Concord Pavilion opened in May 1975 as an 8,500-seat outdoor amphitheater in the hills of Concord, California, designed by architect Frank Gehry with landscape design by Peter Walker. The city built the venue after a successful 1973 summer music festival showed local appetite for a permanent outdoor concert space, and it quickly became one of the East Bay’s signature live music destinations.
In the mid-1990s the venue underwent a major Gehry-led expansion, reopening in August 1996 with its current 12,500-person capacity. Over the decades it has carried several sponsor names, including Chronicle Pavilion and Sleep Train Pavilion, before the city of Concord reclaimed operation in 2013 and restored the Concord Pavilion name; Live Nation now runs the venue under the sponsored title Toyota Pavilion at Concord, adopted in 2023.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Concord, California
- Type: Outdoor amphitheater
- Opened: May 1975
- Capacity: About 12,500
- Architect: Frank Gehry
- Operator: Live Nation
- Famous for: Bing Crosby’s final U.S. concert (1977) and Bill Graham’s final show before his fatal 1991 helicopter crash
A Landmark Piece of Concert Architecture
Concord Pavilion stands out among American amphitheaters for its pedigree: it’s one of relatively few large concert venues designed by a major architect, with Frank Gehry shaping both the original 1975 structure and its 1996 expansion. The venue combines a covered seating bowl with a sweeping lawn area set into the East Bay hillside, giving it sightlines and acoustics that have made it a favorite stop for touring acts for half a century.
Decades of Notable Shows
The Pavilion’s history includes several only-in-music-history moments, including Bing Crosby’s last American concert in August 1977 and Lawrence Welk’s farewell performance in 1982. It also holds a somber footnote in rock history as the site of promoter Bill Graham’s last show before his helicopter crashed en route home in 1991. Despite several sponsor-driven name changes over the years, the venue has remained a constant fixture of the Bay Area summer concert calendar.
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Concord Pavilion FAQs
Is Concord Pavilion still open?
Yes. The venue continues to host concerts and events, operated by Live Nation under the sponsored name Toyota Pavilion at Concord since 2023, though it is still widely known as Concord Pavilion.
Who designed Concord Pavilion?
Architect Frank Gehry designed the original 1975 amphitheater and led its expansion in the mid-1990s, with landscape architect Peter Walker contributing to the initial design.
How many people does Concord Pavilion hold?
The venue holds about 12,500 people, combining covered seating with an open lawn area, following its 1996 expansion from the original 8,500-seat capacity.
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Photo: dantc from San Francisco, United States / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.