Sleep Train Amphitheatre

I’ve been to a lot of concerts and a lot of venues, and this is one of the worst and it’s all because of the parking. Getting to this venue is a flipping nightmare. Any route you take is going to include a horrendous wait. It took us 45 minutes to get into the parking lot, and that was after we were able to take a short cut and bypass 2/3’s of the line of cars. Finding this short cut was a lucky break. I felt pretty shitty doing this, but I really had to pee. We were able to park really close which was great for going to the show, but meant leaving was another nightmare. We even left early and it still took 30 minutes just to get out of the parking lot.
Once you are actually inside the venue it’s pretty good. I liked the venue set up and the sound quality was good. Seats weren’t as bad as I thought they would be and we even had a little room to wiggle around in our seats. Restrooms are fine, although the lines are a bit long. We didn’t eat or drink anything, but the food looked pretty good.
I will probably never come back to this venue unless it is the only option for a performer I love.

I came here a couple days ago for Kaskade’s Automatic Tour on 10÷2÷2015.
First off, Kaskade was phenomenal, enough said. If you ever get the chance to see him at his own show (not at a vegas club or music festival or massive), then GO. This was my 2^nd time seeing him at his own tour and 4^th time overall.
I however was extremely disappointed in this venue. Maybe for rock concerts this would be acceptable since it’s an amphitheater with lots of seats and a decent view. For an EDM concert, this falls completely flat. When we bought our tickets on Ticketmaster it said general admission (GA). There was no assigned seats and we assumed it was all «floor». The doors opened at 6:30pm and the first of 3 openers went on at 6:35pm. Kaskade played from 9:55pm to 11:30pm. We got there at around 8:00pm during the 2^nd opener to find out that the «pit» was already filled and that you needed a certain colored wristband to enter. Had we known that it was a first come first serve basis for a pit we would have came earlier. Some people were separated from their friends since they arrived at different times. Since Kaskade plays music that you want to dance to, floor/​pit is way more fun since you can go crazy and not be confined to the small space in front of your seat. If I was one of those people that got stuck all the way back in the lawn area when I paid $ 64 for my ticket, I would have been extremely angry. Luckily, we got really close to almost the pit and had a nice view of the stage and still had fun. However, a lot of people were sneaking up closer by climbing over the rails to get a better spot.
Also, the security staff was very rude and disrespectful. People that weren’t even in the way of the walkways were being told to moved even though this is a concert where you’re suppose to be dancing. They would touch you and forcibly move people even when they were doing no harm. For capacity reasons they would constantly check people’s wristbands in the middle of the show, which is very rude considering you’re interrupting the people that paid for the concert. Mind you it is very loud and you can barely hear them. Also, prior to entering they made people throw away opened chapstick and any other makeup that people brought with them.
Parking is ok. The main perk is that there is free general admission parking that isn’t too far from the venue. There is also preferred parking at $ 10 per vehicle and a Über pick up/​drop off area. However, getting out of the parking lot is a HUGE NIGHTMARE. No organization whatsoever since there are no workers helping out with the flow of traffic. So prepared to fight tooth and nail to get out of the lot.
I probably wouldn’t come back here since it is far (I’m from OC) and the only reason I did come here was because Kaskade didn’t make a stop in LA for his tour.

Worst venue for a concert ever. Avoid this place at all costs if you are attending a concert here.
It took way over two hours to even get to the amphitheater and another hour and a half to two hours to find parking through the cluster of traffic.
Realizing the concert was practically going to finish, I opted not to even attend the Luke Bryan concert. $ 190 donation to whomever.

