The arena itself was really nice- the lawn is kept well. The seats offer more space when you need some room to enjoy your favorite acts. The concert was great. Even the parking is good- the biggest negative is seriously the traffic getting in and out. They need to revamp the exit and entrance areas because 2 lanes to handle so many people is nightmarish. Also no parking attendants seem to have any clue what they're doing. What you're left with is a good chaotic hour and a half before you are making your way onto the freeway finally. To get to the concert just make sure you're at least an hour early and you should get there on time. We were 45 minutes early and missed the first song from the first act so almost enough time but not quite. read more

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Every time I try a concert here it's not worth the time or money! If were anybody but Paul Macartney I wouldn't have attended! In addition, it was a completely degrading experience for me and my husband, but also everyone around us with kids and elderly people. Everybody in this chaos thought it was a horrible, poorly run venue and wouldn't do it again!! read more

Isleta Amphitheater - The horrible experience for the umteenth with this amphitheater!!! I'm never coming back!!! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

The amphitheater holds 15,000 fans. We attended a VIP event. Got there @ 1:30 for a meet & greet, soundcheck and swag. It was crazy HOT with no shade except a tent they had set up where we made friendship bracelets. The concert started at 7pm. During the concert you can pay extra for a VIP tent with a bar, bathrooms and sofas. You can rent lawn chairs & blankets. The staff is really friendly and helpful. The parking is crazy. Highly recommend upgrading so you can get out quickly. You're allowed to bring in 2 bottles of water or 1 gallon. Food & beer prices are over the top ($25 for a large beer) read more

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I agree with the comments on how bad it was getting into the concert. Driving in, Parking, entry into the park all terrible. we had people standing in front of us for the whole concert. The attendant, Ernest, allowed his friends to stand in the aisle thru the whole concert . He completely ignored several people and other attendants who told to clear the aisle. What a sphincter muscle Paul Mcartney and band were fantastic. read more

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I've seen shows here for decades and have never had such a terrible experience (that I can remember). If it wasn't for Paul McCartney and band putting on a stellar performance, this would have been a failure. Parking was misery getting out with one-way in and out of both parking lot. Then there was ushering in 15,000 people into "two lines: one for bags and one for no bags." Are you serious?! That made for a very slow walk in a sea of people, many with canes and wheelchairs! I'm careful not to cast the guest staff in a bad light, several were helpful, but by not investing in proper staffing and traffic management, you are doing your guests, performer and staff a HUGE disservice. I've been to many concerts here and last night was the worst - not because of the artist - but anything dealing with the venue itself was terrible. I will likely not come back to this venue any time soon. There was no excuse for the customer experience last night, Live Nation. Sure they sent multiple after multiple emails and texts about traffic issues, but emails and texts are cop outs. A way for Live Nation to wash their hands and say "we warned you." Do better. Invest in your venue. read more

I got escorted out due to some guy being drunk and jumping rows as security was escorting him i got up to use the rest room and they were saying i was with him guy got tackled and thrown out i told them i didn't know him at all and they kept saying i was with him i had vip pass was on first row seating showed them my tickets and was held out there for about 40min after finally letting me back in i saw peso perform 2 songs and the concert ended i payed 1,000 for my tickets and was very disappointed read more

The amphitheater is a popular venue for concerts. It is a great place for live music/concert. The only bad thing is that the food and drinks are very expensive and limited. A beer is $18 plus tax, $21 a beer is way over priced. Hot dogs (small/regular size) $10, corn dogs $8, pretzels $8 (medium sized, very dry). Bring sealed water bottles and eat before/after the concert. The concert by Alabama Shakes was amazing..... 5 stars for the band. read more

Isleta Amphitheater - Isleta Amphitheater - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Saw Paul McCartney at Isleta Amphitheater last night. Soooo poorly managed by the venue. We waited in line for two hours and trudged into one congested entrance. The lawn section was total chaos and really an impossible challenge to depart your staked out area once you got there. No designated paths to get to food, bathrooms, exit. God forbid there was a fire or other emergency. Would be hard pressed to attend another concert there. What do others think? read more

