Nikon At Jones Beach Theater

Great venue. Went for the Chris brown concert and had a great time. It’s 95% outdoors so we definitely got poured on but we still had a great time. The food is expensive but good and the tvs everywhere helped when we had to leave our seats.
Only complaint that there was no liquor on the premises which was an inconvenience. I’ve never seen a concert venue that had no alcohol so I was definitely thrown off.

I went here tonight to see Chris Brown’s concert. I like this theater, not too big and not too small. The ticket was very cheap, we got good seats. Not only Chris Brown, Omarion, kid ink, fetty wap were here too. Concert started at 7pm, we were late, Chris Brown came out at 9:50pm, I was so excited. Too many songs, too many memories. I had fun.

Let me tell you why I’m not a huge fan of this place …
1. Parking is horrible. If you don’t get there early enough to get into the closer lot then I hope you brought your walking shoes. The trek from the second parking lot to the venue is about a 10 minute walk across a bridge and through poor lit paths. I felt like I was little red riding hood on my way through the woods to grandmas house. And after the event your trapped among 5000 people all trying to travel that same narrow path to find their cars and I think that process took about 30 minutes. Ugh!
2. Please if you don’t know then now you know this venue is outdoors. Therefore if the weather isn’t great then good luck.
3. Their policy on alcoholic beverages is pretty annoying. One drink per person. They must fill the entire cup with ice no options and they drop about an inch of alcohol in the cup drowned by a chaser. The drink will be overpriced and the bar closes at 10 I believe. Oh & beer drinkers you can buy 1 beer for I think $ 14 lol.
4. As far as food is concerned I can only speak for the BBQ chicken sandwich I had that was not only dried out and over cooked but it just left my mouth crying for any form of liquid.
I’ll just say that I prefer MSG over this place. It’s cool when the weather is great but just beware.

The amphitheater and parking lot is huge! I went to the Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival this past weekend both days and had a great time! It was crazy packed, but there was enough room overall so it wasn’t claustrophobic packed (except in the main stage before headliners The Weekend, Axwell^Ingrosso, Nicki Minaj, Skrillex, and Bieber performed).
Tailgating in the parking lot is recommended, and the beach is close by.

It’s an outdoor theatre, I get it, the sound isn’t going to be great, but seriously? Below the bass is crazy, but near the bleachers I’m hearing screeches. Yikes! Get middle of the arena seats if possible, you’re welcome.
This weekend for the Billboard Hot 100 festival they had one elevator working, one. I saw a lot of struggles for those in wheelchairs/​crutches/​etc trying to make their way to seating (it was open seating, no pre-​assigned ticketed seats). The stairs up and down were ok, but I would be worried if they were wet as it would be real easy to slip down.
Alcohol was served in their contained areas, you received a wristband, and then paid $ 13-​$ 14 for a tall boy (yikes!). Bottles of wine started at $ 39. Remember, you can’t leave the area with your beer, so chug and go.
We did tailgate in the parking lot, and the cops were fine with it as long as you used cups instead of beer cans/​bottles, and weren’t extremely obnoxious.
We left a bit early both nights to avoid traffic. The whole one-​way in and out situation had us a bit scared to get caught up, but all was well!

Overall nice concert venue. Plenty of seats and large main stage. The food vendors charge high prices so if you don’t feel like spending money on over-​priced and mundane food, prepare to be hungry until the concert ends (even if you ate a hefty brunch or lunch beforehand).
The security was friendly but they gave up after a while. For example, they always told the people standing in the stairs and aisles to keep it moving or leave since it is a fire hazard. After a certain time, they stopped telling them to leave (no security guard was present), so the aisles became almost impossible to navigate through. There were some people that would be on top of you or touching you even if you have a concert seat (plus they would be standing). Aisle/​end seats are a nightmare since people are constantly going in and out of their seats.
There was constant cigarette smoke and weed smoke that engulfed our faces from people smoking in the center aisles. It was very inconsiderate and you would think the security would pull them out, but they didn’t (even after seeing lighters in the dark).
My favorite part about this place is the cool, summer breeze from the water and stars at night. That’s about it!

Nothing beats Jones beach concerts… beautiful sunsets, awesome view of the stage and great music. And they even serve beer sometimes, if you’re willing to pay 13 bucks for a tall boy.
Tip: call ahead to see if you should expect alcohol sales for your particular concert night or if you should pack extra to tailgate before heading in!

I came here last Saturday for a concert and it was amazing. The security/​checkers aren’t rude. The place is big, clean and very close to the water so it’s beautiful before the sun goes down. Of course the food is over priced but it’s that way at every event.

