- Summer outdoor concerts
- Amphitheater with fixed and lawn seating
- Shoreline Amphitheater website
- Admission charged, but children under 35 months old get in free. Reservations recommended for popular artists.
With 6,500 fixed seats and lawn seating that brings its capacity to 22,000, this outdoor amphitheater sits near the southern end of the San Francisco Bay. It's a sprawling venue where you may need binoculars just to find the performers on the stage, much less see what they're doing.
This is a big venue where you'll seldom feel crowded.
- On the lawn, you can bring low backed-beach chairs.
- You may not need sunscreen because the sun sets before the show starts, but insect repellent is a good idea.
- Small, soft-sided coolers are allowed, but alcohol and any kind of cans or bottles are not.
- To save money, skip the alcohol. You can bring one bottle of water per person in with you.
- For most shows, blankets are allowed.
- Leave cameras, video equipment and recording devices at home.
- Kids under 35 months get in free. No pets allowed.
Shoreline Amphitheater is a cool place to go on a hot summer evening. Situated by the Bay, its natural air conditioning makes it comfortable by showtime on even the hottest days. It's popular with many Bay area residents who enjoy the groups performing here.
Shoreline is not without its faults, however. The sound system is not up to the standards of other venues, and on our recent visit, there was far too much funny-smelling smoke in the air (if you know what I mean).
Shoreline Amphitheater is 10 miles north of San Jose, 35 miles south of San Francisco at One Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View.
From San Jose and south, take US 101 north. Exit on Shoreline Boulevard, turn left at the traffic signal and go straight.
From San Francisco and the East Bay, take US 101 South. Exit on Rengstorff Ave. (Amphitheatre Pkwy), or take Shoreline Blvd. and follow directions from San Jose.
Parking is included in your ticket price, so you'd might as well park in their lot.
Tickets are sold for fixed seats in the lower level (best) and upper level or on the lawn (cheapest). Buy tickets online or at the box office (650-967-4040) early to avoid disappointment. Consult a seating chart so you know where you'll be sitting.
If you sit in the lowest part of the grassy area, you'll only be a few feet further from the stage than people sitting in the fixed seats just below you, but you'll pay less than they did.
If tickets sell out, try Craigslist or call the box office often, asking for released house seats. California ticket brokers like Tickco.com will have Shoreline Amphitheater tickets available, but they'll cost over face value. Brokers may lower prices at the last minute if seats are left.
The Pollstar Concert Industry Awards named Shoreline Amphitheater the "Best Large Outdoor Amphitheater in the United States." It's a pretty venue, with a large, tentlike structure over the stage.
For most shows, there's a Family Zone on the lawn, where no smoking or alcohol is allowed. Seating is first come, first served.
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary admission for the purpose of reviewing this event. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
