The Long Beach Amphitheater is set to open June 6 in style when legendary rapper and Long Beach native Snoop Dogg kicks off the new venue’s grand opening with a performance.

Construction on the new waterfront amphitheater near the Queen Mary began in January, with city officials touting the venue as an opportunity for Long Beach to leverage its rich music history to boost local tourism, generate revenue, and expand the city’s brand as an entertainment hub.

There’s arguably no one more representative of the city’s deep ties to the music industry than Snoop Dogg, who grew up in Long Beach and helped define the West Coast hip-hop sound in the 1990s alongside other icons, including Dr. Dre, Warren G, Tupac Shakur, Nate Dogg and more.

Snoop Dogg’s legacy and career are also deeply intertwined with Long Beach’s VIP Records — a cornerstone of West Coast hip-hop.

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Long Beach native Snoop Dogg is escorted to the stage on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, for a performance at a special event on the beach in Belmont Shore. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

“Long Beach built the culture, and now we’ve built the stage for it,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a Monday announcement. “The opening of the Long Beach Amphitheater is a defining cultural moment and a historic homecoming. From our neighborhoods to the global stage, Snoop Dogg has always represented this city, and now we welcome him home to open a venue that reflects our culture and captures the vibe that defines Long Beach.”

Snoop Dogg will also be bringing along special guests to his June 6 grand opening performance, according to the announcement.

The amphitheater boasts an 11,000-person capacity and views of the Long Beach waterfront. Several shows for the venue’s inaugural season have also been announced, including:

• Claypool Gold, featuring Primus and more on July 3.

• Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz on Aug. 1.

• Toto, Christopher Cross and the Romantics on Aug. 14.

• Luke Bryan on Aug. 15.

• 311 and Dirty Heads on Aug. 18.

• Jack’s Mannequin, Something Corporate and Andrew McMahon on Aug. 22.

• Nas & the Roots on Aug. 28.

• Los Angeles Azules on Sept. 5.

• Deep Purple on Sept. 11.

• Five Finger Death Punch on Sept. 18.

• Mötley Crüe on Sept. 19.

Tickets for the grand opening celebration and Snoop Dogg’s show will go on sale this week. Artist presale begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday, followed by a venue presale at 10 a.m. Thursday, with general sales beginning at 10 a.m. Friday.

“Opening our doors with Snoop Dogg is the perfect way to celebrate Long Beach’s rich music legacy and signals our commitment to bringing world-class entertainment to this community,” said Tra Jones, general manager of the Long Beach Amphitheater for Legends Global. “This venue will be built to honor the city’s creative spirit, and there’s no better artist to launch that mission.”