2023 VenuesNow All-Star Amphitheater
St. Augustine Amphitheatre
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine Amphitheatre, known as The Amp, continues to punch above its weight scoring No. 10 on Pollstar’s Q3 Top 100 Amphitheaters charts for tickets sold and gross sales.
The venue has 4,789 seats, much smaller than many amphitheaters across the country.
Rebranded “The Amp” in 2019, the slogan from that year remains — “big acts, small venue.” This year, the venue played host to artists including Riley Green, Peter Frampton, My Morning Jacket, Kane Brown, Pitbull and Tenacious D.
With big acts often come big grosses. For instance, Kane Brown’s two shows at The Amp in June grossed more than $900,000 on 9,619 tickets, numbers more akin to an arena show than a boutique amphitheater.
Owned and operated by the cultural events division of St. Johns County, The Amp hosts over 40 concerts and multiple community events annually, including the year-round Saturday Farmers Market.
Programming features an eclectic lineup distinct from the standard summer amphitheater circuit and is able to run well into the colder months thanks to the region’s climate.
Not only is the adjacent Ponte Vedra Concert Hall available for more intimate shows, with a seated capacity of 500 and room for 900 standing, but The Amp includes two smaller stages as well. The backyard stage area accommodates between 1,000 and 1,200, while the front porch stage can hold 300.
The Amp itself benefits from its surroundings, sitting next to Anastasia State Park, more than 1,600 acres of beaches, marshes and stands of trees like those that surround the amphitheater.
What makes The Amp unique is its surroundings.
It sits next to Anastasia State Park, with more than 1,600 acres of beaches, marshes and stands of trees like those that surround the amphitheater.
That was the impetus for the design from the get-go.
“Our goal was to maximize its potential and surroundings,” said Ryan Murphy, director of cultural events for St. Johns County.
“It’s also about serving the needs of the market and the community in a variety of ways.”