Worst venue there is. Boyfriend and I came for the Luke Bryan concert and the traffic coming in and out was horrific. Two hours and a half to get in, two hours to get out. The traffic was longer than the actual concert. A lot of the traffic was due to the lack of staff guiding the cars through. Since there wasn’t a «traffic authority» available, it was a free for all. Five to six cars at a time tried to squeeze in to leave, causing a very disruptive gridlock. We even turned off our car during the wait because it wasn’t moving for 40 minutes. Towards the second hour, somebody in a truck became so frustrated, they ran through the plastic barricades.
Also, I feel they sell more tickets than what they have room for. People were shoving and squished — I mean, I get it, it’s Luke Bryan. It’s suppose to be packed, but this was overly crowded. People were shoving one another just to move a few inches from each other. It was way too much. People were climbing over their assigned seats, hanging around the stairs and railings which blocked the path to walk around. It was ridiculous. 10 million stars for Luke Bryan’s sexy a**, –0 for this venue. Save your money, and try another venue!
PS — it didn’t really matter if you got the lawn seating vs the upper leveled seating because people were crossing over the railings and sitting in seats they didn’t pay for.

Went to the Sleep Train Amphitheater last night for the Luke Bryan concert. It was my first time going and the concert was sold out. My friends and I were first in line aside from the fast lane to get inside. Once they allow us to go inside, like every other girl there, we fastly walked to get good spots in the pit. After all who wouldn’t want to have good spots with Luke Bryan. While we were headed to the line to get our wrist bands one of the employees yelled to stop running we weren’t running I said «we are not running» there must have been 20 other girls around us. The employee then continued to follow me grab me agressivley by my arm and told me that you are running and now your going back. Like I’m 5 or something. Firstly he singled me out of all the other girls. Secondly he made me lose my spot that I had been waiting all afternoon for! Thirdly you do NOT put your hands on woman! Anyways, I had to walk all the way back to the gate where he then decided to call me a b*tch. I’m sorry excuse me ??? I didn’t realize that I had paid 200 dollars for this ticket so you could call ME a b*tch!!! So thank you and hats off to the guy that basically ruined my entire view of this venue and MY night at this concert. You can bet I’ll be making a phone call to the corporate office about this. I was disrespected, demoralized, manhandled and embarrassed! I would not recommend this place to anyone after my experience I’d rather drive to LA and see Luke there then the 10 minutes it takes me now.
Side bar
Luke Bryan was AMAZING and Randy Houser and OMG Dustin Lynch has a smile to die for!

Look at the other reviews!
Didn’t try the food inside, but the drink service is fast between acts. The usher staff did their job to the best of their abilities and overall the event was pretty awesome!
The worst part of the entire night is sitting here 50 minutes after reaching the car in the parking lot hoping we get out soon. 10 minutes to midnight.

It’s pretty much a 2.5 star venue as the reviews here on Unilocal average. Comparing this to Humphrey’s isn’t completely apples to apples, however; sleep train employees can take some lessons from Humphreys where they bend over backwards with service. I felt like I was entering boot camp again as they yelled at us about the directions for entering the concert and searching our bags. Very bizarre.
The good seats towards the front can somehow still feel far away as it’s a huge arena. Sound quality varies and depends on which artist is playing. Jason Mraz sounds great everytime. But big names like Van Halen last night don’t sound so good… but maybe that’s more the artist ;-).
VIP parking is worth the extra price as you get right up close to the entrance. Didn’t really think the VIP food experience was all that great with the food that was served. The big thing that knocks off the stars is food and drink prices. 5 bucks for water. 11 bucks for a light beer and 11 bucks for a glass of BV chardonnay that costs 5 bucks by the bottle. Way too high on their markups. Humphreys always has a line at the bar because even though it’s not cheap it still seems somehow reasonable for a concert venue.

So I came on Unilocal to see what everyone had to say about this venue before I attended the Foo Fighters show on the 24^th. I took notes on what to do and what not to do — and walked away with a perfect evening. So if you’re reading this before your show, this is what worked for us.
Doors opened at 7 — and we had to drive from over an hour away.
We got there just over an hour early, No crazy traffic, no jams coming in.
We parked in the dirt lot to the left of the venue, you drive past their parking, past the venue just a bit and there is a dirt lot there. We got there early enough to park in the lot, facing the street, so when the show was over we just pulled over the very small curb there and were on our way. We brought dinner, to save on food inside — and a couple of six packs. Had dinner watching the sun go down, had a few Lagunita’s, chatted it up with a ton of good people there doing the same — and headed in right before the opening act. The walk is very minimal.
We had to pick up our tickets at WILL CALL — and the first window we arrived at was VIP Will Call. I read horror stories of people going to the wrong window and having to trek all over because they didn’t have their tickets– not the case. The gentlemen at the window was friendly, informative, talkative and tracked our tickets down (we WERE at the wrong window) and printed them right there.
Show was amazing. Sound was great. Bands were insanely impressive.
We left maybe 10 minutes before show was over and pulled out, over the curb, and were on the highway with ZERO traffic or back ups.
I think the bad reviews come from a majority of people that don’t plan ahead.
It’s a HUGE venue, there is like what — 20K people at capacity? go early, have a beer, take your time going in and leave a bit early and you’ll have a great night!

