The Stage at Suffolk Downs — Local services in Boston

This very well could be the worst venue I've ever attended. I came to see Khraungbin on June 27th and expected a great show, but the venue is so horribly designed that it ruined much of the experience for me. The directions for how to get inside have not been updated on Google, because much of the area surrounding the venue is under construction and I had to walk around the entire grounds in order to find the entrance. I walked through gravel and dust to get to the line where they check bags and I made it through without them even scanning my ticket. I could have totally gotten in for free. The best viewing area is right by the stage, but of course it's vip only. The grass field offered a decent viewing experience, but then you couldn't see the performers up close. If you wanted to be as near to the stage as possible, you had to be up next to the fence behind the vip pit. However, the people were split up into two by a bar placed directly in front of the stage. I was right next to them, and the bartenders were so loud that they interrupted the music. Behind the bar there was a huge tent that further obscured the stage and made only the sides of the stage fully visible. I can only assume this tent contained cameras to record the performance for some future YouTube audience, while disrupting the experience of people who paid to see the performers live. I came in 45 minutes late thinking I had missed part of the show, but despite the event starting at 7, Khraungbin didn't come on til after 9. There were sound issues the performers were working out and there would be loud planes flying overhead since we were right by the airport. It was only at the end of the concert that everything sounded right. There needs to be a total re-thinking of the design and structure of the Suffolk Downs stage, because I don't think I'll be attending another show here. This performance center seems designed to center alcohol and food purchases and instill a class heirarchy where only the ones with vip passes can have an acceptable viewing experience. Two stars since Khraungbin is...

The field that this single stage is on is massive. I'm not sure if the speakers used here are owned by Suffolk Downs or were put there by the festival I went to, but they were LOUD. I have been to five concerts before this, and this venue had the loudest speakers I've ever heard. I had noise-blocking headphones and earplugs in at the same time and I could still hear the music just fine, and I was way at the back of the crowd, stage right. I know it's ironic to go to a concert and complain about the volume, but if you're like me and you're not much of a "loud music" person so much as you are a "see the artist, experience the music with them and the crowd live" person, you should know. Solid venue, but please bring hearing protection.

The line to get in moved quickly. The wait to get drinks, however, was at least twenty minutes. I think they could use more people helping out with serving drinks.

Like some other commenters mentioned, I hope that they add grading in. The field is level, so unless you're far out or up close (or tall) your view will be somewhat obscured. It'd be nice to put some dirt in to have the place be more amphitheater-shaped, maybe then they could have better acoustics and be able to turn the speakers down a bit?

Being so close to the airport you will see and hear planes passing by, but it's not distracting. I found it really cool and unique.

The Stage is a short walk from Suffolk Downs Station, I recommend using that to get in. It was an easy walk to get there and back from the station, though some signage from the station to the field notifying you that you're going the right way would help. Note that cell reception is poor in and around The Stage, so if you're coming here for the first time you should have your local maps saved and ready to pull up to navigate manually if need be.

Came here for Breakaway Boston on September 15th, 2023, to see Porter Robinson. The concert...

I had high hopes for this venue, since we love outdoor shows, but the Stage at Suffolk Downs was a disappointment. If there was any reason for the cones that create divided lanes on the way in, we have yet to understand the purpose besides creating confusion and traffic jams. The few staff members telling people where to go were all at the end of the street and in the parking lots, the opposite of where they were needed. Finally, at the end of the road, one guy that seemed to tell every car, one by one, where to turn, and which lane they should be in. Silly!

The property itself is pretty rundown and grim. The venue feels unfinished, walking by buildings that look like they should be condemned and temporary fences as the only indication of where to go.

I’m not sure what was wrong with the guy at the end of our line scanning tickets, but a hundred people went by to out left and the right while only a few snuck through our line. It was a long wait and led to the generally disorganized feeling.

The venue and stage design was perplexing, with multiple tents and risers blocking huge sections of the audience trying to see the stage on a completely flat surface. There are no screens and the music was hard to even hear. I could make out the lead vocalist, and I could sort of hear the instruments, but the backup vocals were completely inaudible.

The food options were expensive and laughably grim. The venue had already run out of the only two decent options for beer before the show even started. People will spend real money at these events, but you need to offer more and better options than an $8.00 hot dog and lawnmower beers.

All in all, this could be a great spot, if it was properly laid out, and some real money was put into it. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be the strategy here. Without some major improvements, I’d rather drive further to see shows at a venue where we can actually see and...