Newport Yachting Center

Wow. Saying a few days on the transient dock. Off season rates are very reasonable. The renovations are spectacular. Brand new bathrooms with fantastic high end fixtures. New event tent just completed and is amazing. Staff is very pleasant and accommodating. I will be back.

This place SUCKS. if you bought a «cheaper» ticket you simply are cut out of the entire concert experience. They make you stand WAY TOO FAR back and basically treat you like 3^rd class citizens. You would think the price of those tickets were $ 5 but its just a nominal difference for a MAJOR loss on the experience. If you MUST go see a show here, «splurge» and pay the extra money for under the tent… which by the other comments sounds way to hot and also uncomfortable. We were from out of state and had no idea what to expect. Totally disappointed.

came here for oktoberfest, that means you pay $ 20 for the right to enter and use the facilities, that’s it.
food and drinks are extra, and overpriced. fine, you say, i’m here for an experience. bands in the tent were way too loud; can get deaf in there if the lines were any longer. beers are all $ ⁸⁄₁₂ oz. cup; if wasn’t for maybe some «exclusive flavors», i’m really not sure why we’re here (except for to socialize with friends, but then you can do it at any pub/​backyard bbq). view is lacking — you’d see SOME parts of the water alright. outdoor seatings were available but often occupied. food lines were long and choices were scarce: 4 vendors — you’re not here to eat, ok fair enough.
so why is all this the organizer’s problems? bc they took my $ 20 to make this event enjoyable and satisfactory, which is really falling short in many departments. what’s worse, no one checked our ID upon entrance, then we got in line only to be rejected alcohol bc we got the underage band. had to go back to change another one, with no apology whatsoever. the ONE job you could easily do well… sigh.
overall, nothing really to rave about. only saving grace (ok, a few): fair weather, found free parking in midst of Newport, town is nice to walk around. so it balances out (though really NOTHING to do w/​the organizer and the venue). otherwise… they could have semi-«ruined» this for us.
tip 1: don’t bother buying tickets online with the ticketmaster upcharge… i can’t speak for Sat; we arrived after 2pm on Sun, got ticket w/​o problem. plenty of people came in way after us.
tip 2: website says «no re-​entry», but there’s a re-​entry lane at the entrance. saw people in and out as well.

Such a great little hidden gem in Rhode Island. It’s a small venue so pretty much any seat for a concert is a good seat. They have a lot of great shows there. It’s also the host of ice skating in the winter and lots of fall events such as Oktoberfest. It’s in the heart of downtown Newport so there’s lots of shopping and dining nearby to make a while day out of it. Parking is readily available at the visitors center and it’s a lot cheaper than parking at the yachting center. It’s nice to have a option of a different place to go for entertainment.

Saw BNL last night, good venue, small, though it can be hard to see at times, & is HOT under the tent. LOVE that there’s a bar outside to sit at. Do not get a large drink!!! Bartenders automatically ask if you’d like it large… you’re getting RIPPED OFF! If a 12 ounce is $ 8, then shouldn’t a 16 ounce be $ 12??? It’s $ 13, you get charged an extra buck! Screw that

Never have had a problem. Been to see Lisa Lampanelli twice in the last couple years and Jeff Dunham. The fans were working at all 3 dates and even if its not, your right on the water with a breeze… suck it up. The staff is friendly and courteous. Can’t wait to go back again this coming summer.

I attended my first event at the Newport Yachting center recently. I got tickets for the comedians Impractical jokers. We had good seats and the show was just great. I did enjoy the venue it was right on the water in downtown Newport. The night we were there it was rainy and quite comfortable. The show was a little over an hour so the seating was adequate. It consists of fold out chairs in a tent. My biggest complaint and a deal breaker for returning is the port a pottys.

We saw comedian Bill Burr here on ⁷⁄₁₄. I’m not exaggerating when I say the whole audience was dripping in sweat about 5 minutes into the show. The giant fan on the ceiling that hovered motionless above us was a big tease. Even though this venue is right on the water, you don’t get any of the breeze inside the tent, plus you get to cook in the added heat from the pavement that’s been soaking up the heat from the sun all day long. Additionally, you’re stuffed into the rows of folded chairs like little sardines in a sweaty little can… I had to hunch my shoulders over the whole time to keep from brushing sweaty elbows with the big fellas seated on either side of me. Long lines for the bar and bathroom were to be expected. 2 24oz coronas put us back $ 18 which wasn’t too terrible. We didn’t try the food from here — instead we hopped around a little before the show and that’s part of what makes this place so great– we hit up Diego’s, Blues Café and the Red Parrot.
2 stars for the sweltering heat at this 5-​star location. If you’re going here in the summer, just come mentally prepared for it and you’ll still have a blast, as we did. The sunset views were spectacular and we loved being able to check out different restaurants in close proximity. And Bill Burr was awesome! We’ll definitely be back to see him next year if he’s there again.
One other tip: If you park in pay by the ½ hour lot by the liquor store, the attendants leave after midnight. So if you’re up for sticking around for some post-​show food and drinks, you can park for free.

PROS:
~ literally right in downtown Newport (shop & eat & drink at probably 100 restaurants within a mile up to 5 minutes before the concert starts)
~ sound quality was good enough
~ fresh ocean area is nice
CONS:
~ only one food station (a food truck with a VERY limited menu)
~ can get VERY hot in the tent on hot summer nights I hear
We will probably go here again. Not bad if you want to see one of your old favorite bands that is a little or a lot past their prime (we saw Foreigner).

I never really have a great time whenever I go here, regardless of what the event is. I used to go to the Newport Summer Comedy series when we lived in Newport and saw some funny acts, but in the summer it can be very hot.
The last event was the Food Truck Festival, which was overcrowded, overpriced and lacking things like places for people to sit, or stations to get condiments, or at the very least, napkins.
It’s obvious that the folks who own the Yachting Center are making lots of money from holding events there, but eventually they will have to step their game up and give something to the people who are paying good money to attend their events.

One of the worst places to see an event. We pay good money and they can’t even put up a fan to ventilate the tent. This is the second time this has happened and the last time I will see a show here. It’s hard to stay awake when you’re smothering to death, never mind enjoy a show.

We saw John Pinette here over the Summer with a couple of friends. The show was great! Located right on the water, it’s a pretty nice spot because you do get the breeze coming off the water, however the stage area is located right behind Americas Cup Ave and the street noise can overtake whats going on inside, especially sirens. The seating is just folding chairs, which can be «a pain in the ass» after an hour or so of sitting. Outside the tent there’s a few vendor booths so that you can grab a drink, something to eat, or and ice cream. I would come here again for another show.

My wife and I travelled to New Port RI from the NYC area