Ever since my first concert at Ironstone a few years back, I've loved this venue. Nestled in the foothills in Murphys, surrounded by vineyards and the rolling hills, I will drive the two hours from Sacramento to come see some of my favorite artists. The venue is smaller and more intimate - not huge, overwhelming crowds. I LOVE that they serve wine by the "bottle" and have meats and cheeses for snacks. It's high class and I love it. The parking is always well orchestrated and I've never had any trouble getting into or out of this venue. The lawn seating is great and there really isn't a bad seat on the lawn. So if your favorite artist makes a stop at Ironstone, make the trip out here to see them. You won't regret it! read more

Well, well, not surprised to see the poor ratings. My first time there was last weekend and even though the Doobie Bros. were great, and the lawn seating was adequate... the staff SUCKED! I have never been treated so rudely by security at a concert before. I simply asked if I could go dance up front where I saw others and I was told no. When asking why was told, "because I said so!" Well how rude! Then the other security decided to tell me why and when I thanked her and put my hand on her shoulder she barks, "Do not touch me!" Geez! Get off your high horse. Certainly makes me not want to go back there because it left a bad taste in my mouth. On a better note, I thought the wine was decent and a fair price, and they were letting people dance at this concert. Also, parking was easy in and out and for no cost. But I still don't want to go back to be treated like that. read more

My husband and I attended the Willie Nelson/Alison Krauss concert this past Saturday-it was the first concert(and the last) we've attended at Ironstone. The location of our reserved seats and the concert was great,especially Alison Krauss BUT It took over an hour in bumper to bumper traffic to get there from Jamestown as it was 1 lane traffic going each way.The concert had started by the time we got in..Same when we went to leave. I couldn't believe there was no one directing traffic in or out of there and it was pure hell gridlock. For what they charged for tickets, they should of hired staff to direct traffic so the traffic would flow smoothly. I hate to imagine what would of happened if there was a real emergency. It also was dirt road parking so by the time you go home, you have to get your car washed due to the dirt & dust. Lesson learned, check the reviews first before buying tickets at a new venue... read more

The wine is gross! I went here to check this place out for possible getting married here. Me thinks not. read more

RECOMMENDATIONS of a places not too relatively expensive within walking distance. Thanks! read more

We drove up to see a Concert for my Birthday after not being able to attend one there for at least 7 years. First disappointment was that the back lawn area was gated off. Why would you gate off the best area with shade trees during a Summer Concert? That left one tiny area with shade that we squeezed into so I didn't end up with a migraine or heat stroke from the SUN and ended up feeling like sardines. 2nd disappointment was the Volume of the First band that played was so low we could barely hear them on the back lawn and to think that's not even the farthest we could have been if they had the shaded lawn opened up. I give A Thumbs up to Ambrosia the volume was great and they sounded Amazing. Great Performance. The 3rd and most Heart Breaking was during the 3rd band up and an Medical Emergency happened and it became very clear that Ironstone is very unprepared for something like that happening. It was absurd on how long it took for an Ambulance to show up and the Venue let the band keep playing as CPR was being done. Give respect to the Patron and their Family and Friends and stop playing while someone's life is involved. Why wasn't there a Chopper sent right away? There's a helipad near by. Did they not make it clear how bad the Patron was when finally calling for an Ambulance that was NOT already on site? Our Thoughts and Prayers go out to their Family and Friends. 4th disappointment was no sooner as the Ambulance was driving slowly away the Final Band started playing. For Gods sake the Ambulance was not even out of the Park yet. That was it for us. We packed up and left. Sadly to say We probably will never go back! ****UPDATE: I am now posting this review on YELP because IRONSTONE Vinyards and Amphitheater removed all Negative Comments off their Facebook Pages about the Tradgedy on June 22, 2019. read more

I've seen countless concerts in my life and this was by far the worst venue ever in terms of functionality. It took us 2 hours to travel 1.5 miles to be able to park. I have no understanding or explanation as to why, it just was. Parking could be handled so much much better, but no one seems to care to improve this issue, so prepare for that struggle (and waiting hours to park for a concert IS a struggle). Once you get in the gates plan to wait in incredibly long lines for everything. If you want food, plan to wait. If you need water, you must wait and wait. If you want an adult beverage, plan for an extra long wait. The bright side was there's ample porta-potties to handle your business after the two hour unnecessary fiasco to get into the venue. I guess a positive would be I didn't spend any money once I got into the venue because the lines were atrocious. Bottom line, this could be an epic place to see a concert if someone could figure out how to make it friendly to the masses. Until then I'd never, ever return read more

