Snoop Dogg Kicking Off Amphitheater Concerts

Poly High School alum, and rap superstar, Snoop Dogg, will be doing the inaugural performance at the Long Beach Amphitheater. Tickets are on sale, along with tickets for a long list of other performers who will be coming to the brand-new concert arena.

“Long Beach Amp Grand Opening with Snoop Dogg & Friends” will be taking place on Saturday, June 6 at 7 p.m. Snoop has always been proud of his hometown, and that he was part of the historic impact of Long Beach’s VIP Records and its importance to hip hop fans around the world.

The Amphitheater says that Snoop Dogg’s return sets the tone for a new era of live music on the waterfront. The artist lineup that was just announced, and that will run from June through September, includes another giant in hip hop, Lil Wayne. Other impressive concerts include Toto, Christopher Cross, Luke Bryan, Nas, the Roots, Deep Purple, and Motley Crue.

Construction is moving along faster than originally expected for the first show, which initially was expected to take place in August. Legends Global, a major event management company that operates more than 450 venues worldwide, was selected a year ago to oversee construction and assembly, and to manage operations.  

The groundbreaking ceremony was in January. Over its initial five-year period, Legends Global will be carrying out a full range of services at the amphitheater including managing daily operations, sales, marketing, event booking, guest services, food and beverage services, facility management, and more.

Housed next to the Queen Mary, the 11,000-seat concert venue will serve as the largest waterfront amphitheater on the west coast and is expected to host up to 40 concert-scale events annually. Long Beach Amphitheater has grandstands, floor and box seats, a pit configuration and VIP sections, in addition to premium food and beverage concessions. The city plans to have a shuttle service and dedicated rideshare amenities in place to enhance transportation options for attendees.

Once operational, the amphitheater is expected to generate $2.5 to $3 million in net operating income annually, without reliance on taxpayer funding. The $21 million construction project is being funded by the city’s Tidelands Funds Group. These expenses will be repaid to the Tidelands Funds through the venue’s projected net operating profit, the city says.

Snoop Leading LB’s Rich Music Legacy

Snoop Dogg (Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr.) graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in 1989. He attended the school alongside fellow celebrity, actress Cameron Diaz, who graduated in 1990. He grew up in the Eastside area of Long Beach.

Snoop did his first recording in the back studio of the iconic VIP Records in Long Beach, along with two other LB natives, Nate Dogg and Warren G, as part of a group called 213. The store, owned by Kelvin Anderson, was a significant hub for the beginnings of what’s been called G-funk, which is considered to be a part of the popular “gangster rap” sound in the 1990s.

The 213 group recorded early tracks before Snoop's rise to fame. Snoop has paid tribute to Long Beach in several of his songs. Warren G had a big hit in 1994 with “Regulate,” which featured Nate Dogg.

Now called World Famous VIP Records, the longtime record shop and recording studio with occasional live music and recognition for launching major hip-hop acts, has been revived. After having been forced to move from its original Pacific Coast Highway location, which is now a 7-Eleven, it received support from the City in January.

Council members approved spending up to $235,000 to repair the sign, and to refurbish and reinstall it at a small park planned to be named after the historic landmark. It will be located close to its original location, across the street at the southwest corner of PCH and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.

Snoop has also been involved in bringing the fourth Marathon Burger location to Los Angeles County. Located at 245 Pine Ave., in the former Johnny Rockets location, the restaurant known for its gourmet smash burgers officially opened on March 1.

The Marathon Burger chain is being developed by Samiel Asghedom, the brother of late rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle, who was shot and killed in 2019. The new restaurant was built in partnership with Snoop and his son, Cordell.

Don’t Forget About Sublime and LB Dub Allstars

You can read about support for the new amphitheater and the Snoop Dogg concert on Facebook along with several “likes,” but you’ll also see reminders on the importance that Sublime, a Long Beach band with hits in the 1990s, plays with local area residents. The ska-punk-rock band that immortalized Long Beach in its lyrics, formed in the late 1980s; their fans would love to see the revived version of Sublime come to the amphitheater.

Sublime frontman Bradley Nowell died of a heroin overdose in May 1996, at age 28. It occurred a little over two years after another major loss for rock music fans – the suicide death of rock star Kurt Cobain, frontman for the Nirvana rock band; both losses shook up and saddened Long Beach music fans, especially Nowell and his unforgettable singer’s voice.

Long Beach Dub Allstars, a dub/ska/reggae band, formed in 1997. The band featured surviving Sublime members Eric Wilson (bass) and Bud Gaugh (drums). Wilson and Gaugh, along with the original band lead singer’s son Jakob Nowell, reunited as Sublime in late 2023. They’ve played big shows like Coachella and the 30^th Anniversary Vans Warped Tour in July 2025 in Long Beach.

Other significant artists who make up Long Beach’s rich musical history include regional Mexican music icon Jenni Rivera, funk band War, and the 1960s rock band Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Another notable part that history is that Spike Jones, known for his humorous big-band music in the 1930s to 1950s, was from Long Beach. Spike Jones' most famous song was the 1942 World War 2 satirical hit, "Der Fuehrer's Face," featuring his band, the City Slickers.

Tickets for Snoop Dogg and the other Long Beach Amphitheater concerts can be accessed on the venue’s website. They’re available through Ticketmaster.

Jon LeSage is a resident of Long Beach and a veteran business media reporter and editor. You can reach him at jtlesage1@yahoo.com.