The three-month timeline PSQ Productions LLC followed to build the Great Park Live amphitheater in time for events this past summer was not the first time the firm had completed a project within a tight schedule.
Since the amphitheater’s first event in June, Great Park Live has welcomed 100,000 guests across 30 events organized by PSQ and the city of Irvine as of November.
The local event production and venue management firm first began working with the city when the Orange County Soccer Club needed assistance securing a temporary location to play before the completion of the Championship Soccer Stadium at Irvine’s Great Park.
Eight years ago, team owner James Keston was transitioning the team from the University of California, Irvine to the Great Park, but the stadium would not be ready in time for the start of the season. He reached out to PSQ’s Chief Executive, Mark Entner, to build a temporary venue.
PSQ managed to build a 5,000-seat temporary stadium in just a few weeks.
Entner’s 18 years at the OC Fair & Event Center, where he began as a parking attendant, had equipped him with experience in setting up large, temporary venues quickly.
Since then, PSQ has managed stadium operations for Orange County’s pro soccer team and the newly constructed soccer stadium, as well as various city events, including Irvine Nights.
When Live Nation Entertainment’s lease on the temporary venue ended in 2023, the city began searching for a new operator. The city issued an RFQ late last year, and PSQ submitted a proposal, winning a three-year contract.
The city designated a 300,000-plus-square-foot area within the park for the construction of what is now known as Great Park Live, aiming to have it ready for Orange County’s summer concert season.
PSQ broke ground in early May and hosted its first show on June 14. The firm is responsible for event operations at the live music venue. The venue is also the summer home for the Pacific Symphony.
The project, which had a $6.6 million budget approved by the Irvine City Council, was initially built to hold 5,000 attendees. Two months ago, PSQ received approval to expand the venue’s capacity to 7,500 people.
High Profile Acts, Light Shows
Great Park Live will end its inaugural season with a concert featuring Grammy-winning Ludacris on Nov. 22.
PSQ originally missed the timing to book any nationally touring acts, according to Entner. He added that these types of high-profile acts can help with future bookings.
“PSQ wanted to take the risk and book Ludacris, because we really believe in it and we know that it’s going to pay dividends for the city of Irvine and Great Park Live moving forward,” Entner said.
This year also marks the 10th anniversary of PSQ’s homegrown Winter Fest OC in Costa Mesa.
PSQ decided to almost double the size of its carnival section with more rides from attractions operator Butler Amusement to better gear the event towards the teenagers and adults in attendance.
Winter Fest made its mark in OC during the pandemic when PSQ shifted to an immersive drive-thru production dubbed the Night of Lights OC in 2020 and 2021. That event saw over 37,000 vehicles come through the first year, according to the events firm.
After turning the drive-thru experience into a walk-through hall its first year back in 2022, PSQ this year added another holiday light show featuring more than 2 million lights with synchronized music.
Last year’s event recorded just above 100,000 people at Winter Fest, Entner said, matching the event’s pre-pandemic levels.
