The St. Augustine Amphitheatre (shortened as The Amp) is an outdoor amphitheater located on
A1A in
St. Augustine,
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, United States. The venue seats over 4,700 persons, and is managed by SJC Cultural Events, Inc since September 2023.
History
The amphitheatre was built in 1965 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine, originally with 2,000 seats.
land was originally part of
Anastasia State Park.
[ The amphitheatre itself was constructed in one of the old coquina quarries used to supply building materials for St. Augustine and the ]Castillo de San Marcos
The Castillo de San Marcos ( Spanish for “ St. Mark’s Castle”) is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States; it is located on the western shore of Matanzas Bay in St. Augustine, Florida.
It was designed by the Spanish en ...
.
The Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
winning playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just
Readin ...
Paul Green was commissioned to write a play to be performed at the amphitheatre. The result was ''Cross and Sword: A Symphonic Drama of the Spanish Settlement of Florida'',[Paul Green Bibliography]
/ref> a musical reenactment of the first years of St. Augustine's existence. '' Cross and Sword'' was designated the official state play in 1973 by the Florida Legislature.[Florida State Symbols - The State Play: Cross and Sword]
The play ran until 1996, when budget constraints ended its more than 30-year run.
The amphitheatre was used infrequently during the following years, though it did host a free summer Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
Festival from 1997 to 2003. In 2002, St. Johns County acquired the property and the following year began an $8.7 million renovation.[ The upgraded facility reopened in August 2007, which includes a fiberglass tensile canopy over the main stage.][St. Augustine Amphitheatre - St. Johns County Government Gateway]
/ref> In 2018, the amphitheatre's 300 level seating was expanded by adding 700 seats, bringing the venue's capacity to 4,700. In 2019, the theater branded itself as "The Amp". Also in 2019, the Amp is ranked #2 amphitheatre in the United States and #3 worldwide according to leading concert-industry publication Pollstar Magazine's 2019 Mid-Year report.

Farmers market
The ''St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers' market
A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or ...
'' is open Saturday mornings from 8:30am to 12:30pm throughout the year. In addition to produce and plants direct from the farm, there is fresh seafood, cheeses, baked goods, Food trucks and wares from local artists & craftspeople. Live entertainment is provided many Saturdays.
The Night Market is open quarterly on a Tuesday evening from 5pm to 9pm. Add a full bar and live music; take away the farmer's contributions.
Noted performers
*Duran Duran
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* 311
*Alan Jackson
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*Aretha Franklin
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* The Avett Brothers
* Awolnation
*Barenaked Ladies
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*Billy Currington
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* The Black Crowes
*Bob Dylan
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*Boston
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* Chris Stapleton
*Evanescence
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*Goo Goo Dolls
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After starting ...
*Jason Isbell
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*Kendrick Lamar
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*The Lumineers
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* Matchbox Twenty
*The Monkees
The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...
* O.A.R.
*The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins (also simply known as Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. The ...
*Shawn Mendes
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*Weezer
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*Widespread Panic
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*ZZ Top
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*Vampire Weekend
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*Bastille
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* Old Dominion
*Rick Springfield
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*Steve Miller Band
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*Foster the People
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* AJR
* Foreigner
*The Marshall Tucker Band
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*Willie Nelson
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* Jack Johnson
*Slayer
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*John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Every ...
*Weezer
Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing ...
*Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...
*Lettuce
Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae mostly grown as a leaf vegetable. The leaves are most often used raw in Green salad, green salads, although lettuce is also seen in other kinds of food, such as sandwiche ...
*Kansas
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*The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in San Jose, California in 1970. Known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies, the band has been active for over five decades, with their greate ...
*Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...
*38 Special
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* 38 Special (band), an American rock band
** ''38 Special'' (album), the 1977 debut album of the band 38 Special
* .38 Special (song), a 2022 ...
*Styx
In Greek mythology, Styx (; ; lit. "Shuddering"), also called the River Styx, is a goddess and one of the rivers of the Greek Underworld. Her parents were the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, and she was the wife of the Titan Pallas and the moth ...
*Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo ca ...
* Daryl Hall & John Oates
*Heart
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*Two Door Cinema Club
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*"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is best known for writing and performing Comedy music, comedy songs that often Parody music, parody specific songs by contempo ...
*Paramore
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*Twenty One Pilots
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*Lynyrd Skynyrd
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*Bad Company
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*Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances featuring expressive body movements. Most of his best-known singles, such as
"Feelin' Alright ...
* Don Felder
* Sammy Hagar and the Circle
*Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo ca ...
*Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony Nugent (; born December 13, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He goes by several nicknames, including Uncle Ted, the Nuge, and Motor City Madman. Nugent initially gained fame as the le ...
*The Sonics
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*John Fogerty
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* Fabulous Thunderbirds
*Brian Wilson
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*MC5
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*Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
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* The Smile
*Tenacious D
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Photos
File:MCStaugustine15.jpg, Manchester Orchestra
File:BR15.jpg, Brand New
File:KDStaugustine15.jpg, Kevin Devine
File:ShinedownStAugustine02.jpg, Shinedown
File:St. Augustine Amphitheatre with sign, St. Augustine, Florida, U.S.jpg, Amphitheatre with sign
File:St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine, Florida, U.S.jpg, Amphitheatre
References
Amphitheaters in the United States
Theatres completed in 1965
Music venues in Florida
Buildings and structures in St. Augustine, Florida
Theatres in Florida
Tourist attractions in St. Augustine, Florida
1965 establishments in Florida
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