We love the venue but the smoking is ridiculous! The "smoking section" is right along the general seating area so you smell smoke all night long. It was awful. It should be off on the side away from the crowd. The smoke blows forward and it appears nobody even enforces smoking sections at all. I saw security just walk by a bunch of guys smoking on the walkway. read more

This is a beautiful venue up in the hills above Murphys. That said, it is not easy to get to and horrible to get out of. We took the back road out and I think it saved time not having to go through town but it was pretty scary driving at times as the dust was like thick fog and there are no lines on the road since it is gravel. Since my husband is legally blind we were in handicapped parking....pretty much a joke. I can't imagine trying to negotiate this parking lot on crutches or with a walker and there is no help from security. At least they don't have the nerve to charge for parking at this venue. We always get lawn seating because I don't care about being too close to the stage unless I can be in the pit(which I'm not sure they even have here). The video screens are pretty large and we had no trouble hearing. I do wish they would set up an area for dancing! Two girls next to us were busy throughout the whole concert showing off their twerking moves. We ate before we came because eating in Murphys can be a challenge as it's a small town with limited parking and generally small restaurants. You can end up late to the concert if you aren't careful. The lines at the venue can be long and hot. The ice cream line was very long. They have lots and lots and lots of porta potties and several men who clean them continuously so I'd say they are the best I've ever been forced to use. There are also have several of the large handicapped potties as well. We will be back in spite of some of drawbacks. I hope they figure out a better way for the handicapped to enjoy this venue. read more

We saw Sugarland & Thompson Square here and it was our first time to Murphys & Ironstone. Given many of the negative reviews, we had low-to-no expectations. However, don't believe everything you read on these reviews. Some people are just negative. And whoever said that there is no medical assistance on sight is just spreading fake news. There is security & police everywhere, a medic and CHP tent. In fact, Sugarland was delayed coming on due to a medical issue. This was one of the best outdoor venues we have been to (comparing to Harveys in Tahoe, the Gorge in Washington, the Greek Theater in Berkeley and Red Rocks in Colorado). It is bigger than it looks in the photos and there is PLENTY of room to spread out on the lawn. If you want to be in the front lawn sections, go ahead and get there early and stake out your spot, but it's not really necessary. It is just as nice in the lawn areas further back because of the size of the venue. We walked around and parked on stone walls. People are walking all over and standing around dancing. I also wouldn't bother buying reserved seats or driving! Although it's only a little over a mile to the venue from Murphys, don't even THINK about walking. There is no shoulder and the road is narrow, windy, and a pretty steep upgrade to the event. There are plenty of transportation options from Murphys, including transit buses going between Angels Camp, Murphys & Arnold for $3 each. There are also a lot of private taxis and the highest rate I heard was $7/person. Ask at reception at the Historic Murphys Hotel - they gave us the bus information, shuttle info and local taxi info options. We ate before the event, but there were decent event type food options. There was a buffet that we didn't get tickets to, but there were a lot of food and drink options available - everything from hot dogs to tri tip to tacos. They had good treats too, like flavored nuts, ice cream cones, chocolate dipped bananas, ice cream bars and carmel corn and churros. The bathroom line was a little long, but they are clean and there was a kid cleaning each bathroom as you came out, so the stalls were clean. Be sure to tip him! If you want an ice cream cone - the line was always long - UNTIL the main act is playing. Murphys is a great little town and it seems like every home is a vacation rental, so you really can't go wrong staying here. We found the best cottage on VRBO on Church street for less than what you pay to stay in the hotels and we had our own private patio & kitchen, two blocks from the old Murphys Hotel. Great part of the State - we will definitely be back. read more