When its a cool summer night, there is nothing better than seeing a concert at Jones beach.
As a matter of fact, I’d describe it as a surreal experience. You’re under the stars, there is an ocean breeze blowing and its peaceful. A few years ago I saw Todd Rundgren here singing «Love is the Answer», it was an experience I’ll never forget.
One year, My wife and I saw Rod Stewart and it was POURING. I wasn’t feeling Nikon At Jones Beach Theater was very celestial at that show.
I always say, why should we pay for tickets when we can get a lawn chair and listen for free?
(My wife doesn’t agree with my thinking)
When its a sold out show, the main parking field will get full quickly. That means traffic is insane and you will miss the start of your show. Always leave yourself plenty of time to park, 30 minutes isn’t good, 45 to one hour before a popular show is a safe bet.
Food? I’m not eating this expensive and crappy food. What’s funny is, Donald Trump wanted to build a classy thing here and the politicians nixed the entire thing. Why… It generates tax revenue. Long Island, SMDH.
Anyone living in Long Island around March starts looking for the summer line up.
It’s our thing!
Buying tickets is kinda hokey. There are all these internet sales: Ticketmaster, Live Nation and some site I was brought to recently on my cell phone.
Nikon At Jones Beach Theater. Its a Long Island thing!

Huge Beach
For the most part its clean, but the annoying seagulls and Duck Shit on the sidewalks is disgusting. The Food and drinks are way over priced, so over priced it’s laughable. We laughed at the T Shirt Scalpers they wanted $ 20 for a rag of polyester from China that would fall apart after one wash. Don’t be fooled by this negative post, I’m really having a Great Time!!! Going into see Van Halen in about a half hour. I’m sitting with a couple good friends being very judge mental of the balding fat gray haired dudes with messy ink blotches on there arms. They are swaying back n forth while blasting Joan Jet (Get a Life) while Drinking the piss tasting Bud Light Lime? Who drinks that. If this is what my old folks home is gonna look like in 20 yrs. I don’t want to have nothing to do with it!
Looking forward to this concert, I seen them in 1984 for the the tour (1984) what are the chances lol Christopher Moltesanti. Well check back later and I’ll conclude this synopsis. I’ll give you a heads up on the stadium and Van Halen.
C Ya

Wow– so I went to see Incubus and the Deftones last week. I was not expecting such an amazing experience. Really, the ocean, the sky, the stage the lights… just beautiful really. I have not been to Jones beach theater since I was 19 (omg …is that…20 F’n years ago!!!)
I don’t remember it being this nice. Perhaps they upgraded in that huge gap of time. I have to note also that the sound was Phenomenal! It was SO LOUD SO CRISP. The bass was so strong I could feel it in my bones seriously. I really enjoyed the entire set up from parking lot to my seat and everything in between. I am only mad that I skipped the Mayhem fest 2 weeks earlier due to my doubt that this theater could do Slayer any justice with sound. My mistake– I will never sleep on this venue in the future ever again.
make sure you bring eye drops if you have dry eyes, theres a strong lovely breeze but dry eye people beware. Also wear comfy shoes because its a long (fun) walk from the land of tailgate parties known as the parking lot, into the venue.

I always enjoying seeing a show with the beautiful water views in this open air venue. In the years past I would look forward to the schedule of summer shows with great anticipation. This was pre-​internet when you would have to wait online at a «Ticketmaster location» (I had a secret little known location in Sunnyside, Queens back in the day. Smaller lines meant better seats. shhh). Nowadays, as with most things related to music it has lost its allure — I blame the internets! haha
Jones Beach Theater may not have the big, must see shows that it use to have back in the day, but it is still a great to place to see a show. I’m not a fan of some of the expensive food options (looking at you $ 14 Guy Fieri burger!) and that you are sequestered into a small pen area if you care to have an alcoholic beverage. Also as others have mentioned — trying to leave after a show is a cluster-​F of people, cars, and traffic jams. You would think they would have figured out a better way to handle the exiting crowds after all these years — nope. Some things never change!
Parking as close to the exit as possible and walking to the venue is a great pro-​tip that many others have mentioned.
I rounded up for 3.5 stars for old time sakes — Jones Beach Theater and I go back a ways. Spent many a great night under the stars enjoying the sounds from this unique beach venue.

