AVA Amphitheater

Best theater in Tucson for concerts, as they get some pretty decent bands to come and it is not even pricey to get a seat. I would definitely recommend to not get the lawn seats, as it can get kind of tiring to be standing an entire concert. I also love that they get Tejano concerts here frequently and being from Texas I always try to come out and listen to them.

We are from Phoenix, came here for the show… Peter Frampton, BB King, and Buddy Guy. It was pretty warm out and sticky. Once the Show started, everyone didn’t care about the heat, everyone had a really good time. We are glad we came, we had excellent seats. Very clean very nice place for fun, outdoor concerts, we look forward to coming to this venue again.

We were at the AVA Amphitheater for a concert Saturday night. We had all-​access, as we are friends with some of the bands playing, and security was exceptional all night. We stood side-​stage, and when we would come and go from the stage area, the staff was always friendly with a nod and a smile. The concessions were reasonably priced, and everyone was helpful.

Terrible design… if you like your hearing this is the wrong place for you. They don’t have a soundbox in the audience to correctly adjust individual sound levels during a live show. The solution? Turn up the volume to the point your paying customers’ can’t distinguish one sound from the next, and their ears ring for the next 3 days (also reasonably sure their are some blown speakers in the house p.a.).
To be thorough I should tell you that they do have a soundbox on stage, for those of you not familiar with sound waves lets just say; you wouldn’t have your stereo setup so that it sounds best behind the speakers. Which is effectively what this does, by putting the one person to make all the sound choices for the show away from the audience, you insure that the audience will have terrible sound at every show (brilliant).
To top it all off, the chairs are uncomfortable (seriously prepare for lower backpain if you are sitting at any point).

I’ve been to the Anselmo Valencia Tori Amphitheater (commonly known as AVA) a number of times and have never been disappointed. Ample parking, an easy online ordering system and decent prices make AVA a great concert venue. The line to go through the security check and enter through the gates moves pretty quickly and the employees do a good job of moving people along.
The prices for beer and food aren’t any worse than any other concert venue. I prefer to get my beer at the Beer Garden over the regular concession stand. Better beers, better selection, liquor, friendlier people and a happier vibe than standing in a line with people dribbling nacho cheese all over my pedicured and sandaled feet.
Because AVA is a smaller venue, lawn seats are an inexpensive alternative to sitting on hard seats and sharing an armrest with that hairy guy next to you.
But then again, I may still be seeing the world through youthful and slightly buzzy eyes since I was 17 again on Sunday night as Peter Frampton kept wanting to «Show Me the Way.»

If the weather is good the lawn is a nice option– the stage isn’t so far away that you won’t be able to see anything.
The last time I came we got VIP Box tickets which are pretty nice. The main issue with the box seating is that they are not tiered, so if you’re not front row it can be a bit hard to see.
They always have two huge monitors up for shows, so you’re able to see everything up close and personal. I did notice though at the last show that the people directly front and center (like first row) were unable to see the monitors, because the performer asked them about this as he was trying to show a movie that went along with the act.
Beer is crazy expensive. something like $ 7 a bottle if I remember correctly… I would recommend doing what you need to do in this regard over at the casino prior to the show. They offer monthly drink specials at killer prices. Well worth the walk over.

Wonderful outdoor amphitheater combined with the casino. We went recently for the Marc Anthony concert. The location is a bit outside of down, and some of the roads the GPS took us on were small, roads, but you could take the exit off the highway and drive a bit. Parking was descent arriving, but challenging leaving. The amphitheater was large and had a good amount of seating plus the lawn in the back. We were up front and had an excellent view of the show. Many people walked down to try to get up close, but security did a good job of sending them back to their seats. It was an easy walk from the parking lot to the seats. I would check out other shows here in the future and maybe stay at the casino.

Very clean very nice place for fun, outdoor concerts! I have been to one completely packed and one not completely packed and both have worked for me. Both times I went the staff was nice, the place was clean, and I was even pleasantly surprised with my lawn seats!
Only complaint is the lines. For instance when I entered the facility I did not have a purse so I went to a line that I assumed was one without purses. I was alerted that it was a line for the men and I had to go to the line for the women (and all their purses). Super lame!
I will be back!