How has Isleta not figured out how to do things better? Problem #1: Tickets. I thought I'd purchased reserved lawn because I remember selecting seats. My tickets, however, read "General Admission" and "Seats 6-7"...confusing, and sure enough, we were informed by the reserved lawn staffer that this happens often; tickets issue seat numbers for general lawn admission, which makes buyers think they're getting a chair in the reserved section when they aren't. So stupid. They know it's a problem and aren't doing anything about it. Problem #2: Parking. We didn't see any traffic control or parking attendants until after we'd spent an hour inching through two miles of traffic on the two-lane road connecting I-25 and Isleta. There is no help, which means chaotic bumper cars and a huge backup. So many different ways this could be done... Problem #3. One entry/exit. Everyone ushers in/out through a single gate, which seems incredibly dangerous never mind inefficient. Such a negative first experience with this venue. Great performance by the artists...but Isleta, get it together. Hire more people or hire better people, but do SOMETHING to improve the patron experience. read more

A fantastic venue for a concert. Parking is easy and access to the facility is easy. Staff are very friendly & personable. Recommendations: Smoking regulations should be enforced. Added security to better handle crowd control as attendees leave at the end of a show. read more

Paul McCartney comes and Isleta does nothing to improve their experience, it took over two hours of traffic to get in and park. When leaving the parking lot there is one exit and takes about as long as it took to get in (2 hours). Miserable experience. There are no police/security guiding cars so it is everyone for themselves. The traffic to get in/out is about as long as the concert is. Would not come again. read more

Good Amphitheater! Pros: good sound quality, no place is a bad seat. Cons: no internet/cell service- so online ticket, ride share ordering is nearly impossible. Planning ahead is a must. read more

Isleta Amphitheater - View from the grassy area. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Had a great time loved everything about it other than vendor pricing is outrageous and ridiculous.

First of all, the website says that you can have vape pens, yet they took mine away and said it wasn't allowed. I looked on the website before coming and it said vape pens were okay, yet I was threatened with a long trip back to the car if I didn't let them have my vape pen. The concert felt extremely short compared to previous concerts I have attended. I had a 15 year old with me and because my husband wanted to exit the main gates, I wasn't allowrd back in the regardless of having purchased a ticket for $40. They eventually let me back in, but 19 minutes of waiting to get back in and find my child was ridiculous. Additionally, $22 for a bourbon and coke was a lot. I mean, it was $22 for their signature cocktail, which was a cherry something with the bourbon, yet they ran out immediately, so the options were to switch to vodka base or continue with bourbon. The bands were excellent, but the costs for food and beverages was insane. I will probably pregame in the future. At least there were plenty of bathrooms and the staff was nice too. read more

Great venue for a concert! I don't think there is a bad seat anywhere here. It's very large with a lawn and has rental chairs available. Plenty of alcohol and food stands throughout the amphitheater. Parking is a bit of a mess and seemed unorganized. Definitely pay the extra for preferred parking as it takes you all the way up to the front entrance. We had an amazing time here watching Jason Aldean and would definitely come back. Enjoy! read more

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Flew in from Utah with my BFF who flew in from Nebraska to see the Marley Brothers. We had lawn seats and when we went to purchase chairs, they gave us free upgrades to nice seats! Great show! Beautiful place! Excellent venue! read more

I don't recommend going to concerts here in August. It's a miserable hellscape. There is no shade, other than a small area where the portable bathrooms are kept. They only had canned water for sale (that I could find anyway) which is kind of weird. I feel that they could have designed the venue in a way that the seats aren't directly facing the sun in the afternoons. We had to leave because it was so miserable and my daughter started feeling faint. They also don't allow re-entry. I thought I could go with her to sit in my car with the a/c for a few minutes and we could go back in, but that wasn't possible. read more

We went to the backstreet boys concert. It was amazing. But I couldn't really enjoy it till there was a breeze because of the weed smell coming from everywhere. I know it's outside..I know it's legal..but I'm allergic. It's hard to breath in a crowd...so I went looking for help and all I got from the vendors is that the area was closed...I didn't find where medical was till after the show and the breeze had come. This place is also on steep hills and there was handicap people walking long walks with no help after the show..before the show it seemed like there were carts taking people around. It's on a incline towards the stage and that made the sound carry amazingly. I feel like there should be no smoking in the seating area...a map to help people...and helping people get to there cars afterwards as well. But here is the crowd that it can hold. read more

