On Sept. 16 2024, the 85 million dollar Frontwave Arena opened in Oceanside which was privately funded by three groups with San Diego roots. World-renowned Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, along with other top gymnasts, participated in the opening act of the venue with the Gold Over America Tour (G.O.A.T.).
The pop concert-style tour took place on Sept. 16-17 and was designed to showcase America’s best gymnasts and inspire attendees of all ages. The arena seats up to 7,500 people, and one of the concert’s attendees was freshman gymnast Avery Reed who saw the bar, floor and beam events. Reed said the experience was exhilarating because the gymnasts exhibited high-level skills and tricks.
“[The tour] gets more people to know about [gymnastics] and see how hard it is and also how fun it is,” Reed said.
The arena’s website has an interactive 3D seating chart under the “plan your visit” tab. The seating chart allows you to see the view from each seating section before you buy your ticket. Frontwave Arena’s seating is unlike other stadiums, the seat rows only go up to sixteen, keeping viewers close to the event taking place. Reed explains how the close seating made the viewing experience very unique.
“You were up close to everything, it was very exciting,” Reed said. “It was really cool to see all the Olympic athletes compete.”
Previously, the closest stadiums that hosted major sporting events were Snapdragon Stadium and Petco Park, both about an hour away from Carlsbad. The new arena is just under twenty minutes away from Carlsbad making it a quick drive to entertainment and fun. Junior soccer player Marley Adams says the close distance and variety of events being offered will increase student attendance.
“It’s easier to make plans when you’re going out,” Adams said. “I would want to see concerts there or sporting events like soccer.”
Sponsors for the arena include Frontwave Credit Union, who gave the arena its name, and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The arena’s events will extend outside the venue and into the San Diego Zoo Safari Park Plaza. The plaza will be used as an outdoor event space during arena events and is home to native California plants and wildlife trivia. Adams says the uniqueness of the nearby arena makes it ideal for students.
“It’s cool and it will be a good addition to our area, it will be fun to go to with friends,” Adams said.
Upcoming events inside the arena include Halloween-themed concerts such as Monsters of Hip-Hop, as well as San Diego Clippers games. Restaurant options include Cardiff’s Seaside Market which is serving their Cardiff Crack tri-tip nachos, and Gelati & Picatti offering gelato and pizza. But, Adams says there is more to the new venue than entertainment and good food.
“[You should go because] you can support sporting events, you can support those teams,” Adams said.
Frontwave Arena will be home to the NBA G-League basketball team the San Diego Clippers, the 16-time champion San Diego Sockers soccer team, and the SD Strikeforce indoor football team. Aside from sporting events, the arena will host concerts and special events as well, freshman volleyball player Charlie Schomin says the variety of events and close distance make the arena special.
“I would want to go for concerts because it’s so close,” Schomin said. “The different events happening there makes it fun and cool, I think more people will go because it offers something for everyone.”
