The amphitheater is America’s summer concert machine: a covered pavilion, a giant lawn, and a season of shed tours. This list ranks the 20 biggest dedicated outdoor amphitheaters in North America by maximum capacity, from ThrillZing’s venue database.
Glen Helen Amphitheater in San Bernardino, California is the giant at 65,000, a hillside bowl built for festival-sized crowds. Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin is next at 37,000 — roughly 7,500 covered seats and a lawn that swallows the rest — while the Gorge Amphitheatre (27,500) has the Columbia River canyon backdrop that makes it the most spectacular venue in the country.
The 20 Biggest Amphitheaters
The full ranking is below. Venues with a ThrillZing profile are linked, and ties are listed oldest first — Tanglewood takes the last spot from a group of about ten amphitheaters listed at 20,000.
| # | Amphitheater | Location | Opened | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glen Helen Amphitheater | San Bernardino, CA | 1993 | 65,000 |
| 2 | Alpine Valley Music Theatre | East Troy, WI | 1977 | 37,000 |
| 3 | The Meadows Music Theatre | Hartford, CT | 1994 | 30,000 |
| 4 | The Pavilion at Northerly Island | Chicago, IL | 2005 | 30,000 |
| 5 | Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre | Tinley Park, IL | 1990 | 28,000 |
| 6 | Gorge Amphitheatre | George, WA | 1986 | 27,500 |
| 7 | Freedom Mortgage Pavilion | Camden, NJ | 1995 | 25,488 |
| 8 | Jiffy Lube Live | Bristow, VA | 1995 | 25,262 |
| 9 | Saratoga Performing Arts Center | Saratoga Springs, NY | 1966 | 25,000 |
| 10 | Ruoff Music Center | Noblesville, IN | 1989 | 24,790 |
| 11 | Blossom Music Center | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | 1968 | 23,000 |
| 12 | American Family Insurance Amphitheater | Milwaukee, WI | 1987 | 23,000 |
| 13 | The Pavilion at Star Lake | Burgettstown, PA | 1990 | 23,000 |
| 14 | Shoreline Amphitheatre | Mountain View, CA | 1986 | 22,500 |
| 15 | Darien Lake Performing Arts Center | Darien Center, NY | 1993 | 21,600 |
| 16 | Coastal Credit Union Music Park | Raleigh, NC | 1991 | 20,601 |
| 17 | Riverbend Music Center | Cincinnati, OH | 1984 | 20,500 |
| 18 | North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre | Chula Vista, CA | 1998 | 20,500 |
| 19 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre | Phoenix, AZ | 1990 | 20,106 |
| 20 | Tanglewood | Lenox, MA | 1938 | 20,000 |
Lawns Built for Legends
These venues are where American touring lives: Glen Helen, Alpine Valley and the Gorge anchor the festival end, while the classical giants — Saratoga Performing Arts Center (Philadelphia Orchestra’s summer home), Blossom (Cleveland Orchestra), and Tanglewood (Boston Symphony) — pair 20,000-person lawns with resident orchestras.
The Live Nation shed circuit fills the rest: Hartford’s Meadows, Tinley Park’s Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, Camden’s Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, Jiffy Lube Live, Ruoff, Star Lake, Shoreline, Darien Lake, and Riverbend.
Small Giants
Some of the most famous names miss the cut entirely: the Hollywood Bowl (17,500) has run for over a century, Ravinia holds about 12,750 after its 2026 pavilion rebuild, and Red Rocks (9,525) — carved between sandstone monoliths in Colorado — is the venue most artists call the best on Earth, capacity be damned.
That’s the amphitheater paradox: the lawn sells the tickets, but the setting makes the legend.
Explore more: the biggest live music venues in the world, our Red Rocks guide, all music venue guides.
Take the dangerous peak off a loud show and keep the music sounding clear. They fit in a tiny case on your keychain.
Meets most arena and amphitheater clear-bag policies. Hands-free in the pit and quick through the gate.
Water on your back and hidden zip pockets against your body. Built for long festival days in crowds.
Biggest Amphitheaters in North America FAQs
What is the biggest amphitheater in the US?
Glen Helen Amphitheater in San Bernardino, California is the biggest at 65,000 capacity. Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin is second at 37,000 — about 7,500 covered seats plus one of the largest lawns in live music.
How many people does Red Rocks hold?
Red Rocks Amphitheatre holds 9,525 — far too small to make this list, but its natural sandstone setting makes it the most celebrated outdoor venue in America.
What’s the difference between an amphitheater and an arena?
Amphitheaters are open-air venues with a covered stage/pavilion and a general-admission lawn; arenas are enclosed year-round buildings. Amphitheaters dominate summer tours, arenas the rest of the year.
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Photo: Jesse Goodier / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.