All in all, this is a great and fun venue despite what the other reviews say. I took my family here to see George Benson and Kenny G perform this past weekend and had a great time! It was a breezy summer night and you could see the stars out there :-) we travelled from Sac so we left a little early and beat the parking traffic. Notables: * Best portapotty experience ever, LOL: it was surprisingly clean, and there were attendants that wiped down the portapotties after each use... never seen that before! ** Outdoor amphitheater is a really cool experience. It's great for romantic date or just a really chill concert. I loved it! Suggestions/Tips: - Bring cash if you want to buy something from the vendors (not all can take card) - Make sure you bring low / beach chairs - Plan to stay overnight if you can. Murphys is such a cute, sleepy town--I wish I came earlier/stayed longer to explore it. read more

A pretty neat amphitheater and lots to offer in terms of drinks and food. The sound is great, but if you buy general admission make sure you bring chairs or a blanket because it's grass! The staff was friendly for the most part. It was clean. But the prices for everything are awfully expensive (but aren't they always at concerts and events?) just a heads up, most places were cash only as well so be prepared! They did have on site atms but you'll get charged a service fee when you use them. My biggest critique: the parking lot. Only one way in and out and absolute gridlock on the way out. They should have some staff directing traffic because it was not pretty and we didn't get out for nearly 2 hours. Was actually so bad I would consider not coming here again just to avoid this mess. read more

I've been to several concerts here, and while they manage to attract surprisingly great acts, the venue itself is lacking. 1st- As other people have mentioned, their security is kind of out of control... It's a concert yet apparently no dancing is allowed. If you try to stay in your place the people around you complain and security asks you to sit down. If you move to the (very wide) aisles, security asks you to move. You can't go up front because that is for VIPs. The only place to dance is apparently in the back by the smokers where you can't see the stage. 2nd- They put handcuffs on a friend because she unknowingly brought the wrong kind of camera (detachable lens, although not a particularly powerful one) in. Security in the front let her in with it. Although when they "caught" her inside she apologized and offered to take the camera back to her car, they still put her in handcuffs and threatened to arrest her. In a fit of tears and begging she managed to convince them to let her go, but how ridiculous! 3rd- The parking situation is a beast, or at least getting in and out of the parking situation. I have been to a couple events where it was not too bad, but for the most part it's a nightmare! 4th- The wine is bad. Here's hoping they take all these complaints to heart and make some changes. It's a cool outdoor space and fun could be had there. read more

A PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A VENUE. Honestly if I could rate this venue zero stars i would. The staff and security at Ironstone are extremely unprofessional and choose to speak to the guests in a condescending manner. There is a inconsistency in their guidelines and rules for lawn seating and for people who have disabilities/ or are handicap. My father and I were verbally attacked by a security guard due to my chairs being 2-3inches past the "guidelines" after being told by two other staff members that it was okay to enter with the chairs. And that others had been let in with the same exact chairs. My argument with them was "either all of us or none of us" The so called "head security guard" Matt continued to speak to me in a very rude manner and threatened to not let me or my father into the concert. Considering i had paid $140 for lousy GA seating. Another local was discriminated against for being in a wheelchair. He was told multiple times to move from different spots within the venue, to ultimately have to watch the concert from the parking lot. Again he was treated wrongfully and in a unprofessional manner. The parking and traffic directing is a nightmare. If you expect to get out of the parking lot in a timely manner.. forget it. It took my father and I and hour to even move from the spot we were parked in. Due to everyone trying to cut each other off, attempting to leave the parking lot. Might have been because there was absolutely no one directing traffic out of there. I remember seeing The Calaveras Sherriffs standing next to their car just watching it all happen. And these people are suppose to ensure safety? ULTIMATELY considering I am a local, I am disgusted by the unprofessionalism and discrimination this venue has recently shown. It's sad to see such a beautiful venue gone to waste. As for me, i will not be returning. Something seriously needs to be done IRONSTONE. Good luck because if you don't start to listen to your guests.. there will be consequences. read more

Once was enough for us. In fact it was one too many. Dreadful, ridiculously priced wine, in a place with delusions of grandeur, or as my grandmother used to say "just too big for its britches". Dancers, forget about it. Also, too many groups that are past their sell-by date (ZZTOP, AGAIN?) Save your money, as they're definitely going to want quite a bit of it and it's what we used to call "a rip-off". If you're hankering for music in the scenic foothills, with wine that you can actually drink, Helwig in the Shenandoah Valley has a wonderful amphitheater with incredible views, good music, and you won't be persecuted for dancing ( we weren't anyway ) and the security was as nice as pie. read more

