San Diego's largest live-music venue just got a new name.
You know how you used to go to shows in Chula Vista and tell friends you were going to the Cricket, but never called it the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre? Yeah, about that. Another corporation just got ahold of the naming rights that's pretty sure you won't be abridging it's name, unless you want to tell friends you're going to sleep.
In the future, you'll be telling music fans you're going to see a show at Sleep Train. On Wednesday, officals at Sleep Train and Live Nation announced a five-year partnership in which the venue will now be rechristened Sleep Train Amphitheatre. It's not yet known what the naming rights cost Sleep Train, which also sponsors at least three other Live Nation sites in California, including the Sleep Train Arena that is home to the Sacramento Kings.
"We are proud to expand our partnership with Live Nation to become the title sponsor of this venue," said Dale Carlsen, Sleep Train's founder and CEO. "It allows us to deepen our connection with the San Diego area community and extend the reach of our award-winning Foster Kids Program with the addition of in-venue events."
Sleep Train said it would host a pair of events at the amphitheatre this year during which attendees can donate clothes, gifts and school supplies for foster children.
The nearly 20,000-capacity Chula Vista venue opened in 1998 and, until 2008 when it was renamed the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, was known as Coors Amphitheatre.
The venue regularly hosts the largest tours that make stops in San Diego. During last year's concert season, everybody from Florence & the Machine to Brad Paisley to the Beach Boys to Motley Crue and Kiss made stops at what was then known as the Cricket. In 2013, Sleep
Train Amphitheatre will host such artists as One Direction and Keith Urban, as well as the Vans Warped Tour.