Isleta Amphitheater - The crowd during a concert - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I've been to a few concerts here. Some that come to mind are: Coldplay, Lil' Wayne, Dave Matthews Band, One Republic. It's not really my favorite concert venue. Well... It looks and sounds good however it's in the middle of nowhere. The venue is sort of hard to find. Your GPS might not even give you correct directions for it. The parking is ridiculous here! You'll spend at least a good two hours trying to get out of this venue. It's a nightmare! People are drunk and/or not paying attention to the road. The only way you might make it out in less than two hours is if you leave before the concert finishes. You might miss out on a few songs! I think they should've built this venue at a more accessible location! More thought should've been given to parking, too. The acoustics are good. I also like that you can see and hear a concert in the grass. Nevermind those allergies to grass! I remember the prices for food and drinks at the concession stands being super expensive. It would take a lot for me to return to this concert venue. The parking and getting out of a concert is enough to steer me away from here. Nobody these days has been worth the four-hour drive from El Paso nor the extra hours you'll spend in traffic. Albuquerque used to get better concerts than us. I'm not sure if that's the case anymore. Go to this venue at your own risk. Be careful and good luck with keeping your sanity! read more

I usually avoid the Isleta Amphitheater like the plague. It is the main destination for concerts in Albuquerque and I loathe large crowds. Parking is a hot mess and concessions are extremely expensive. My past experiences have been a headache and I've spent more time stressing about logistics and waiting for the bathroom than enjoying the music and time with friends. We gave it another go tonight, however, because my husband won two VIP box tickets including VIP parking and catered meals from 97.3 for the Janet Jackson concert. We couldn't pass up a free VIP experience! It's too bad that we can never afford these seats again because VIP is the only way to do the Isleta Amphitheater! We literally parked steps away from the VIP club where we were treated to a private concert by a local cover band and were served a catered meal by Canvas Artistry (who I have been dying to try!). I did purchase a peach pale ale and the girl serving me told me the beer was a whopping $16. I only found out later that there was a smaller size available and that she had pulled something over on me, which sucks. However, the beer was tasty so I split it with my husband. Our seats had the best view. We could see over the heads of everyone in front - even when they stood with cell phones in hand. We also had a private waitress to fetch drinks and snacks - including unlimited popcorn for just $10. However, there was a $3.15 fee (undisclosed) for using the private waitress. We would have been fine with the fee but it should have been disclosed. My favorite part was the exclusive VIP bathrooms without the line. All in all, go the VIP route if you can afford it but there has to be a better way to see a concert. I was also informed that they only have 16 handicapped spaces for the entire venue that seats thousands. read more

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The biggest disappointment was their screens on the side of the stage. For the prices they need something more than the poor-quality projector screens they are using. Also the cameras they used were never zoomed in close enough to see the singers. Sound was great, lawn was nice. read more

The worst experience in my lifetime. After the show there were absolutely nobody to direct traffic. We waited 1hour without moving. Never again!!!! read more

I have been coming here for years and years for concerts. Let me just say, that not only are the seats really small and cramped together, but the whole place is insanely expensive. $17 for a beer. Food is expensive and not even very good quality unless you get it from a food truck, and there are very few places to even sit down and eat your food, unless you want to eat on the ground. Also, very little shade options in the food and drinks area. So not only do you have to stand to try and eat, but you have to do it baking in 100 degree weather. When you first get there, they check your ID and give you a wristband to show you're 21, but when you order a drink, they check it again! What's the point of getting the wristband??? Aside from the overly strict alcohol polices, and the extortion-level prices, it's still not a great venue. At least the restrooms are semi-clean. Unfortunately this is the largest concert venue we have around here, so people have no choice but to go here for most concerts, and the owners know it, so they will continue to extort their patrons since they have the monopoly. read more