Need to improve ingress egress and parking. Need to develop better system for reserved seating, wristband, lanyard, something so you don't have to continue showing tix. Hard to do with full hands. read more

Ironstone Amphitheatre - Music Venues Near Me - Murphys, California

I went to concert there a few days ago. The show was great. The venue itself is pretty bare, but the staff made the most of what they had. First off, there are no restrooms. All porto potties! There was staff spraying them down and trying to keep them clean. The food that was sold was out of little booths. The wine from their winery was good. I ordered the cab and it was a bit warm due to it being 100 degrees out, but still enjoyable. As for my tickets, I viewed a seat map on the Ticketmaster site before purchasing my tickets, but my seats were placed differently than what the map displayed. This venue used folding chairs placed all on the floor. There was no rise as expected or shown like on the Ticketmaster site. We were expecting to be a bit higher and not have people directly in front of us. There was lots of police presence so I felt very safe. The parking was free, but a huge pain to leave. Getting out of there took over an hour. Also the parking is on a dirt lot so you will have to get a carwash immediately following a visit. read more

This place is alright, nothing to rave about and nothing to go out of your way to recommend. I had a great time ONLY because I was with awesome people, I saw a killer concert, got drunk, danced my ass off (despite security's willingness to let me) and acted a damn fool. I had two huge problems with this concert: their overzealous security and lack of traffic control. They have way too much "security". Everywhere I turned one of those yellow-shirted punks was there telling me not to do something and telling me not to dance was one of those things. No dancing at a concert? That's reason enough never to come back in my opinion. That's way too uptight for a outdoor, summer concert for my tastes. Leaving this place at the end of the concert is insane. They should have some kind of traffic control. The fact they don't makes a statement that they could care less how safely or quickly we get out. They're too busy counting their money I guess This isn't a good venue and I won't be back. P.S. IRONSTONE YOUR WINE IS JUNK. read more

We love concerts by classic and not so classic rock bands. Over the years we have gone to many concerts at Wente vineyards in Livermore, but they seem to have lost touch with reality in pricing, so we decided to head east for two concerts this summer in Murphy's. To start with, the venue is beautiful, lots of grass and wide open spaces. Reading a couple of other reviews, you can really approach the venue two different ways - the faster way on the dirt road from the east, making a car wash mandatory, or a more crowded route from Murphys itself - with a better road surface. We really had no difficulty either time getting out of the parking lot at the end of the show (and we left both ways, too. Beyond the nature beauty of the facility, it appeared to me to be clean and well kept. Seats in the front are individual chairs and I feel fortunate that we had aisle seats both times to give us an adequate amount of room. Food and beverage? Food was adequate - sort of "State Fair" fare, and the wine was cheap. No it isn't the best wine I ever had, but I found the Cab Franc very drinkable in bulk. I liked the fact that you could get a bottle without the huge mark-up some venues apply - and they pour the whole bottle into a plastic carafe you can take home. As to the guests.... I think the venue recognizes that it is a little out of the way, and as such, often pairs mid-level acts giving you a two for the price of one opportunity. Early in the summer we caught the Moody Blues and Dave Mason - both were terrific. Now, Dave is one of my favorites - from the Traffic days through Good 2 U - which he played. And he let his personality come through. He has been a curmudgeon since his 20's. He still is, but I love him. The second act we caught was Skynyrd and Los Lonely Boys. 2nd time for LLB, and I am kind of a Skynyrd Groupie, so that number is much bigger. LLB was actually a better show this night - but it had nothing to do with the venue. I am afraid what's left of my boys are just getting a little tired. One last note - getting a place to stay overnight is a little difficult. First time we stayed in Angel's Camp - Best Western - adequate. The last time we got a "Bungalow" for two couples at the Saddle Creek Ranch development. in Copperopolis. If you can do that - give it a shot. read more

Just attended the Sugarland concert and the staff working the event were so nice and helpful. It is a huge and beautiful venue. The acoustics was good. I really enjoyed our girls weekend and the wine was right on. My first time visiting and I plan to return. read more

