Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre

The Amphitheatre was renamed to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in April 2000.[3] 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 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 the terrain,[4] such that the entire space of the original Irvine-based Lion Country Safari Park would become a 3,700-unit housing development.[5]

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.[6]

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 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.[7]

Queen performed on 9/11/82. 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 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 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 performed a Halloween concert in 1992. 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 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 a political rally at the venue on May 22 of that year.