nikon theater at jones beach

If you have never been to the Jones Beach Theater, put it on your list of things to do this summer. There is nothing like sitting under the stars on a beautiful summer night watching a concert. Couple that with great seats anywhere in the theater and plenty of parking. In addition the view of the bay is a beautiful backdrop.

I've been to a few concerts here. In good weather it's a great venue. Can't imagine how it works if it's raining. Parking can be a pain, as in you may have to park far away and walk up. Otherwise, the views if you're not close are pretty good and they have the big screens so you can see what's happening on the stage better. I would see concerts here in the future.

I have been to several concerts at Nikon. I have also paid for the VIP Section and first I would like to address the VIP Section. The VIP Section promises private bathrooms -- there's ONE for the men and THREE for the ladies. The drinks are expensive, but that's what I would expect. What I did not expect, however, was the lack of seating. That's right. You pay extra and get to stand. Nikon Theater is not handicapped accessible. No way. For one concert, I sat high up and the lack of railings by the stairs is absolutely appalling. Visibility is also a problem. The sound is excellent -- but that's about it.

Parking sometimes an issue.Nice open air venue. Food is good but expensive and you cannot bring anything in of your own.

First time here and saw Carlos Santana and Rod Stewart. It was a wonderful evening of music. This venue is beautiful - sitting in stadium seating and looking out over the water at the stage. Great sound also,

My first time there was at the Carnivoures Tour on August 19th. It was AWESOME. The venue itself was OK, pretty large. I got a ticket in the PIT and I don't regret a moment. I got to shake hands with Mike Shinoda and when 30 Seconds to Mars played their last song, Jared Leto took me up on stage. Standing in front has it's perks. You do have to get there early and be warned there are no places to hide from the sun if you stand in line for the GA admission. Other than that, the atmosphere was awesome. Items around the venue like food are pricey, inside a bottle of water is 6$ but you can just drink from the water fountain at the bathroom. All in all good experience, just be prepared if you want to wait a couple of hours to get up in front at GA and have cash! They don't take credit cards! Be warned! Also, if you want to have fun, spend some extra money and get better seats. Not worth getting the nose bleed seats you won't see a thing. The fun is in the PIT...just saying.

I've seen Maroon 5, Dave Matthews Band and most recently, Zac Brown Band at the Nikon Theater. We were able to tailgate beforehand in the parking lot, which was safe and easy. No one was hassling us and the tailgaters were all on their best behavior. It would be fabulous if there were more port-a-potties in the parking lot or in the surrounding area. The concert was great because you can see the water in the background. The surrounding water and beaches really add to the chill vibe at concerts. It is one of the best places to see a concert on Long Island. The stage is large, the acoustics are great and the jumbotrons can be seen from everywhere. It was a great event. I never felt unsafe, but some areas weren't as clean as they could have been.

Pros: free parking; great venue; even though this is an outside arena, sound is great; not a bad seat in the house; Cons: getting to and out of the parking lot is ridiculous; alcohol only available on the entry level and cannot be brought to your seat. I enjoy a beer during my concert and don't want to guzzle it to get back to my seat. So this was an issue to me.

Parking areas have no facilities, unless 3 porta-potties count for hundreds of people. We went for the Jimmy Buffett concert. The theater was very nice and on the water. Long (and dangerous at night) walk from the theater to the parking area after the concert.

Great venue to see a concert & if the weather is good it's the best…..only downside is the drink & food are ridiculously high priced…..you can only bring in unopened water, other wise everything else is tossed out. By the way the concert was sooooo good!!! :)

I have been to over 300 concerts all over the east coast and this was the coolest & most unique outdoor venue I've ever been to!!!! Awesome surrounding with Jones Beach State Park. They work very hard at keeping everything clean. If your reading this and trying to decide if you should go see a show here then you need to find the link to buy tickets to the show!!!