I’m a little perplexed by the bad reviews about this location because I attended an event here for the first time last night and was very pleased. Maybe it was because it was a smaller event, Jim Gaffigan’s comedy show, but everything about the evening went very smoothly. Quickly parked, and very close to the Amphitheater I might add, then got in line and picked up my tickets from Will Call in less than 3 minutes and then got in line to go into the amphitheater. There was a separate line for guys and girls, which I always find silly, but understand there are women out there that feel violated if it’s not a female feeling them up. They briefly looked in my purse and let me in, whereas my husband got a thorough pat down and checked every nook and cranny. Ha! Can’t help but laugh that only part of the population was really checked… what a load off my mind ;)
I didn’t really know what to expect about the amphitheater, such as how big it is or if grass seats would be a major letdown. I can assure you that since the amphitheater is so small (at least compared to what I’m used to) I felt very close to the stage even in the grass, and hey I got to layback and relax. Quite a deal for $ 20! Better yet they offered military discount for all ticket prices and the service charges weren’t astronomical like most venues! Beer averaged $ 6, which I was pleased by, and kettle corn for $ 5. Needless to say my stomach was happy and I enjoyed lots of laughs. I am looking forward to my next event there in a few weeks.
As a heads up, blankets and seat cushion are allowed, along with rain ponchos (no umbrellas) and one unopened bottle of water per person. Pretty awesome if you ask me!

I must preface this review by explaining that my five star rating is based on the fact that this is a review of an entertainment facility in TUCSON. Compared to Vegas, compared to L.A. or Atlanta, this would not rate as highly. But for TUCSON (if you’d like some background on this city check my review for the City of Tucson), it’s pretty fancy schmancy.
Like other reviewers, I was at the amphitheater for the Jim Gaffigan comedy show. The show was everything I’d imagined it would be, btw. Jim Gaffigan is HIlarious!
Hot Pockets…
As for the venue: It is located at Casino Del Sol, which as you may or may not know is a casino/​hotel. My husband and I got there a couple hours before the show to play some slots and blackjack. We also went to the dinner buffet, which was delightful as always, since there was food there. Food is of the utmost importance to us. We are Americans.
We approached the Will Call window about 20 minutes before the show started and were quickly able to pick up the tickets we’d purchased online weeks earlier. After that, we were forced to separate into two different security lines — Whites Only and … er, I mean ‘Men’ and ‘Women.‘
That seemed a bit peculiar at first, but I’m sure it helps the vicinity avoid numerous «He fondled me!» lawsuits. What was most peculiar about the whole inspection phase was that the womens’ line actually moved a lot faster than the mens.’ The women only had their purses looked into, whereas the men basically had a latex glove search. Bend over and spread ‘em! Kidding, of course, but the men were patted down thoroughly, all bags/​blankets/​pockets looked into or shaken out. Men can be so suspicious, just as I suspected.
My yellow umbrella was turned away at the entrance. The lady informed me I could walk it back to my car or leave it at the gate. It was a sad day for all of us.
After handling the umbrella debacle, my husband and I both managed to get through the security and ticket checking people without having our tickets checked. The female ticket checker told me to go through on the basis that my husband had my ticket (which he did). My husband walked through unchecked after his security search when the ticket checker’s scanning device broke.
Near the entry are bathrooms and concessions that include soda, nachos, beer, lemonade, popcorn, etc etc and so on and so forth.
The theater is outdoors, however there is a roof covering all of the seats. The lawn area is uncovered, so keep that in mind if you purchase tickets there during monsoon season. In fact, even if you purchase tickets for the seated areas, beware that you may get wet on this ride if it happens to get stormy.
As for last night, it was dark out, but still a bit muggy. Sometimes the slightest tiny breeze would blow by. .Sometimes…
Leaving the facility was the most unpleasant aspect of the event. Common sense dictates that you should completely expect to not to be able to drive through a crowd of hundreds of people as they all make their ways to their respective vehicles at the exact same time. However, having to wait an additional 20 seconds to make the turn to leave the lot still annoyed us. We are Americans.
As far as having things to do in Tucson, this should be on your list. The casino does a great job at isolating you, immersing you in the casino/​vacation atmosphere. All your troubles disappear as your soul focus is on whether to hit or stay and helping the newbies decide what move to make.
There you have it!

they need more bartenders and bars set up ! to long of a wait. But I like the venue for concerts.

