Irvine rejects Live Nation amphitheater proposal

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The City of Irvine has pulled the plug on its partnership with Live Nation to construct and manage a new 10,000-seat amphitheater in Great Park.

The decision came in a 3-2 vote at Tuesday’s city council meeting in which many residents expressed concern about the deal, according to The Orange County Register.

Councilman Larry Agran, who voted with the majority, called the agreement “lopsided.”

They expressed several concerns. Among them, that Live Nation would have sole control over acts that perform at the amphitheater, would take all revenue from lucrative naming rights, and would be exempt from any future noise ordinances.

Irvine Mayor Farrah Kahn and Councilmember Mike Carroll voted unsuccessfully to continue the partnership.

Live Nation, the Beverly Hills-based entertainment giant, currently operates the temporary FivePoint Amphitheater in Irvine.

“As the city continues to debate plans for the permanent amphitheater, we remain committed to supporting live music in Orange County as we have for the last 40 years,” Live Nation said in a statement to the OC Register. “At every phase of this process, we have responded diligently to the requests and concerns of council members and staff.”

While the Live Nation deal appears to be dead, plans for a new amphitheater are not.

The city has tasked the City Manager to develop a proposal and timeline to construct a 10,000-seat music venue in Great Park that would instead be managed by a third party.