Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena At Harveys

There’s plenty of standing space, but a ton of bleachers too for those who prefer to sit. The venue is pretty small so seeing the stage, or the screens next to the stage, is not a problem.
There are a bunch of beer/​drink tents, plus a few food tents (although I’ve never tried any of the food). Drinks come a steep price (but you probably already knew/​expected that). They do take cards, so you don’t have to worry about having a ton of cash on you.
There a ton of bathrooms (porta-​potties) and I never had to stand in much of a line. There’s a girls side and a boys side, so please choose your side accordingly… There are several hand washing stations with soap and paper towels, although as the night went on the soap and towels eventually ran out.
We parked over at Harrah’s and walked over to the amphitheater. There was plenty of parking spots and the walk is not bad at all. Getting into the venue is a breeze, especially if you don’t have any big bags with you.

What an interesting music venue. The Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s is located behind the Harvey’s parking garage inside a chain-​linked area on the asphalt. It is so close to the garage, a friend of mine says his parent’s like to snag a spot in the parking garage and sit in their car listening to the summer concerts for free. They do hang curtains over the garage, so you can’t see anything, but whatever floats your boat, right?
I felt the ticketing structure was odd for an outdoor concert. There were nearly fifty rows of folding chairs lined up directly behind the stage; these were the most expensive tickets, which we ended up purchasing. Unfortunately, upon arriving we noticed people in this section were choosing to stand a majority of the time forcing everyone behind them to do the same. Nearly 60% of these chairs remained empty throughout the show. The other ticket option, much less expensive, was for a bleacher seat. There was a set of bleachers in the back behind the folding chairs, and a set of bleachers to the left and right of the folding chairs. These were still close enough to the stage to provide a great view; however, these bleachers remained fairly empty throughout the show as well. People on foot began congregating in the large walkway between the folding chairs and bleachers and remained there throughout the entire show. This is where I eventually stood because it was a fun atmosphere with a great view. Had I known I could have paid significantly less for a bleacher seat just to stand in the walkway with the crowd, I certainly would have done so. Lesson learned. I was surprised they didn’t sell general admission/​standing room only tickets– I wish they would have.
As an added plus, beer was sold inside the venue and the sound system was excellent. The sounds of summer tour with Dierks Bentley did not disappoint and I am so happy I was able to experience a fun event at the outdoor arena at sunset!

Awesome place to watch a show. The fact that we got to see Slightly Stoopid, Dirty Heads, and Stick Figure — Everything is Awesome!
I like we had an option to sit on the bleachers or stand with the crowd. Especially with kids age 8 and 10, the bleachers was good so they weren’t on their feet all the time to complain. Since this was both their first concert. It was funny people watching. We were able to get to the front and had a fun experience.
Tip: wear cover toe shoes because the place got trashed. bring a hand santizer. just remember it’s an outdoor event, so you’ll be using the portable restrooms.

I guess my 5 stars is based on the fact that we saw Elton John rock the house for over 2 hours straight… but the venue was quite nice. good food and beer selection, easy access and parking was easy too.

Great place to see a show. I would rate 5 starts but for pricing. «Casino prices». The view and sound is phenomenal, though. The artists are usually on stage promptly.

Summer dresses, sipping on beer, enjoying good music and company… What more can I ask for? Want to watch a summer concert of your favorite musician within the heart of Harveys hotel? Well this is the place to be!
I have always been a fan of this venue since my mother suggested watching a Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick concert back in 2008. It really doesn’t matter where you sit because there are always giant screens showing the musician’s face when they perform. However, I can claim that there are a whole bunch of assholes who complain about people blocking their view when there’s obviously a giant big screen and moving closer is an option even if you have to use up your savings account. Haha!
Asides from that, the Outdoor Arena at Harveys have a wonderful surround system and active staff. Also, if you score VIP tickets, they sometimes serve some food for free. On the other hand, I do recommend eating something beforehand since concert venue foods from the vendors are very pricey. Also, be aware that they only accept cash only for all purchases and won’t let you back in the venue once you exit out.
Keep in mind that the bathrooms in the venue are port-​o-​potties. If you want a nicer place to take a dump I suggest using the bathrooms inside Harveys before you enter the venue. I also recommend dressing in layers since it can get pretty chilly at night and maybe bring a cushion for your booty since the seats are basically bleachers and lawn chairs.
Overall, this is a great venue to watch a concert whether it be raining or shining!