Isleta Amphitheater - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

So after going to Isleta Amphitheater five times this summer, here are my thoughts: PROS -Plenty of restrooms, more than I've seen at other outdoor venues -Friendly, courteous Live Nation staff -This is a Rock and Country town; Hip Hop shows don't always sell out -Food Trucks offer variety -Trejos Tacos is an awesome add-on to concessions, so is Nomad's BBQ which is local -Not having to pay for parking the day of the event saves time -Security checks are always a good thing these days -Sound has always been 10/10 -Great views if you sit in the lawn CONS -Outrageous prices for beer and liquor -Getting double charged for beer, even though I signed once -Need more merch sections -Clear bag rule is silly -Access to the venue was not planned well (one way in/out) Pretty much the pros weigh out the cons. I wish more artists would come to Isleta. It seems like more tours skip over Albuquerque altogether. I hope that changes in the future. read more

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i have seen multiple heavy metal bands at this amphitheater over the past year. i have had an absolute blast each time i experience these concerts. there are only a few negative things i will say: snacks and drinks are overpriced. my personal favorite is the food truck lemonade however, it's $12 for less than 20oz. lines are always long, but they do move fast. merch is not always fully stocked and they run out of almost every size in shirts even if you're one of the first in line. it's outrageously hot with no sort of fans or air conditioning in the summer. read more

I am only reviewing the venue here, not the musical acts. I have attended this venue since it opened in 2000, through four reincarnations: Mesa Del Sol, The Journal Pavilion, Hard Rock Pavilion, and now Isleta Amphitheater. I've watched countless shows here, including: Van Halen (Hagar), Ozzfest twice, John Cougar and John Fogerty, Bob Dylan, and Iron Maiden twice (2012 and now in 2017). I am positive I am forgetting a few acts I saw. On my most recent visit, June 27, 2017, I watched Iron Maiden's Book of Souls tour with my wife. We have been Iron Maiden fans for a LONG time and she saw them at huge venues (75,000+ fans) in Brazil three times before seeing them with me in Albuquerque. She told me that Bruce [Dickinson] sounded better in Brazil. I explained that all the acts I have watched here have had terrible acoustics. I am sure different sound companies worked with each band, so I have to conclude it is the venue's fault. Something about the structure doesn't conduct vocals very well. Don't get me wrong, the instruments sound great, but the vocals are ALWAYS hard to understand and muted under the louder instruments. I have never seen a show where the vocalist shined. Parking: You are going to have to walk a ways to get to the front. None of the rows are well marked and it was always hard to find my vehicle after the show. Also, if you don't leave at least ten minutes early you will be stuck trying to get out for about 2 hours. Bathrooms: don't hit the port-a-potties. They are dirty, stinky, and the lines are LONG. Walk down to the permanent bathrooms to the left and right of the grass section. Sometimes the lines are shorter at the permanent bathrooms. Concessions: $13 for 25 ounce beer. Are you serious? Take a sixer, go early, and drink that sucker with your sig other in the parking lot. This last time I did find a vendor offering 12 ounce beers for $4. They were to the right of the grass if you are looking down from the top. That was cheaper than all the other vendors ($8 for 24 ounces if you do the math). The food was always over priced too, best to eat before the concert. Also, they make you stand in a super long line to get a wristband to purchase alcohol, and then they card you again when you buy your beer. Why? Sitting on the grass is going to make stick figures out of the band, but they do have large screens to watch them on. Iron Maiden had a great show within the show with Eddie and lots of props. I wish they would update the parking, acoustics, and make all the vendors drop their prices! read more

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Terrible! We bought front row seats for Chis Stapleton on 4/27/2023. The seats were very expensive....more than $1800 (for my wife and I) The standing area in front of the stage backed up to a barrier right in front of us. The people in front of us were up against the barrier close enough to touch. Sitting in our seats we were staring at their butts! We enjoy standing for a show like that but even then we had trouble seeing with some taller people right in front of us. The seats were a little better a few rows up behind us as the surface starts to slope up.....but that first row (most expensive) it was horrible. Yeah I guess I'm a senior citizen but the drinking in front was outrageous. Even Chris Stapleton and his wife commented on it. Several alcohol related incidents for security to literally wrestle with. I don't know why they sell $5.00 shots in addition to beer and some other alcoholic beverages. Pretty sure the shots were the culprit. No need for fights and people getting sick like that in front of the stage. Chris's wife was angry and commented on the drunks in front of the stage. A real shame and embarrassment for Albuquerque! We'll, I traveled from RI for this show thinking an amphitheater would be a great venue. Not for us! Never again! read more

This venue is amazing. Staff are so friendly and helpful. Been to many concerts at this venue and always a great time.