Went see Jeff Beck with ZZ Top as the header but my only interest was Beck. The place was PACKED! I had a hard time trying to determine exactly how many people were in attendance, but it had to be at least 5,000. We avoided traffic by taking an alternate route from Angles Camp, found a decent parking space and left after ZZ Top's first song. Wise idea because (1) traffic exiting would have been a nightmare (as others have mentioned) and (2) based on the condition of 90% of the audience, I can't imagine how anyone got home alive. I've never seen so many totally drugged people in one place. Those that were over 60 (and there were many) looked like they were still stoned from the 60's - way, way too many hits of LSD. The wine is not drinkable. The seats (we were in the front section "B:) are so close together that you cannot - even with two small people together - sit back without having one shoulder out. Consequently, your back feels like you've been doing the Twist all night. There is no dancing, which is both good and bad. I hate standing or sitting only. They should have a designated area for people to dance. I enjoyed my first trip to Murphy's. It is a very, very surprising find of gentrified shops and restaurants. Very cool place. Glad I got to see Jeff Beck who, with his band, are just amazing. Would I go back to the venue? Only for a once-in-a-lifetime act and nothing short of that! read more

Great spot for a concert however the bad points outweigh the good points here. Very pricey, everything. The tickets, the food, the wine, the beer are all way over priced. We had a cheese tray and a carafe of wine for $50. Then there is the security... they rule with an iron stone fist ! To the point of being rude for nothing, sorry about dancing during a concert. There are much better venues here in northern California, we will not do this one again. read more

So we went to see Train the other night. Decided to go ahead and splurge a little and bought the "buffet tickets" They are an UNBELIEVABLE $65 each, and then they tack on another ridiculous "handling" charge, making the tickets $77.00!! That's each, folks, and still you have to pay another $55 or so, for lawn seats! I've been in the food industry for about 50 plus years. I wouldn't have paid $9.99 for that buffet, if I was starving! Cold sliced tri-tip, smoked ribs with cold bbq sauce put on them, some kind of a fruit salad, some over cooked tortellini with a unfamilar sauce on it, bread and an Chinese salad. if there was desert, we failed to see it. PLASTIC LITTLE SILVERWARE! We didn't even finish our plates, it was that bad. I honestly would really like to know how they justify charging $77 for the crap they put out there for a buffet. Blatantly just ripping people off. I don't mind paying good money for anything, as long as it's half way decent, but $77 is just crazy . After reading about the chair policy (32" limit on the back of chairs and the seat no higher than 12") I made a special trip to town {like 25 miles} to buy 2 chairs to fit the requirements, only to have some woman with a FULL SIZED LAWN CHAIR sit right in front of us! We couldn't see the stage and now we couldn't see the monitor. Then when we walked up to the food area, how surprised we were to find TRI TIP sandwiches!! We could've saved about $150 and just got a sandwich. It was probably the SAME stuff from the buffet!! When we tried to redeem our "drink tickets" we were told they didn't accept them OUTSIDE of the buffet area. Of course not!! Such a beautiful venue but absolutely a total rip off for that crappy buffet! I'd love some feedback about their justification for the outrageous price for such a disappointing meal. We might return in the future if some great band is playing, but rest assured, we wont be buying the "buffet." read more

Concert was an hour and a half sat it the parking lot for 2 hours trying to get out. Zero traffic control. Don't waste your time and money on this venue read more

Ironstone Amphitheatre - Dead stop 2 hours - Music Venues Near Me - Murphys, California

The concept of having a concert amphitheatre at a winery is great. It works for Vina Robles in Paso Robles, but does NOT work for Ironstone. You pay quite a bit more for seats at this venue than other venues like Wheatland or Shoreline. What you don't know when you buy the tickets is that the actual seats are folding chairs very close together, you are not on a hill and the seats are not staggered. The stage is eye level and so is the person's head directly in front of you. DO NOT purchase these seats if you don't want to have your neck kinked the whole show having to look around the person in front of you. I love Little Big Town and love their voices, but I didn't pay $200 to stare at someone's head. The food is definitely mediocre at best and very cold by the time you get it. read more

