Photo Credit: Shanin M. Brooks
Another mid-size venue is popping up in Southern California, where Live Nation is officially set to restore the Wonder Bread building into a 4,000-capacity venue.
Live Nation disclosed its renovation plans today, just shy of two weeks after local outlets noted the Wonder Bread building’s late-June sale. Evidently, the buyer quickly got the ball rolling; San Diego Beer emphasized that the transaction means “all” the tenants, among them Mission Brewing, will be vacating the 14,000-square-foot space by August’s end.
(Mission’s teed up “one last two-day blowout,” complete with live music, an on-site tattoo artist, and more, for this weekend.)
Now, 12 days following these early reports, Live Nation has confirmed plans to “transform” the building. Having paid a reported $16.8 million, the promoter indicated that the structure “will be preserved and adaptively reused rather than demolished.”
Elsewhere in its brass-tacks release, the Ticketmaster parent underscored the overhauled Wonder Bread building’s perceived role as San Diego’s first mid-sized live establishment – “there is currently no other venue like it in the market.”
Additionally, the company pointed to an anticipated 2028 opening and touched on plans to also host “private, corporate, and community events” at the to-be-named venue, which is a short walk from Petco Park.
The San Diego Union-Tribune provided a bit more detail: Live Nation intends to host 85 to 90 shows per year at the 102-year-old building, which is expected to add a couple “historic facades” and preserve elements including “the visible grain silo” while demolishing and then replacing about two-thirds of the property with the venue proper.
“This project represents an investment in San Diego’s future as a destination for live music and entertainment,” added John Schalk, Live Nation’s San Diego market VP. “We’ve been missing a venue of this size, and this project will help attract a broader range of touring artists, bring more shows to the region, and contribute to the continued growth and energy of downtown.”
Regarding other nearby venues, Long Beach’s 11,000-capacity waterfront F&M Bank Amphitheater opened earlier this year and has the likes of Deep Purple, Five Finger Death Punch, and Riley Green booked into September.
And while it’s not a Live Nation project, the 5,700-capacity “OCVibe” concert hall is now scheduled to open its doors in Anaheim this coming March.
The same “100-acre development” will feature sizable retail and office spaces, a close to “5-acre riverfront park with the ability to host seasonal outdoor concerts and events,” two hotels, ample parking, and more.