Made the drive out to watch the Foo Fighters this week and I was pleasantly surprised by the venue after reading all of the reviews regarding parking. Getting in was a breeze, we parked in the Aquatica parking lot, and leaving wasn’t bad either. It took us about 35 minutes to get from our parking spot to the 805, not too bad considering 20k people were using the same small road to get there.
The venue itself was great with good sound, plenty of vendors, and restrooms. Prices are definitely steep to outrageous so make sure you have a few before coming in and take your time on a tall can once you do buy an $ 11 beer. The one thing that did piss me off was that I wasn’t allowed to bring my backpack in even though I couldn’t find the rule stated on their website; ended up throwing it away to avoid walking back to the car.

I’ve watched quite a few shows here at Sleep Train. My main tip for this venue is to give yourself ample time to get there with San Diego traffic and the Sleep Train parking. If you are parking in the general parking areas, be prepared to walk a little bit. Also, it is an outdoor event. Most of their events are rain or shine so prepare for the weather.
I went to the Chris Brown concert last night as a VIP or Premium Seat holder. My first time as a VIP, so my experience was quite fantastic. You pay more for the convenience obviously ($ 300+ a ticket) but after experiencing the front row seats, it’s going to be hard to ever want to sit in the lawn ever again!
We had VIP parking. You basically park right at the entrance of the ampitheatre. We had VIP lounge passes as well. No line, straight in with no hassle (except they check your purses of course) because we came early enough. VIP parking opened at 5pm and the lounge opened at 5:30pm. We each had a free food voucher. The lounge had a bar, DJ, lots of tables and chairs, and of course food. It was a simple cater. Hamburgers, hot dogs, cookies, fruit, beans and salad. You can eat as much as you can fill on your plate. Drinks at the bar ranged from $ 9-​$ 14. Premium Cocktails were $ 13 but for a double it was $ 17.
Getting to our Orchestra seats were simple. We got wrist bands to make it easy to come in and out. Bathroom lines can get long in between breaks but there’s a lot of stalls so it goes by fast.
We left right at the last song and didn’t sit in too much traffic on our way out. It’s a 2 lane street getting out of the ampitheater, so plan your exit accordingly. 20,000 people leaving at the same time can take forever.
The VIP lounge re-​opened at the end of the concert for VIPs to wait out the traffic but we didn’t stay for that.

Not the best concert venue but they tend to get the bigger artists here. Lawn seats are hit or miss. You have to get there early (or on time for less popular concerts) for prime front area options. There’s a lighting tower in the back rows of the actual seating area so that can obstruct your view. Security is fine. Sometimes it’s easy enough to sneak by and hop into the seats or up closer if you’re already in seats. Sound is fine, the fries were AWESOME, beer is an arm and a leg so plan to tailgate.
Get there early and park on a side street or leave the show early to exit the lot or suffer the consequence.