The views, man! The views! Seriously, this venue has one of the nicest backdrops I’ve ever seen. If you’re willing to cough up some dough, you can get up close and personal with your favorite bands here every summer. The lineup is pretty classic rock heavy (hey, we’re in the burbs!), but you can find a handful of shows you love, no problem. Plus, there are deals to be had on third party ticket sites or through Ticketmaster (they did a 3 shows for $ 60 package earlier this season). This is probably due to the fact that this place is HUGE. I suggest picking up a cheap-​o ticket and then buying VIP access so you can be (kinda) close and sip on some brews during the show. But, that’s just me. The one major knock is the lack of public transpo. It would be 100x better if everyone didn’t have to drive/​arrange rides to these shows. Not so we can be drunk maniacs, but so people from other areas don’t have to have a car to come here. Also, keep in mind, it’s in a state park, so there are a few hurdles…
State park problems:
* Tailgating can be an issue, but not if you keep it cool. Just like you’re at the beach… bring a cooler, cups, don’t be THAT guy. You’ll do fine.
* 2 spots to drinks booze in the venue. One is VIP, which requires an additional VIP access ticket to be purchased. The other, which is new (ish), is at the far corner of the venue. In both locations, you need to stick to an enclosed area with your booze. No taking it to your seats.
* No late night shows here. Everything is over at 11 the latest
* Standard beach food vendors. Dogs. Pretzels. Soda. Bleh.
Tip: Park at the end of a row and closer to the exit. You’ll be fine :)
Bottom line, do it!

i only gave two stars because of the setting. seeing a band once the sun goes down, with a cool breeze, is an amazing feeling on the water.
i saw manson/​pumpkins and deftones here within the last week. the acoustics are awful, and all of the cordless mics die within 60 seconds. manson was getting so pissed.
they finally serve booze, BUTTTT you’re stuck drinking it in an adult playpen at the back side of the theater. you can’t bring your drinks to your seat (but you can totes sneak in weed and smoke the entire show). they sell tall boy cans for $ 13 LOL — pregame in the parking lot at your own risk.
the staff is arrogant, pissy and awful.
i don’t know why i ever bother coming here. i guess i’m a glutton for punishment.

It’s a concert venue that bans the sale of alcohol. Nice to be on the beach but not even beer? GTFO.

Let’s start with the good… incredible environment right next to the water, tons of parking that was free (at least at the time we arrived, 30 minutes or so before the show), very easy access by car in and out of there, a nice stage, some decent acts are brought in & it can be a cool vibe if you’re not surrounded by miserable &/​or inconsiderate people.
Now, the things that suck, which is a longer list… some typical for larger venues, others not.
The web site & events listings are terrible. The iPhone app may be even more worthless. There’s no info on set times, zero band details or links to tunes or artist sites, etc.
Don’t bother sitting in the Orchestra section for $ 200/​+ a seat or whatever. There’s no (or very little pitch) so you end up standing anyways in order to see over any tall people in the GA pit. The seat rows are so tightly squeezed together in the Orchestra area that if you’re unlucky enough to be in the middle of a row, forget about going in or out for concessions, restroom breaks or heaven forbid there’s an emergency. They are the tightest rows I have ever seen, you literally trip over the legs & base of folding seat chairs while walking sideways through the row just to get in & out. And, that’s without anyone else being in the same row yet.
Sound was so so. Definitely a bad PA speaker or four resulted in multiple loud, scratchy & ear piercing cracks. Too much low end too.
Concession options are relatively weak, and expectedly overpriced even for Long Island quasi beachfront.
It’s not entirely dry anymore, but drinking is a challenge based on the pricing and rules… plus, the fact that driving is easily the best mode of transit.
Ticket prices are criminal. Welcome to Nassau County!
If it rains or there is thunder & lightning you’re pretty much screwed. Just consider that as part of the ticket price risk.
Forget about mass transit (unless you’re in the vast minority whereby the train to bus service might work), but there were plenty of desperate behaving taxi drivers that I’m guessing are out for highway robbery.
This is 2.5 stars tops, but can still be a good experience for the right show & if you work at avoiding some of the downers.

