Concerts in Costa Mesa, California

Located in Orange County, CA, the city of Costa Mesa is the site of the Orange County Fair and home to the Pacific Amphitheatre. The OC Fair is held annually and takes place over 23 days in July and August. To avoid noise complaints — which shut the amphitheater down from the early 90s to 2003 — the Pacific Amphitheatre only holds concerts during the fair. Some of the artists who have come to Costa Mesa to play at The OC Fair and Pacific Amphitheatre include Madonna, Kelly Clarkson, Kool and the Gang, and Toto.

For those looking for more of an intimate, night club vibe, Orange County has plenty of options for that, too. The Observatory is one of the area’s top venues for live music. It books artists in two different rooms. The larger of the two rooms is the Observatory, and the smaller room is the Constellation Room. The club is standing room only, so be prepared to be on your feet while you enjoy the music.

What concert venues are located in Costa Mesa?

The Pacific Amphitheatre is one the area’s best-known venues, which hosts shows during the Orange County Fair and is located near the College Park area on Fair Drive.

The Observatory is in nearby Santa Ana, which is just a ten minute drive and a straight shot from Costa Mesa.

How much do Costa Mesa concert tickets cost?

Costa Mesa is one of the top concert destinations in the country, with a wide variety of venues and performances. For a look at ticket prices for upcoming concerts, scroll to the top of the page and see events today, this weekend, and this week.

What music festivals take place in Costa Mesa?

The festival that Costa Mesa is known for is the Orange County Fair, which takes place over the course of 23 days in July and August. The first Orange County Fair was in 1890, just a year after the county itself was established. Over the years, the fair has expanded significantly from its earliest days, when it was mostly a livestock exhibition. The fair added a carnival and rodeo in 1925. The current fairgrounds have been the OC Fair’s home since 1949 (the city of Costa Mesa, which encompasses the fairgrounds, wasn’t established until 1953), and music at the Amphitheatre became an OC-Fair-only event in 2003. The Orange County Fair entertains over a million people every year.

Orange County is home to other music festivals as well. Some of these annual festivals include One Love Cali Reggae Fest, Day N Night, and Tropicalia.

Tips for attending concerts and festivals in Costa Mesa

You can take an OCTA bus and get dropped off close to the Observatory, but keep in mind that the buses will likely stop running before the show is over. Make sure you have a plan, like a rideshare or a taxi, to get back to where you’re staying the night.

Admission to the Pacific Amphitheatre is separate from general admission to the fair, but tickets to a show at the Pacific Amphitheatre also include admission to the OC Fair for the day.