Inside the Amphitheater was ok. A lot of lawn seating. We bought tickets for assigned seats and I was very disappointed that the seats were zip tied very close together and on flat ground. I'm short so had slim to no chance of seeing the stage. Very disappointing considering how much we paid for tickets. All parking is dirt and gravel, and the drive to the Amphitheater takes you a few miles through a neighborhood on a narrow road. Maybe there's another way in, but we followed the route our GPS gave us, and we were one of a long line of vehicles. We thought we'd left plenty early but got to our seats just a few minutes before the concert started. Outhouses for bathrooms in the venue (there were LOTS of them but I can't verify how clean they were as we didn't use them). The drive after the concert was ridiculous. We followed a line of cars and must've gone out the back way. Pitch black on a winding, dirt road for about 4 miles, dust so bad you could barely see the road. I'd heard the Amphitheater was really nice. I would not consider this venue really nice because of all of the things (parking, getting to and leaving the venue, seating) that detract from it. I will not be back. read more

First of all, WOW!!! I really don't understand all the negative reviews We did get lost following GPS as mentioned by someone else, but followed other cars and got there just fine. We found the venue to be well laid out with an intimate setting where no seat was a bad seat. We went over the summer to see STP Bush and Cult. Great show, great sound, and the cleanest portable toilets ever!! They had multiple attendants going in with disinfectant regularly. Food and drinks were your typical over priced concert fare like everywhere else, but the fact you can get up and dance and have fun was well worth it!! We just bought Hank Jr tickets for this upcoming summer and I'm debating on buying the buffet tickets as well. Anyone have experience or recommendations whether to pay or pass? read more

The amphitheatre itself is nice. Our seats were pretty okay. We bought the assigned-seat tickets with chairs provided. The sound was good and they have two huge screens at the sides of the stage. There were plenty of fairly clean portapotties with hand washing stations nearby. The food and bev prices weren't too steep. I must complain about one thing: The worst worst worst parking situation ever! Getting to the place is rough. It's on a tiny, narrow country road. Parking once you're there is ok, the lot is dusty but the folks directing the lot are organized. Leaving post concert was a nightmare-free-for-all. Once you finally get out of the crush you are back to the country road following a line of cars back to town. In my opinion it was worth it for the artist we saw but for anything else I would probably avoid this concert venue. read more

The venue experience was really awful. It took us an hour to get into the venue, and over an hour to get out of the venue. The staff made no attempt to help people get in and out of the venue and I actually can't believe how everything was handled as far as the traffic situation. Thankfully there was no emergency! Once we parked the car, the dust storm took off from the parking lot. After walking through the dust storm parking lot we had to wait in Line for another 45 minutes to get through security. Security was a joke, shouldn't take that long to get in. The security protocol was very inconstant. Finally in the venue you realize, Cash only for food, wine, and beer (My fault for not researching this). Cards were accepted conveniently at the merchandise table in addition to one other tent which was selling trail mix and nuts, great tent by the way! The two ATMs had a line which took a half an hour to wait for. I ended up spending 2.5 hours in a car to get in and out, wait 45 minutes for security, another 30 for ATM, then another 45 minutes to get beer, wine, and food. This is ridiculous! If my favorite dream band were to play at this venue, I wouldn't go! However, once we were sitting in the grass in our own chairs, the venue was actually pretty cool. Took some great pictures which captured the beauty of the trees, grass, and lights. But even with this, we still had to look over two tents directly in the middle of the crowd. Couldn't see the stage because of these two tents! No trams, uber, or taxis to get you into this place. It's really too bad because the town of Murphy's has great places to eat and drink and you can't enjoy it because of the traffic issue of getting in and out. Be better Ironstone Amphitheatre! read more

Amazing experience! This venue has set the bar high when it comes to delivering an overall concert experience. Great food, wine and snacks. But the real reason they're getting 5-stars...the portable bathrooms! Very clean, in fact they have crew disinfecting and deodorizing after each person. read more

