Leaders Celebrate New Frontwave Arena Ahead of Oceanside Venue’s Free Open House

With gold-medal winning performers and a ribbon cutting, San Diego's newest sports and entertainment venue opened to the public this week in Oceanside.

Frontwave Arena officially opened Thursday, although it held its first events Monday and Tuesday with "Gold Over America," a gymnastics showcase headlined by Olympics superstar Simone Biles .

Community leaders and local media attended the grand opening to tour the venue and sample its concessions.

"Wow, can you believe this is here?" said Leslee Gaul, CEO and president of Visit Oceanside, the city's tourism bureau. "We're so excited."

The arena was first envisioned in 2017, with plans to build the venue as the home base of the San Diego Sockers arena soccer team.

The Sockers will start playing there this fall. So, will the San Diego Clippers , of the NBA's G League, an affiliate of the Los Angeles Clippers.

The arena will have a capacity of 7,500 fans and is planning to hold 150 events a year, including sports and concerts.

The lineup so far includes the opening concert, by the band Cake, on Oct. 5, a professional volleyball match, the Monsters of HipHop tour and the KSON Country Christmas concert.

The arena includes 16 luxury suites and a large outdoor plaza. It also has a host of local food concessionaires, including Seaside Market, known for its "Cardiff Crack" tri-tip sandwiches and nachos, Gelati and Pecatti, a pizza and gelato shop, Tanner's Prime Burgers and Baja Tacos.

The community will get the chance to see more on Sept. 28, when Frontwave hosts a free open house , with tours and live music, from noon to 3 p.m.

Oceanside and arena officials said Frontwave will bring more visitors to the city, who will spend money on local businesses.