Telepeer

Irvine to invest millions of dollars in concert equipment for Great Park Live

February 4, 2025

The city of Irvine is investing millions of dollars to purchase and rent concert equipment for its 5,000-seat amphitheater, Great Park Live.

Officials say purchasing $1.5 million of equipment this year will ultimately save the city $2 million compared to renting what is needed to produce shows through 2027.

In 2028, the city expects to replace its temporary amphitheater with a permanent concert venue.

Officials plan to rent an additional $3.4 million of equipment this year directly from vendors — rather than working through a middleman as the city did a year ago.

They say this will save the city another 10% in management fees.

For the inaugural Great Park Live season in 2024, Irvine rented its concert equipment through PSQ Productions as it hosted a range of Pacific Symphony, tribute and commercial concerts and community events. The production company charged Irvine a 10% management fee for all equipment rentals.

While the summer season began with cover acts, it culminated in October with a performance by three-time Grammy winner Ludacris, showcasing the city’s ambition to operate a popular music venue.

From 2025 through 2027, the city aims to host six commercial music shows each season, according to a staff report.

Officials have said Irvine expects to lose between $2 million and $3 million annually to operate Great Park Live by subsidizing the Pacific Symphony performances and due to capital costs.

But, after the abrupt closure of the privately owned and operated FivePoint Amphitheater in 2023, city leaders saw the establishment of a new popular music venue in Irvine as a long-term investment in the city’s brand.

And, by investing in concert equipment, City Manager Oliver Chi said he sees an opportunity for the city to save some money in the years ahead.

The city has a long history with PSQ Productions and the council has directed staff to extend the city’s contract with PSQ Productions to manage Great Park Live concerts.

The production company complained publicly in November the city owed it $1.6 million in outstanding expenses. City leaders said an internal audit of those expenses raised some “red flags that warranted a further review,” but there were “no financial irregularities” and committed to paying up.

However, the city also said that it would begin to purchase or rent its concert equipment directly, without working through the vendor, to avoid the management fee.

The City Council’s recent approval for the purchase and rental of concert equipment – totaling $4.9 million – is intended to eliminate the middleman and that fee.

The city expects to spend an additional $3.8 million on concert equipment in 2026 and another $4.2 million in 2027.

Orange County Register

News Details

Irvine to invest millions of dollars in concert equipment for Great Park Live

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

News

CONTACT INFO

QUICK LINKS

SERVICES

CURRENT NEWS