Lakewood Amphitheatre — Attraction in Atlanta

I have been to about 5 events at this venue, over the past 3 yrs. This venue was on a decline to begin with, but it has hit the ultimate bottom of the barrel with the logistical layout, upkeep, entry to the parking, organization at the gate and within the parking areas. The whole surrounding neighborhood is not that bad, but is in disarray when events happen. People selling stuff items and lets not forget about the the "questionable" pop-up-parking that people partake in. It creates such chaos and madness, that even the police and emergency services wouldn't be able to get in there, if they needed to. BTW, local law enforcement doesn't do anything about what is going on 100 feet from the venue property (the gates to parking) Getting into the gate (on Pryor St, "Premier Parking") was a HOT MESS. However, getting into the actual venue was a bit more efficient and moved fairly quickly, but sadly the screening/security guard was too busy doing a live-feed/TikTok of people he was searching, coming through the gate, and taking video of people's items and talking about it. It not only slowed the line down, but it created animosity that caused some tempers to flare. I was not directly involved, but you could hear the low rumble of people complaining and getting fired up.

We purchased VIP Tickets that included lanyards, merchandise and seating. Emails said they would be open from 6-8. We got within a mile of the gate/venue and sat in traffic for an hour and a half. Once we got through the front of the parking entrance, it was standstill again. We didn't make it to pick up our VIP purchases. I will NEVER go to this venue again. The only reason I am ok with Live Nation is because I had been to other venues that Live Nation sponsored, and they were AMAZING experiences. This venue is going to be the DOWNFALL of Live Nation if they don't get a better plan in place (logistically), create rapport with local authorities (that also have a better plan in place on a 2 mile perimeter of the venue), and engage and enforce the rules/laws. I think had there been about 10 more, strategically placed (paired-up) officers in a 2 mile radius of the venue entrances, they would have had a much smoother entrance and less mayhem.

They really should have more food and beverage vendors at this location. More bartenders if you are going to mix drinks. Even a mix-station, and pass off to a person that walks around and sells the item. Introduce a bunch of sidebar/cooler stations that have the cans of water, beer, etc. They would have made a killing with that! Many people wanted just beer, sodas, and water. I stood in line (for 2 beers and 2 waters) for almost 40 mins while the vendor sat talked with some people in front of a long line of other patrons. He lost a lot of sales and tips when people started leaving his line, or going to another bar. I just needed a beer! Pay, Open, Serve... done! (NOTE: Also reviewed/completed survey on...

This was my first time visiting Cellairis Amphitheatre. The venue itself is nice. But all of the rules for the Freaknik concert, were awful. I am not sure if you thought that because it was a Freaknik crowd, we were just going to be Rowdy and unstable or not. But we paid our money and just wanted to have a good time. For the most part, this was a 35 and up event. First, how can you have a concert that is from 1 to 11 and not allow people to bring their own food as other outdoor amphitheaters do? If you're not going to allow people to bring their own food, you should not run out of food. Our time is valuable. At one point we stood in line 30 minutes, paid for our food, and then in another 15 to 20 minutes we're told they are sold out on what we've already paid for and wasted about 45 minutes of our time missing the concert. If you are expecting a crowd of about 15000 people, you need to be accommodating for such. I don't know if this falls on the promoter, Live Nation, or the venue, but someone definitely missed the mark on this one. Then on a day when rain and extreme heat is expected, no one is allowed to bring umbrellas. But, several people were able to get umbrellas in the event. Let's talk about safety. An event this size, I expected to see more Security in place. The entire time I was there I only saw three officers. I'm sure there are more. But there was not a presence of security. When it rained the first time, everyone rushed to the covered area. All of the aisles were packed and there was nowhere to go. Has something happened, it would have been total chaos. People with lawn seats were able to just take refuge and enjoy the rest of the concert in the seated area. Unless someone came to claim those seats, that was a free upgrade. If I was a ticket holder in a covered seat, I would feel slighted. But that's neither here nor there. The concert could have gone a lot better than it did. Whoever was in charge of this concert, need to retire. Also, when purchasing the parking, it shows as it is reserved parking, but that wasn't the case either. Getting it to you that was another nightmare. Where were the officers to direct traffic? Everyone was running the light. You literally had to force your way into the parking lot. I went and looked at videos of other patrons at different types of concerts and see that they were able to bring their own food in. Why was that not the case with this concert? They were also able to bring in umbrellas. Again, why not this concert? My overall experience wasn't great. I didn't feel safe if something was to happen. There was absolutely...

This is a Live Nation venue. I had a pretty good experience considering it was a sold out show of a popular band. The general layout is that there are a few merchandise booths, several concession stands including permanent ones like Trejo‘s Tacos, and tons of bathrooms. This is a limited cash facility, so bring a debit or credit card. You are permitted one sealed water bottle, but after that you have to either buy canned water or use their water refill stations, which are super gross but they will get you by. I was annoyed by the lack of seating for eating at this venue - I had to make do in the grass and probably would have eaten at home had I known this. I also didn’t see a phone charging station at this particular venue, so bring a portable charger. No aerosols are allowed, so either bring stick sunscreen, or apply it before you go. There are metal detectors at the entrance so be mindful of what you bring in. No bags allowed unless they are clear, and be aware of the size standard allowed. These venues can be extremely loud, so I recommend bringing a pair of earplugs. Also, once your ticket barcode is scanned, it cannot be scanned again. Meaning, once you are in the facility, you CANNOT leave (for any reason) if you have plans of going back into the facility again later. No re-entry allowed, so be extremely mindful that you have everything you need before having your ticket scanned at the entrance. Also, be mindful that concessions close by the time the concert is over, so it is your responsibility to make sure you have enough water to last you until you get to your car at the end of the night. As far as traffic and parking though, I would always recommend showing up to the venue at least two hours in advance to the time on your ticket. I’ve heard horror stories of people missing their concert because of insane traffic. This was not my experience in July 2023, BUT because I did not purchase parking ahead of time and only came an hour before starting time (I wasn’t in a hurry to see the opening acts) it was full and I had to park in a sketchy gas station parking lot (for a fee) and had to walk probably half a mile to the venue. Hope this helps someone else have a...