With 2026 already promising to be a banner year for sports in the region, San Jose has greenlit a proposal to allow up to 15 concerts per year at PayPal Park — a move that has drawn objections from residents who live nearby despite the potential economic boon to the city.
The concerts would be the first ever played there as the initial permits did not allow them, even though PayPal Park — known as Avaya Stadium when it opened in 2015 near the San Jose Mineta International Airport — was designed not only as a soccer stadium but also as an event venue.
“The big benefit of having live music concerts — besides providing an activity that our residents and businesses want — is the economic development,” said land-use consultant Erik Schoennauer, who represents the San Jose Earthquakes. “Live music concerts at a venue like PayPal Park support hundreds of jobs in the facility operation (and) in the concert operation, directly. In addition, there is economic support in the community, as concert fans will go to restaurants and bars before and after shows, as well as visitors who are from a greater distance (and) will fill hotel rooms before or after going to a show.”
Officials hope by opening PayPal Park to concerts, other future large scale events will be attracted to the venue.
Under the terms approved during Wednesday’s Planning Director Hearing, the venue can now host concerts between 9:00 a.m. and 11 p.m. at the 14.5-acre site.
The Earthquakes’ decision to amend the stadium’s permits comes as Silicon Valley will host several marquee events next year, including Super Bowl LX and FIFA World Cup matches at nearby Levi’s Stadium and NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games at the SAP Center.
Because of the attention the events attract and the potential cash windfall, city officials also have placed greater emphasis on planning events around the games to ensure that both residents and tourists have an enjoyable experience.
San Jose Sports Authority Executive Director John Poch, who spoke in favor of the project, also noted its importance in helping the city become more competitive and achieve its goal of becoming a major sports destination.
“The opportunity to provide a concert venue at PayPal Park is going to open the doors for more major sporting events that we’re able to host,” Poch said. “A number of these major events require ancillary events, which include concerts pre- or post. This will now level the playing field.”
Schoennauer also added that San Jose does not have a suitable outdoor venue for concert promoters, who have gravitated mainly to places like the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View.
But much of the debate around the permits has centered on balancing economic benefits with limiting the potential harms to the nearby neighborhood.
Rob Lindo, chair of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce board of directors, spoke to how concerts have proven to be a lifeline in driving additional customers to hotels, restaurants, bars and other small businesses.
“Additional concerts will grow transient occupancy tax, sales tax and business activity, which creates new revenue streams that support essential public services without requiring new taxes,” Lindo said.
While acknowledging the economic benefits, the residents from the nearby Newhall neighborhood said the city has not done enough to lessen the impacts.
Resident Matthew Bright and others said that if supporters of the project were citing the benefits of successful venues like Levi’s Stadium, the city should implement measures similar to those locations.
“Our conclusion is that the city’s draft documents currently written are insufficient as the basis for a fair decision,” Bright said, adding that the mitigation measures lack the, “the ability to effectively monitor noise levels and ensure compliance. Furthermore, the proposed mitigation ignores feasible, reasonable measures that are already successfully implemented in our local area.”
As part of the PayPal Park permit requirements, the city has only required noise validation studies for the first two concerts facing the neighborhood.
Schoennauer defended the thoroughness and detail of the tests conducted before the permit approvals, adding that the project engaged some of the most prominent acoustical experts in the Bay Area to measure the impacts of different music genres at the stadium. He also said the city has required an annual report that includes noise measurements for every show at the venue.
“This proposal has had among the most extensive acoustical analyses ever done in the city for an entitlement project,” Schoennauer said. “Most noise studies of entitlement projects simply measure to the property line, and in addition, are based on theoretical modeling only.”