aqua aerobics, and similar activities. The PUA is a 30-year base term with two five-year extensions. USA Water Polo will contribute $12 million toward the construction and use of the facility, and provide maintenance and utilities for the USA Water Polo areas of the aquatics center. The City of Irvine will oversee construction, operation, and maintenance of the facility.
For more information about the Great Park Framework plan and development updates, please visit yourgreatpark.org.