Coors Amphitheatre (San Diego)
Encyclopedia
Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, formerly known as Coors
Amphitheatre, is a 19,492-seat amphitheatre
located in Chula Vista, California
. It is the largest concert
venue of its size in the San Diego
area. The venue is owned and operated by Live Nation
.
and concert venue were planned for the area. White Water Canyon (now Knott's Soak City
) opened in 1997, while Coors Amphitheatre opened July 21, 1998, the first venue of its kind in San Diego County. A month later, on August 21, 1998 the venue hosted its first sell-out concert with the Spice Girls
.
In April 2008, the venue was renamed Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre after naming rights were purchased by Cricket Communications
, Inc.
Coors Brewing Company
The Coors Brewing Company is a regional division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Canadian Molson Coors Brewing Company and is the third-largest brewer in the United States...
Amphitheatre, is a 19,492-seat amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
located in Chula Vista, California
Chula Vista, California
Chula Vista is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fourteenth largest city in the State of California, and the seventy seventh largest city in the U.S....
. It is the largest concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
venue of its size in the San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
area. The venue is owned and operated by Live Nation
Live Nation
Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....
.
History
Area around the amphitheatre had previously been open fields and at one time been part of a large dairy farm. In the late 1990s, a development plan was created and a water parkWater park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...
and concert venue were planned for the area. White Water Canyon (now Knott's Soak City
Knott's Soak City
Knott's Soak City is a chain of three seasonal water parks owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company and located in Southern California.Soak City U.S.A in Orange County opened in 1999. Located East across Beach Blvd...
) opened in 1997, while Coors Amphitheatre opened July 21, 1998, the first venue of its kind in San Diego County. A month later, on August 21, 1998 the venue hosted its first sell-out concert with the Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
.
In April 2008, the venue was renamed Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre after naming rights were purchased by Cricket Communications
Cricket Communications
Cricket Communications, Inc. founded in 1999, also known as Cricket Wireless, provides wireless services to 7 million customers in the United States. The company is a subsidiary of Leap Wireless, utilizing its CDMA 1X and 1xEV-DO networks...
, Inc.