See all

This review is about the Foreigner concert--just have time now to write a review. Also reviewing thr venue in General. Forigner show truly rocked. First I wanna say I grew up in Murphy's and then we moved to nearby Sonora so I'm definenelty deserving of local status. Secondly, don't believe all the negative reviews they have to be by people either overly picky or working for a competitor of Ironstone or just never been to a concert before. The place is family owned and I live in Boston now and can honestly say I'd rather go to a concert here than at Boston Gardens. For people talking about traffic after the show try leaving the Gardens after a show or game!!! Hahah. Even the lines for the T in Boston suck after a show. So basically don't B***h about traffic after the show bc even huge cities have traffic after events and Murphys isn't a huge city. Only like 2,400 people actually live here. Thirdly learn how to use your GPS. DON'T forget to use the settings and select avoid dirt roads. If you don't you will end up going the back way into the Ironstone which sucks. Even locals don't go the back way through the mountains on an unpaved road especially at night. If you can't figure out your settings set your GPS to take you to the city of Murphys and once downtown select Ironstone. That way you stay on paved roads. Lastly understand concerts are for dancing and having fun. I've been to shows in LA, San Fran, Ironstone, Boston and New York and Las Vegas. People stand. People dance. If you don't like it put your money where your mouth is and buy seats in the front couple rows. People especially in Cali smoke pot. Seriously it's Cali people. There will be pot smoking and that's just how it is. Calaveras County is seriously like the biggest pot growing place in the entire country legal or illegal both are huge there. So if you are in Cali you are gonna smell pot. Just the way it is. The whole CHP and all the Sherrifs in the state couldn't stop it prolly the whole US military couldnt stop it if they tried so just accept it. Also people stoned are mellow people drunk are the a holes. And finally my dad knew the owners of Ironstone but I've never met them. I will say the whole town of Murphys wouldn't even be a place to stop or visit today if it went for the Kautz family. So all the claimed locals stuff it. They bought new fire trucks and ambulances for the county fire department when the county couldn't afford it. They bought and paid for the Veterans' memorial in the Park and a bronze plack for everyone from the whole county killed serving this country. My uncle, in Vietnam, and brother, in Iraq, were killed in the military and if it weren't for the Kautz's my family would never have been able to afford a plack for them at a memorial. So I am very appreciative of having good local neighbors like Ironstone. Also the family and I think the company is now run by his son but not sure have donated to every single charity you can think of in town. So locals need to think about this when they post horrible reviews that are just not true or accurate. read more

Went to see Steve Miller and Buddy Guy last night Aug 1 2015. Steve and Buddy were very good but unfortunately the sound was very bad. It's wasn't very clear and defiantly not loud enough. We were seated on the lawn center left of the stage and mid way between the stage and the back of the venue. People were yelling to turn it up and they finally increased the volume but still not loud enough. That muddied the sound and it was not very clear. There were times that we couldn't even hear what Steve was saying. Could barley hear his guitar most of the time. The venue might be under a sound limit but if that's the case they have a duty to disclose it. Interesting that there is a sign at the entrance that warns us of high sound levels. I'd like to add that I have been here many times and have always had a good experience, like the ZZ Top concert. This review is for last nights concert. Overall I give Ironstone three and a half stars. read more

Ironstone Amphitheatre - Music Venues Near Me - Murphys, California

Second visit to ironstone this summer. Doobie Bros's in June, Reo Speedwagon, Boston in July. The bands were great. Spent a lot of money for seats in "B" section. Parking is nothing short of a disaster. Too few people directing traffic. Guided to an area but not to parking spots. Creates confusion, poorly organized rows, people blocking aisles and egress paths. Causes delays when it's time to leave. Food is on par with carnival food. Expensive and barely edible. Porta-potties are kept remarkably clean but there are too few. Wife waited in line 25 minutes to use. This is not an exaggeration. Nobody attempting to organize crowds, lines. Unfortunately, if you enjoy wine, order a beer. The wine is drinkable ... but barely. The biggest complaint is the staff. While attempting to leave the seating area for the restrooms, a "gentleman" told me to "go around". When I asked "go around to where?", he simply said "you heard me". The final insult is that thousands of cars are forced to exit the venue on a two lane road. Friends have said that staying until the end of a show will be rewarded by (up to) two hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic prior to reaching Murphy's. Conversations with fellow seat mates confirmed. So, if you don't wish to add two hours to your drive time, consider leaving well before the headliner finishes or choose a venue with appropriate infrastructure. read more

Definitely off the beaten track, dusty gravel road and parking lot. Reasonably priced drinks, clean potties. We were seated on the grass behind E section on the end. Had a good view of the monitors which I was grateful for. People were constantly coming and going, not Ironstones fault, and blocking our view. Lay out has a minor slope and the best view may b standing up yet inconsiderate to those in lawn chairs. There was a event staff standing in the same spot all night blocking my view of Adam Duritz, who didn't move around to much. The monitors were crisp and of great quality. I'm sure there are seats that may provide a better view than we had but not sure which section that would be. Sound was amazing from the lawn. Event employees pleasant read more