It’s a decent venue just a pain to get out of.
The pros…
1) It’s simple to find… pretty much right off the freeway (805)
2) They do a great job getting people IN to the parking lots and venue… traffic hardly stands still you’re likely looking at 20 minutes from freeway exit to car park
3) There are several of bathrooms all quite large… potty lines move quickly
4) In the seating sections the main aisles and walkways are large/​wide and security works to keep them clear
5) As a non-​techy person I’d say the sound system is quite nice.
The cons…
1) It’ll likely take you over an hour to leave the parking lot. I have absolutely no idea why especially since there are two gates. If they opened both and leveraged someone to direct traffic it would go much faster. If when parking you stick it out and go in the 2^nd entrance it’s a smidgen faster however you’ll be further out from Main Street and you’re just trading the time you’d wait to go in the show for the time you’ll wait to leave.
2) Jack Daniels is only served in ONE bar on the west side of the venue.
3) They’re Pepsi not Coke
4) It’s outside which for some reason seems to promote people thinking it’s ok to smoke weed all around you. No one is remotely considerate with it in that they don’t roll one, pass it and keep it moving but rather just chain smoke it like it’s the thing to do. It’s so common security doesn’t/can’t waste their time with it either. It doesn’t matter what section you’re in (I’ve sat in all 5) or what kind of concert (seen everything from the Spice Girls to Drake) folks just think it’s outside so it must be ok
5) Food (both in, out and around the venue) is BEYOND limited. The only thing on the way (Main Street) is a Souplantation or Panda Express and as you can imagine if there’s a concert both are STACKED!
As a piece of advice if considering seats I’d recommend the first rows of any of the 100÷200÷300 sections (over ANY floor seat) because each one has a 10′ — 20′ aisle in front of them and you’re raised up from it so even if everyone in the section in front of you is standing you can still sit and see. Including a photo from a recent show taken without any zoom or cropping from section 204 row 1 seat 15
Xoxo…

It’s a pretty good venue. I rather see a concert here then the Sports Arena. The concert looks good from where ever you decide to see it. Lawn seats are cool especially if you go see a concert that does not get too packed. Bring a blanket & chill enjoy a beer or smoke there (especially if it’s a reggae concert). The up front stage tixs seem real good never really packed. If you’re willing to stand for 6 hours then you can get those tix. I mainly get the seat tixs, you’re close enough not to far not to close & you can sit & stand when ever you want. And if you’re very social like me you make friends & share a smoke with you’re neighbor (again if it’s a reggae concert) I love that it’s a open venue unlike the Sports Arena.
The workers & security are pretty chill here as well & nice for the most part. But I recommend you eat good before you get here cuz the food here is not very good & very pricey. Honestly I ate the worst Hot Dog here. There fries where not good either & some of the food stands are cash only that’s not good. And there bathrooms are pretty crappy, literally crappy. They need to have workers check on them more often both men & woman bathrooms are bad. The parking ain’t as bad as people say it is as long as you come early or on time.
Over all I really like coming to concerts here & will continue to come here. I’ll just make sure I eat good here before I come & I’ll make sure I take a dump (poop) at my house before I get here. But other then the food & bathrooms here I really like this place & especially love coming to reggae concert here.

This is my second time here, first for the Brad Paisley concert and then again for the Night Nation 5k run/​walk music festival.
For the concert we didn’t have to pay for parking which was great, but for the 5k run we had to pay 10 bucks. Sure glad i had friends with me that had cash on them because i wasn’t prepared. I’m thinking it was to help pay for the clean up etc… but we didn’t mind paying because in San Diego you usually have to pay for parking almost where ever you go.
I like this theater and how the seating is laid out for concerts, parking could use some help because its in a field, maybe they can pave it. The amphitheater is clean and so are the restrooms. No problems getting out of the parking lot area both times i have been here.

I’v been here twice, both times for XFest. First time was cool, we had lawn tickets, it was chill and had a good time. This past time, they closed the lawn section and upgraded everyone to a seating section, which is cool but that meant going to the bathroom/​vendors requires squeezing and excusing your way down your row of people which gets annoying.
anyway, we didnt have problems with the parking like most people mentioned here. but my biggest issue is the vendor pricing. $ 5 for a dry piece of pretzel, cheese is an extra $ 3, $ 4 for a little 12 oz cup of coffee and they dont even provide sugar or creamer. beer prices are ridiculous. especially the craft brews. the brewers here are seriously getting really cocky with their bevvys and charging $ 16 for craft brew is insane. i have never purchased alcohol here and i never plan on it.
and yes, its true about the parking attendants and workers here. they have no sense of information, dont care to assist you when you have questions, and seem not interested in any form of customer service. they seriously need better staffing/​training.
btw the sound system during the second Xfest was HORRENDOUS. i dont know who is in charge of it, but it made the entire fest almost unbearable. it would have been better listening to the bands on the radio.