It is a great place to see a show, a little far out, but what the hell. Sitting on the grass a great way to go. i don’t go very often because mos of the programming I don’t want to go to. It is what it is, if there is something you want to see go.

I came here a few months ago for a music venue for a EDM DJ. The strange part was, the printed ticket I had, the people at the gate didn’t really go in a verify anything. In all honesty I could have bought one ticket and had 10 copies and everyone would have gotten in.
The lines: Just to get in took a while. So unorganized and slow. When we got to the front, it was just for security check, and there was one line for females and one for males, but no one had said anything. With the carelessness they were handling the tickets, you would think the lines would speed up.
Security: could have been better. I say this because as I was washing my hangs in the restroom, they followed a drunk woman into the men’s room and she was kicking in stall doors. They just watched her go in, yell at people, kick in doors, and walk out. How are you not going to get rid of her. Other than that part of it, they did a good job
Seating: The way it’s set up, its a typical amphitheater, front stage is a standing area, then the seating spreads back. Then there is a grass area in the far back. Overall it is a little on the smaller side, but I think you can get decent views from just about any angle. Thats the perk of a smaller venue.
It was pretty well organized. I had a good time. I would be willing to come back if the right musical performer was there.

Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater, or ‘AVA’ (really wouldn’t it be AVAA [and isn’t that itself preposterously redundant?]), is a small, impressively very forgettable amphitheatre nearly in Mejico.
The lines at the box office are historically unbelievable long. The lines of sight from the lawn are uniquely piss poor. And it is hot as fuck, but you are in Tucson in the summer and hearing what one hopes is good music so why dwell on the negatives?
The box office employee overcompensated me in change when I purchased a couple of tickets in cash, more than likely because of service fatigue as well as simply rushing in a vain attempt to get through the obscenely long line she was facing, but I am no dick so I ran back and gave her the excess amount.
Concert attended: Incubus, tour opening gig in 2007.
Avoid if at all possible; this is no Red Rocks. — E

Went to see the Jeff Dunham show and we had a great time. The people there were very helpful in showing us our seats. The only strange thing was getting in to the amphitheater they divided the people up into male and female to check what you were bringing in and your tickets check.

Eh, kind of a crappy place to see a show if you ask me. First off, I had my tickets at the WILL CALL booth. BIG mistake. HUGE. I missed most of the opening band because they only had two windows open to handle a GIANT LONG line of people needing to pick up their tickets. They really need to add at least 2 – 3 more windows to accomodate the crowds. Waiting an hour in line to pick up the tickets I’ve already bought is unacceptable. So if you buy tickets for a show here definitely print them out yourself. Then of course, it’s hot here, and unlike some of the stadiums in Phoenix, there are no fans going here so the heat is stagnant. It actually would have been cool if there was a fan because it had just rained and the air was crisp and felt good when an occasional breeze did blow in. Also, there little «TV» monitors are kind of crappy, and the camera men working them are awful. When someone is playing a guitar solo they will show the singer or zoom in on the guitar player’s legs instead of showing the actual guitar playing. Oh, and beer prices? I think it was $ 6.25 for a beer. As if $ 6 wasn’t enough, they’ll just add that quarter just to really screw you over. I’ve had better.

Truly buyer beware! After purchasing tickets to the Peter Frampton Concert ($ 200.00 ea) we were seated in what we thought were going to be GREAT seats. We were in the front row! WOW! How great Peter Frampton, front row, again WOW! We were seated in Row B seats 309, and 310. We were staring at a black partition hiding the band’s equipment. We could only see about the first 2 feet of th stage at a sevre angle! So I complained as did several others behind us. The Casino officials told us’ there is nothing we can do. This is how the band wants the stage setup’ After much discussion a Manager came to look at the situation and was able to get the partition relocated at an angle that made SOME viewing possible. Never saw the drummer, barely saw Peter Frampton. We did however have a great view of the backside of all the keyboards and the band member playing them. These tickets and tickets about 4 more to my right should never be sold. These are AWFUL seats! When they advertise ’ not a bad seat in the house’, don’t believe it. See, when you are sold the tickets they don’t give the seat number or location. I will avoid concerts at this theatre in the future.