Separate lane access for public transportation (I.e. rideshare, taxis) apart from general parking access. The traffic congestion and lack of organized parking facilitation was unacceptable. Poor planning on Isleta's part. THis was the worst experience at an entertainment venue I've ever had. I'll never attend another event at Isleta Amphitheater, I'm sure of that. read more

We went to see Macklemore and Imagine Dragons there last night. The facility is okay, except they had the huge racks of speakers hanging down on either side of the stage, blocking the big screen that you can watch the entertainment up close. Bad design. If you were not dead center in the pricier seats, you were out of luck. We paid $260 for 2 tickets to Live Nation for the show. You expect the food and drink to be overpriced and it was. $12 for a watered down lemonade, $12 for a large pretzel, $17 for a medium sized burrito with not much filling, $17 for a canned beer, and so on. The tee shirts were $40, $50, and up. $80 for a sweatshirt! This seemed like gouging at its worst for a captive audience. All the drink venders had screens to add tips of 15%, 18%, and more. Some had 25%. With all the alcohol consumed, they made out well tip wise! The biggest bummer of the night were 2 downpours of rain that held up the starts of acts, and drenched the audience. There was a lot of lightning close by. Lucky the place was not struck by one. They had no control of the weather, and with a 15% chance of rain, we got dumped on twice. They did sell rain ponchos too. Probably sold out! It was a good show. Went home drenched and cold to the bone. read more

I love seeing bands live, but this year at Isleta has been most unenjoyable. They won't rent chairs for rock concerts and you can't bring your own in. Not cool. Drink prices are ridiculous. I buy my tickets off Groupon to not pay a lot and no service charges either. I'll be rethinking coming to concerts here if they continue to treat rockers so unfairly. read more

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Not the best venue the world, but the sound is great and the price is right for most concerts. Water up before you come though, real expensive here. We have one individual in our group with bad hip problems and we sit in the handicap area for grass seating. You can have one person with the handicapped individual as escort. You have to go to guest services in the lower area to get your lawn tickets upgraded for free. The area is nice though the new seats have arms and are very uncomfortable to those with wide hips. But better than grass for the hip problemed among us. There is a shuttle to take you from the bottom to the parking lot at the end of the night and from the entrance to the bottom at start of show should you need it. Staff friendly for the most part, especially shuttle guy, he's always nice. Decent venue, beautiful view, good sound, handicap accessible. Can't ask for much more other than better chairs. read more

Isleta Amphitheater - View to the right from the handicap seating area - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Love coming to concerts here the only thing that bothers me is the way the vendors take advantage of price gouging. Seriously $5 & $7 for a bottle of water? GTFOOH! Be smart download the setlist and park far away so you can escape the crowds of people trying to all leave at once. read more

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An open-air amphitheatre, you should know what you're getting into before you get there: daytime, wear sunscreen, and eveningtime, be prepared for the desert to cool down quite a few degrees after sunset so consider layering. If you're doing the lawn and it rained recently bring a waterproof sheet to sit on or rent a chair for $8. After the security checkpoint (see through bags ONLY and read the guidelines at the Isleta website before trying to go through) and after the ticket takers you may have an opportunity to upgrade your seating with the employee with the giant flag indicating that there are upgrades available. There are port-a-potties prior to security and regular toilets after you get in. Food trucks are numerous but everything is ridiculously expensive. $14 for a "premium" 24 oz beer. Wear comfy shoes because you are walking through a gravelly crappy parking lot, and will be standing in lines forever. I need to add on about the port-a-potties: why would a permanent venue such as this need them at every event? Why not just build additional restrooms? There's a ton of unused real estate on the property that could be utilized, and then nobody has to wait in a line adjacent to the stink of the portables. This is a major detraction from the appeal of the venue. In regards to the traffic: Arrive early, leave early, but be prepared for traffic regardless. read more