I remember seeing my first concert ever in this venue. (It was Backstreet Boys, don’t judge I was a 90’s baby.) From then until now, it’s undergone a lot of changes, expansion and updates for the better! One thing I love about Nikon Jones Beach Theater is the location. It’s about… a 10 minute drive from my house. Talk about convenience! And with weather permitting, it’s a fantastic place to be.
Naturally, the food within the stadium is extremely overpriced. But recently they’ve stepped up their game with a Nuchas Empanadas truck and other small vendors aside from your typical soft pretzels and hot dogs. Usually they also have a merch stand for the artist you’re seeing after. IMO wait until you get into the parking lot and there’s guys selling $ 10 shirts* out of their car. If you want the legit merchandise, don’t waste your time waiting and buy it online.
The set up of the venue is nice so that even if there’s large crowds the signage is clear and organized so you know where you’re sitting. Security is a hit or miss. I’ve managed to get past with snacks one or two times before but its a flip of the coin kinda deal. Parking wise is of course chaotic. The lot is huge, but keep in mind depending on the show there’s going to be tailgaters (aka JIMMY BUFFET) that take up 2 – 3 parking spots easily. TIP: if you’re willing to walk far, park near the exit not the entrance of the stadium. You will be thanking me later, TRUST ME. It’s a madhouse trying to get out of there. (Especially when you’re trying to swerve the drunk teenagers and giant groups of people.**)
Anyway, to sum it up this venue is good. The new renovations have made the place much more spacious and efficient with seating. Prices are reasonable and I like that they have a small stage in the middle where artists usually relocate to in the middle of their set. In the summertime, you have gorgeous views and the acoustics are solid.
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
*You should not pay more than $ 10 for sure. These guys can be a bit aggressive, but if you can haggle… you’re in.
**Recently went to a show and never have I ever felt my age. So. Many. Teens.

The renovated stadium is amazing. For an outdoor venue, the sound is incredible. The lighting is beautiful. I saw Train tonight and The Fray and you can hear every note so clearly. I had the nose bleed seats and the sounds were amazing. I don’t know how they were able to get such clear notes up there. Now, if only the gabby women behind would just shut up and listen. Its a concert…

I’ve been to concerts here plenty of times and I can say I’ve never had a bad time here. On my last visit I won a contest from Live Nation and scored two passes to see Third Eye Blind. I had already purchased tickets but gave mine away and went to will call to pick up the tickets. The tickets I got were even better than the seats I purchased. We were in row 3L and it was pretty close. One thing that was a little confusing is that the seats in this area are numbered from one to whatever and then they start again and it turns into another section without any clear indication. We thought we were in the right seats but it turns out we were in a completely different section. Oops! We relocated for the remainder of the show when the concertgoers who had actually purchased those seats had arrived. Our newly found correct seats had a better view so I wasn’t complaining.
The sound is good even though some of the acoustics are lost to the sandy shores and it can also get a bit chilly once nightfall hits. It started to rain and it first it was a light drizzle so we stayed in our seats. I’ve gotta say 3EB has still got it. They played tracks off the upcoming new album Dopamine and I was diggin’ them. They also played How’s It Gonna Be which was acoustic until the chorus began and then they got really into it. They also played I’ll never let you go and some of their other older tracks. There was a epicly experimental drum solo by Brad Hargreaves. That dude has some serious talent. He was drumming and running a sampling machine live and it seemed like he was just going with the flow.
Stephan seems like such a genuinely nice guy. He often took the time between tracks to let the audience know how much they appreciated them. He even took some photos of us and a selfie with the crowd in the background. He also addressed the fact that it was starting to rain and that’s when they pulled out all the old crowdpleasers to keep the fans glued to their seats despite the fact that the rain was getting heavier and heavier. We stayed until the very end nonetheless because I was not about to leave Nikon without hearing Semi-​Charmed Life. We took shelter in the tunnel under the stairs for the last few encore’s.
Getting out of the parking lot was a nightmare, especially in the rain. It was complete gridlock. In fact I couldnt even pull out of my space because there were already cars lined up behind me and in front. We decided to wait it out and just hang in the car for a bit but that didn’t make things much better. Once we made our way into the queue of cars preparing for exit the police decided to open another exit and began directing cars out the other way because they saw the traffic was presenting a major issue. Once I got back on the Wantaug it was smooth sailing from there. Great times all around until that and just wishing the weather held up but you can’t control everything.
My best advice to you if visiting this venue is come early, drink heavily before you get there, enjoy the beach, and leave before the encore’s to be ahead of the rush. You can still hear the last few tracks echo out into the parking lot during the walk to your cars. If this venue served alchohol (it would probably cost a million dollars, JK lol) I would give it five stars. They do have some good food vendors in there eventhough they are on the pricey side but that’s expected. Guy’s Burger Joint FTW??? and Smoke House, and several other’s. Much better than the standard concession dogs and burgers. If you are hungry don’t hesitate to grab a bite. The food is pretty good.

4.5 stars. I truly love this venue. Very easy and convenient to get to. Can accommodate nearly 15,000 people. The seating gives you a great view no matter where you are. No matter when you go, you are always greeted by a soothing and cooling breeze off the water.
During larger events, the concession area can get very crowded along with the bathrooms. There is only one entrance and exit which can make it slow during events with more people. The parking lots, while large, usually have only one exit at the end of the night, which can make leaving the venue, very time intensive.