Had a fabulous time at the Sleep Train amphitheater last Saturday for Train’s concert. Matt Nathensen n The Fray opened with their hits. Train was vocally great and sooooo kind and respectful to their fans. Just awesome.
We got grass seating (disregard seating number on ticket, What a joke.) But it was $ 15 a ticket on Groupon and so worth it. Snacks were expensive. $ 9 hot dogs, $ 11 nachos, $ 12 refillable fountain sodas. Getting out was a traffic nightmare… As expected. Some peeps left before the encore to avoid this but the encore (them coming back on stage to grace us n appease the cheering) was too good to be true. They sang Drops of Jupiter and covered Aerosmith’s Dream On. Dream on. Dream until your dreams come true!!!
Oh, bring a blankie n dress warm.

Why do SD always have shitty venues for a «world class city»??? The only good venue we have is Petco Park… And nothing else, Chargers stadium fail, Sports Arena aka Valley View Casino fail and the sleep train amphitheater fail. Everything is old and outdated and looks gross or just horrible in general.
Sleep train amphitheater built in like 1998… Pretty old now, as you can see by the looks of it. It still has 2 small screen TVs that has horrible quality… The only good thing is the sound which instead of buying a concert ticket you can park in the lot or be around the area and still hear the music. They don’t have a sound quality to lock in the sound to the amphitheater. The bathrooms are okay and there are portable potties around.
Every time I come here I only get lawn seats so I can only speak for lawn seats. Lawn seating is for the stoner, drinker and the partiers and for the money saver. I like it because you can bring a blanket and just relax and lay and enjoy the music. But I would say it gets annoying at times because of the overly drunk people stumbling on you or your blanket… And the annoying Tweens for concerts like Lana. It’s still pretty old school as some vendors do not accept cards, so bring cash if you want beer…
As for getting in and out its such a pain the ass! Lines of cars in and lines of cars out. I don’t know how it can be more efficient but plan on arriving like 30 minutes early for parking and we left before the encore to avoid the car jam! I’ve watched DMB twice and a Lana Del Rey concert.

I am typing this review from the parking lot, where I have been stuck in for the past hour. I left my show early so that I could avoid the traffic, only to be stuck in a huge line of unmoving cars. Which is sadly even worse than the traffic I encountered getting to the amphitheater, during which I drove a grand total of 2 miles in hour and a half. The concert experience is completely ruined by the horrible traffic situation.
I will never be coming here again, and strongly discourage all of you from seeing a concert here. The attendants are rude and inexperienced, and everything in the venue is extremely disorganized and dysfunctional.

Was here for the Lana Del Rey concert. She was great! The high rating is mainly for LDR.
Everything was okay or good… parking, seats, restrooms, and so on. Concessions and merchandise of course is quite pricy /​expensive, but that is expected.
The only bad thing (horrible actually) was traffic in and out (was worse going out). I sort of anticipated this though (going in and out). Couldn’t leave early due to a family birthday party earlier in the afternoon/​evening, otherwise it would have only been bad on the way out.
Luckily I have my phone and good company… otherwise the traffic would be worse. Also, might be a good idea to carpool, that way you can alternate with someone else and not suffer on the way in and then out.

Been here a to watch a few concerts. The first one was z90’s sweet 16 birthday & Lady Antebellum.
The most recent event was last week’s Color Fun Run!
Yes it was really fun and entertaining. The event was held at the parking lot. The lot was spacious enough to host a 5k run. I think they share the lot with the water park next door. I haven’t been to the water park in almost 10years… Maybe cz I don’t know how to swim ahha
Sleep Train has hosted many events. It’s a great outdoor venue perfect to get a tan on during summer concerts.
The food is your typical fair food (ie: funnel cake, kettle corn, hot dogs, burgers, soda, beer, cotton candy, etc). They sometimes serve BBQ and other stuff too. I guess it depends on the type of concert and people they need to cater to.
I suggest eating before going to any concerts… Other wise you’re looking at paying 20 $ for a burger with napkins haha jk.