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I was really surprised to see how low the rating is for this venue. Since we just moved to town I am not sure how this venue used to be but I can say it's a nice venue for seeing a concert. Coming from Charlotte, the food and drinks were pretty expensive at their outdoor amphitheater. So the prices are little cheaper here. Also, I have been to several concerts back in Ohio at an outdoor amphitheater and it had comparable food and beverage prices. So I am factoring that out of my review. There was one person that stated that they were unable to rent chairs. Both concerts I have attended chairs were available to rent. So it might have just been that show they were unavailable, I am not sure. We saw Jack Johnson here and his show was fantastic! That's more a review of Jack Johnson's concert but we sat in the stadium seats and they were comfortable. They are stadium type seats so they're not the best in the world but they weren't the worst. I was confused by their wristband policy. They have ID check booths but then they checked my license anyways when I ordered an "adult" beverage. This is redundant, but probably a good double check on their part. Neither concert was overly busy so lines were short and we didn't have to wait long for food, beverages, or the bathrooms. Also, we left both concerts early, so we did not have to wait in any traffic on the way out. There is only one way in and out so that could be problematic for a bigger concerts. I will say this is one of the most scenic venues I've ever been in. Sitting on the lawn or in a chair, you just have beautiful views of the sun setting as the concert starts. It's great ambience, especially for the two concerts we attended. read more

Isleta Amphitheater - Sunset at the Lauryn Hill concert - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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They cancelled All American Rejects with no explanation. The artists explained it was the venue who pulled the plug. Very annoying.

None of the bartenders know how to read a military id and then give you attitude when you correct them

Worst music venue we've been to. Chaos. Logistically built to handle maybe half its capacity. Wife waited 30 minutes for a bathroom. Concession area was virtually unusable because the lines were so long, took us hour and forty five minutes to drive 7 miles. Leaving was the same. No ride share lanes, zero public transit. Give yourself at least two hours prior to the show and plan on two hours leaving. Total joke. Worst traffic jam I've seen, And we're from LA. Never again read more

Everything was great but check in. It was uncoordinated to say the least. Though the interior staff seemed to know better.

Albuquerque's largest venue just minutes away from the heart of the city. The prime choice for artists to put on a show for the fans. It may not be as glamorous as the Red Rock amphitheater in Denver, or the other nicer larger venues you see in much larger cities, but this is ours in our home. Needless to say every artist whose come to put on a show never disappoints. They go all out in their productions from pyrotechnics, lighting, live cameras, and special effects. They have a wide selection of food and beverage stands to keep you comfortable while your surrounded by thousands of other fans. But expect to pay a pretty penny. Just a meal will cost you between $6-$15 depending what you get. Beverages run $4-$12 depending what you get. Adult beverages go up from there! I paid $25 for a frozen daiquiri! I was mind blown at the mark up they pull on some of the stuff they sell. This venue can get quite expensive so don't expect to spend less than $5 because you'll be sorely disappointed. Tonight I saw Iron Maiden. My favorite metal band since I was a teen! The production was amazing! That band never disappoints! I highly recommend seeing a show at this venue! My only complaints would be the pathways. This venue needs more open paths to accommodate the thousands of people in it. Usually the end of the show is when you'll notice it. Expect to be a sardine for an an extended amount of time after the show because everyone is leaving at once, the pathways tend to get cramped the further you proceed toward the entrance to the venue. Traffic gets backed up on university because the road narrows to one lane instead of two after you pass the venue so expect delays. The seats are a bit outdated and small. If your a big guy like me your gonna feel a little cramped while sitting in the seats unless you chose to get the premium box seats which are much comfortable and more spread out. My final complaint would have to be the prices on the food and beverages. It's basically highway robbery in my opinion cuz you can't bring outside drinks except a sealed water bottle. They now off water bottle refill stations so if you do bring in your water you don't have to worry about using a nearby sink or purchasing another there. Other than that it's a great venue! Check out a show there sometime! read more

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