Best place to see a concert in Tahoe, hands down! We have seen 3 shows here and can’t wait for more. We will be back for shows in July and August this year! My summer wouldn’t be complete without taking in a few shows here.

Great weather, and a decent venue if you get to sit in the first 9 rows. Sounds system is great, as are the lighting. Seats cold use an upgrade for the prices we paid. Better food variety would have made the concessions complete. The stage should be a little higher, and more rounded. But Bruno Mars was fantastic!!!

Been to several concerts there and always have a great experience. The venue is perfect and much more enjoyable than many others we have been to in the Bay Area. Seeing a group here verses, say, the Shoreline, is different as night and day! Sound is great, monitors awesome, view good from everywhere… always get a big time show in a smaller arena. And hey, it’s Tahoe. One tip… don’t park in Harvey’s parking garage if you need to drive back to where you are staying, as it can take an hour to get out.

Who does the sound checks here? You would think each act has a tech who wants their performance to sound good, but summer after summer staying nearby all I hear is extremely loud bass. The point of seeing a show is for the audience to hear the music clearly with clean sound. I don’t care if your speaker goes to 11 and you can hear it a mile away if it sounds like crap.
I understand this is the modern age but Tahoe isn’t about a venue that is so disturbing to people and families nearby.

Saw JOURNEY last night and it was fantastic! No regrets. Best concert ever.
Price & booking:
Friend booked the six of us online for about $ 76 per person. We thought that was a bit high at first, but enjoyed ourselves so much that we are eagerly awaiting the line up for next season’s Summer Concert Series.
Seats:
Center section bleachers, about halfway up. As some have said, «Not a bad seat in the house» and «intimate venue” — true, but there are still better seats than others.
We loved our seats. Straight on elevated viewing (no turning your head) and as opposed to floor seating… there were only a couple songs where the «bleacher crowd» stood up. With the floor seats, it appeared as if everyone stood the entire time.
The only negative on seating for us was that the bleachers are very close together. Very difficult not to jam or be jammed in the back. But hey, nothing’s perfect, right?
As others have noted, seats are numbered & assigned which IS a huge benefit for fear of arriving late or if you leave your seat for any reason and want to return.
Important point there: No re-​entry. Once you are in, you are in.
Food & Beverages:
We only had bottled water knowing it would be late & we were driving back to Reno. Did not have any food, but we did see a few people walking around with a massive plate of what appeared to be curly fries. Beer, wine and hard alcohol were the definite beverages of choice among most attendees. Prices were high, but not astronomical. About what you’d pay at any sporting event or even a resort that wasn’t all inclusive.
Bottled water was $ 4 each. Beer, wine & hard liquor looked to be $ 8 and up?
I read another review about it being cash only and came prepared. However, the booth we went to had a big sign proclaiming: We Take Credit Cards. I can only assume the «beer babes» walking around in Hooters style skimpy shorts & tight shirts hawking Coors Light only accept cash… again, just like the beer & peanuts guy at a Major League ball game.
Special note: you are allowed to bring one sealed bottle of water in with you.
Porta-​Potties:
Didn’t need them. Didn’t use them. Read about the long lines and decided ahead of time to just go before, limit our liquid intake, and then go afterwards. Not a problem for any in our group.
Weather & Setting:
This is billed as a rain or shine event. Knowing that going in, come prepared. We knew that chances were good the weather would be fine but some in our group really worried about being cold after the sun went down. She dressed for her concerns. Most of us, myself included, wore a t-​shirt & shorts and brought along a sweatshirt or light jacket. Never needed to put it on. The weather & temperature was perfect. Very pleasant.
Interesting note: many people dressed up. We were amazed at the number of ladies in high heels. At a rock concert with lots of standing and walking? OUCH!!!
Sound:
Fantastic. Again, read a review that had me concerned but from the very first notes, I knew there was NO need to worry. Journey rocked it and the sound was exactly as it should be: loud, clear & thunderous!
Parking:
Again, reading the reviews ahead of time (gotta love Unilocal) we opted to park across the street at Montbleu. It’s free, convenient and also a nice potty stop both before & after the concert. The walk out afterwards was pleasant and stress free as we heard the cars honking away in the Harvey’s parking garage.
A final word on security and this is for the benefit of one in our party who is in law enforcement. First, before the concert started & we were just walking around checking out the sights & different seats (killing time) security was attentive about checking ticket stubs and making sure you were in the correct section. I appreciated that and the officers we dealt with were both polite & talkative. Not pushy or rude. They knew we were just walking around.
However, three songs into the concert, the group directly in back of us lit up a joint and passed it among themselves and although irritating for me… sent our officer friend thru the roof. She went to inform security and was basically told, «Lady – what do you expect us to do? You can sit somewhere else if you like!»
Well, that about ruined it for her. She felt that security should have dealt with the offenders (marijuana is still illegal) and removed them as opposed to rewarding them and asking HER to relocate.
Still, for most of our group, although we didn’t like the skunk scent, we also knew this is what happens at concerts and just rolled with it. Personally, I was thankful the group behind us was not drunk, obnoxious and spilling beer down my back… so a little scent of Mary Jane for a couple songs was a good trade off in my book.

