Work on this bowl started in 1939, managed under the federal Works Progress Administration, and it opened on Founder's Day in 1941. It was called the Greek Theatre at first, then the Open Air Theatre for most of its life. A naming deal with California Coast Credit Union in 2014, the first sponsor name the venue ever carried, gave it the long title on your ticket. On campus it usually gets shortened to the OAT.
A lot of history in one bowl
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke here in 1964. On the music side, San Diego State's own list of past performers runs from Benny Goodman with the San Diego Symphony to Joan Baez, Frank Zappa, Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffett, Madonna and Adele.
The theater got a $5.7 million makeover that wrapped up in 2017. It replaced the stage canopy and the seating, widened the concourse, and swapped aging restrooms and portable toilets for proper ones, with bigger concession stands to go with them.
In the seats
The theater seats 4,600 people in a bowl that rises away from the stage. Seats are roughly 18 to 24 inches wide, and standing on them or in the aisles is not allowed, so this is a show you watch from your spot. Cushions are fine as long as they have no plastic or metal frame.
- Shows go on rain or shine unless the artist cancels.
- Any child old enough to walk needs a ticket.
- Once you leave, you typically cannot come back in.
- It is a clear bag venue, and the venue is cashless, so check the rules on your ticket before you pack.
The calendar mixes touring Latin, R&B, rock and alternative acts with graduations, lectures and other campus events.
The Trolley and the hill
Take the Green Line to the SDSU station under campus. Ride the stairs or elevator up to the second level, leave from the north end of the station, and follow the path up the hill to the theater. It is the simplest way in, and you skip the garage line on the way out.
Event parking is in Parking Structures 3 and 6/6B only, and it is paid. Tailgating and overnight parking are not allowed on campus. Viejas Arena uses different structures, which helps on nights when both venues are busy. For stadium shows, Snapdragon Stadium is down the Green Line in Mission Valley. The rest of the area is on our Mission Valley and SDSU page.