Shoreline Amphitheater

Review & Pictures

The Shoreline Amphitheater is our most visited venue. Located just off Hwy 101 in Mountain View, the weather is never too hot and the evenings cool down nicely.  

Shoreline Amphitheater
1 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043

About Shoreline Amphitheater -

The Shoreline Amphitheater was built in 1985-1986 by the city of Mountain View, in cooperation with local promoter Bill Graham, as part of the Shoreline Park project. Graham designed the amphitheater to resemble The Grateful Dead's "steal your face" logo. Built on the site of an old landfill, the amphitheater has 6,500 fixed seats and lawn seating with a maximum capacity of 22,000. Each row of fixed seating has pitch of three feet providing great views of the stage and ample legroom.

The first performance at the amphitheater was comedienne Rosanne Barr, opening for Julio Iglasias on June 29, 1986. In its opening year, a fan attending a Steve Winwood concert flicked a cigarette and ignited methane that had been leaking from the old landfill underneath the theatre. Several small fires were reported that season. After those incidents, the city of Mountain View commissioned methane testing studies to define the location of methane vapors emanating from the soil within the amphitheater. These tests were used in developing a design for improved methane monitoring and more efficient methane extraction to assure the amphitheater became safe as an outdoor venue. Ultimately, the lawn was removed, a gas barrier and methane removal equipment were installed, and then the lawn was re-installed.