Such a great venue to watch a concert! Especially when it’s Brad Paisley, Chris Young and Lee Brice!
Came here during Labor day Weekend and it was a blast. I love smaller venues because you can see more of the stage and its more of an intimate feel. The mountains in the background and the perfect 75 degree weather was absolutely amaing! I do admit the chairs were super close together so it was difficult squeezing by people to get to our seats. But, it was okay since we didn’t have to do it that much.
The price here is a little steep but it’s so worth it! They had a few vendors there with beer and food. Didn’t eat here but had some beer and it felt perfect listening to some country music. Port a potties did take a long time to get through but I expected that. My suggestion is go and wait in line before you REALLY have to go so that by the time you get to the front you are good to go! Lol.
There is a crowd after the show is over of course and you feel like a cow mooing along with everyone else but it breaks up after you get to the front of the casino.
Can’t wait to go back again someday!

I’d say that the 3.5 rating that previous reviewers have given to this outdoor arena is about right. I’m rounding my rating back to a 3 for a number of reasons…
I’ve been to a handful of outdoor performances over the years: Sleeptrain Pavilion in Mountain View, Concord Pavilion, Greek Theatre in Berkeley, Wente Vineyards, Mountain Winery, Konocti Harbor. Each has it’s own personality. .. Harvey’s at Lake Tahoe is fairly «middle of the road» as these venues go.
Being seated where one is exposed to the elements really makes me appreciate the covered seating area at the Concord Pavilion, which none of these other venues have. At all of the others you can bake in the sun, get wind blown, or it can get pretty chilly. In the case of Harveys, which is at elevation, any of these elements could be an issue. For our visit for Maroon 5, we had a bit of a «baked in the sun» experience, until sunset, at which point the evening became much more comfortable and enjoyable.
Seating is arranged in a rectangular fashion, with most seated in individual chairs (with seat backs) at ground level, surrounded by low level bleacher seating (with no seat back to lean on) around the outside of the rectangular area.
There are many vendors. .. with the vast majority selling alcohol. .. and a relative shortage of food vendors. For the vegetarian amongst us, there really was only a couple of choices and she had to make due with only nachos to eat.
Restrooms are portables. .. ‘nuf said.
Also, parking in the casino parking garage was a nightmare to exit after the show. It took us 45 minutes just to exit the garage from a 5^th floor parking stall. Traffic control for vehicles exiting the parking garage was not handled well at all.