San Diego brims with musical riches this summer! Ride the sonic waves under endless blue skies and starry nights at these 7 outdoor venues and concerts.
1. The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
The bounty begins with the grand opening of The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, the new outdoor home of the San Diego Symphony. The Shell hosts two gala concerts with the full symphony on opening weekend, Aug 6-7. Later in the month, stars like rapper Nas (Aug 10), R&B legend Smokey Robinson (Aug 21) and the Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson (Aug 31) land at the elegant bayside venue.
2. Humphreys Concerts by the Bay
Over on Shelter Island, celebrate the 40th anniversary of waterfront concerts at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay. This year’s series includes such classic acts as Cheap Trick (Aug 13), the Common Kings (Aug 20-21), Chicago (Sep 13) and The Temptations (Sep 22), against a backdrop of beautiful bay views.
3. Petco Park
At Petco Park, trade baseball for a triple play of alt-rock darlings, as Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer take the field at the San Diego Padres’ Petco Park for an open-air concert Aug 29. Up next in the batting order is Thievery Corporation (Sep 10), followed by Slightly Stoopid (Sep 11). You can always stop by Petco Park in between these concerts to catch a baseball game while you’re in town.
4. Spreckels Organ Pavilion
Balboa Park’s annual Twilight in the Park Summer Concerts is back at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion with free concerts under the stars Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings now through Aug 30. Twilight concerts feature a mix of musical performances, including military bands, Dixieland jazz, big-band swing and Latin salsa.
5. North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Looking to rock out with a few of the biggest names in music? Head a few miles south from downtown to one of the largest outdoor concert venues in the San Diego area, North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, for such major acts as the Jonas Brothers (Aug 25), Pitbull (Sep 19), and Kiss (Sep 25).
6. Mainly Mozart
After a day exploring the seaside village and beaches of Del Mar, enjoy orchestral music under the stars with Mainly Mozart at the Del Mar Surf Cup Sports Park. The Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival (Sep 11-18) gathers many of the best concertmasters and principal players in North America to create fantastic summer evenings full of good music, drinks and friendship with fellow music connoisseurs.
7. Neighborhood Festivals
The Carlsbad Music Festival (Aug 27-29) presents adventurous music by the beach with dozens of eclectic artists. The free Adams Avenue Street Fair (Sep 18-19) presents 100+ acts on multiple stages for two days, with a handful of out-of-town headliners sharing stages with a long list of the best live acts in town.