Not a bad seat in the house! Kudos to the NYS Parks Department employees for the hard work and efforts in keeping this outdoor stadium in such great shape! Nothing batter than watching a great performance as the sun sets and dusk appears. Beautiful breezes from the ocean and the bay enhance the overall experience. Parking can be challanging depending on who is performing, but the staff accomomdates everyone as best they can. There is a VIP section that can be accessed for an additional fee. This area has tables, chairs and couches for drinks and food and casual comfort. There is a jumbo screen that allows you to see the performance from this area and still hear the sopund as if you were front and center. We had decided to view a show from here one night and never sat in our purcahsed seats in the theater. It was just as good and we mixed and mingled with others. Dancing and laughing and enjoying every moment. Whatever your tastes in music, I recommend visiting this venue at least once to truly enjoy the experience. Tailgating permitted so feel free to pack your cooler and chairs! You can't bring anything inside with you and they do check bags and confiscate alcohol, so keep the party in the parking lot!

The official website states "Ample parking for handicap and special needs patrons" but when I arrived at the gate after sitting in line for 30 minutes I was told that the Handicap/VIP parking area was now only opened to the VIP patrons who had paid extra for parking. I was sent to the regular parking lot which was over half a mile away from the entrance. There was no way I could walk that distance so my wife insisted that we leave. I'd like to know how I can get my money back for our two unused tickets? Apparently the people that run the place don't seem to know the definition of the word AMPLE: Meaning to have enough or more than enough...I would have never purchased these tickets had I known that neither Nikon or Jones Beach Theater had any respect for people with handicaps!

Great venue. Every seat in the house is perfect. Beautiful view of the water. I have seen many concerts here, and its easy. affordable, and fun. The only down side is the drinks are expensive. (12.00 for a small plastic cup of wine is ridiculous) The parking lot is a disaster when you leave. If you have patience, you'll eventually get out. Sound quality is great!

We all know that tickets to concerts are no longer inexpensive. With prices all being "equal", Jones Beach can be a great experience. When you get there, there are two places to park. But depends where you want to park, you can take different parkways to get there. If you park in the regular beach parking lot (I believe it is #4) you can get there by taking the Wantagh Parkway, Meadowbrook Parkway or the Sagtikos Parkway. If you are coming from the west (New York City are), take the Meadowbrook Parkway south follow signs for the Loop Parkway to the right after you pass the tollbooth. DO NOT GO TO LONG BEACH, the Loop is after the exit to Long Beach. The Loop will take you towards the general parking lot on the right side before the theater. If taking the Wantagh, just before the overpass with the theater on your left, head to to right and follow the road and signs to the theater. The general parking lot will be on your right. If you take the Sagtikos, head west and just before you get to the theater, the parking area will be on the right. Now, there is Premium Parking for $30. I do this every time. The ease in and out of that parking area and the short walk to the theater makes it worth it. You can tailgate, you can drink a beer or two, have a bbq if you want and you can hang out. I've been in that lot as early as two hours before the show just relaxing and taking my time. Eating outside and making your own food is much less expensive than inside. Also, instead of waiting for long lines to get out of the general parking lot, you are literally out within 5 minutes of getting to your cars. I was there to see KIS and Def Leppard. I was in my car at 11:15pm and home within 25 minutes. You must do this if you can afford the $30.To be honest, I cannot tell you about the VIP area. I know there is one and that you can access drinks and food, but I have no idea. If you are interested, look it up. There are excellent views all over. I like to get seats int he first row of a section as the views are great, no one ois in front of you and the price is lower than the seat 5 foot in front of you. I sat in 6R to see the latest show and I was right near the middle and the sound was great. Look on the internet for seat locations and cost of the seats. You can get better deals by looking and comparing. People walk around offering seat upgrades for a cost. There are food vendors and of course you can go outside and sample the food. If you eat outside, maybe you will need a bottle of water or a beer, but you will not be hungry. We all spend enough for tickets, so I do not see the need to spend $40 inside on food as well. Be smart when you look for tickets. The Nikon Theater at Jones Beach is a great place to see a show, has great sound, cool views of the water and is a fun overall time.