Ironstone Amphitheatre - Event staff checking tickets blocked our view, this was his post for the night. He's just doing his job... - Music Venues Near Me - Murphys, California

Went here last night for a concert. One good thing I can say about this place is the parking is free and the port-o-potties are surprisingly clean. We when arrived here, the ground was rocky and full of dirt which made it difficult to walk on. The lines were insanely long and slow moving. My husband and I had lawn tickets so we brought some chairs and some towels. When we reached half way through the line one of the workers measured our chairs and told us we were not allowed to bring our chairs into the concert. She told us to go back to our car to return them. We had to walk all the way back through the huge parking lot to place our chairs back in the car; thankfully the person who measured our chairs ushered us back to the front of the line. When we entered the amphitheater, it was quite small. There was only one place that sold souvenirs and they only had a few concession stands. One concession stand sold beer and wine and one sold popcorn and another sold ice cream. There were four more stands that sold food; the menu was limited. You had a choice or either a hot dog or corn dog, nachos, tri tip, or a brownie. I think they might have sold bottled water here too. They only took cash and their prices were extremely expensive. The seating mostly consisted of lawns; there were three separate lawns. The back lawn was for smokers and the middle and front lawns were for non smokers. We found a spot on the middle lawn and there were people smoking in our area so we moved to the front lawn. The lawns were super crowded and our view was obstructed by a stage that had a camera crew. Most people who sat on the lawn stood in the front to actually see the stage. The grass was super rough; it literally felt like you were sitting on rocks. My back and legs were hurting throughout the concert. We saw several people leave the concert early; maybe because they felt uncomfortable or frustrated that they couldn't actually see the concert. One positive thing I can say about the stage (when we could actually see it) had a good sound quality and the graphics on the stage were incredible. I don't think I will come back for another concert here though; I'll take a pass... read more

Absolutely the worst venue for attending an outdoor performance in the amphitheatre. No view of the stage or two small screens located on either side of the stage. Tickets very expensive for lawn seating. Driving to the winery entrance on the narrow, back-country road was a nightmare; stopped, then move a few feet and stop again. Took forever to get to a dirt parking lot. We left a half hour after the performance started because of complete lack of visibility. People constantly standing and moving, totally blocking any chance of seeing the show if you're sitting in a lawn chair. The noise from drunk attendees made it difficult to hear the performer last night. I could hear him better from the parking lot as we walked to our car at 9:30 pm. I'm sure when it was over, leaving was an even worse nightmare. Save your money and buy a CD. This was a total waste of money and time. read more

Horrible parking and such an unsafe venue. Watched a person die at a concert here as the music was never stopped to at least ask if a doctor or nurse were In the audience who could assist and the ambulance took a long time to arrive. The place has tons of security with the only ones acting professional were the real police. They need rows in there festival lawn seating as no way for any kind of emergency to be responded too quickly. No help trying to leave a parking lot with horrible markings for exit. Lots of vehicles just going wrong way trying to find the one way out. God forbid a major fire or any other major emergency as it would be tragic with the lack of personal that helps here instead of playing like a real cop. So sad that a person lost there life. Really disappointed in what was going on. read more

Visited this venue to see John Mellancamp this past weekend. I had never been here. After reading some of the horrible reviews on YELP, I was afraid to go but so wanted to see the singer we grew up with. There were 5 of us that went. BEFORE we went, I made sure to view the website so I knew what I could and couldn't bring in. The website clearly provides for the height and size of chairs that can be brought in. Simple, I measured my chairs BEFORE I went. The website specifically said only one unopened bottle of water. So each of us only had one unopened bottle of water. There were adequate food and beverage vendors. This place was great. I only have two complaints and possibly out of the hands of the owners. Throughout the whole concert, the smell of pot was heavy in the air AND rude people would get up and dance with no regards for the others around them. These two things were super annoying. But, they won't keep me from returning. read more

See all

This is a beautiful venue and there really isn't a bad seat in the house. The sound is pretty good too. However, most of the concessions were cash only and there were two ATM machines and they were both broken. They should really advertise that is cash only before people get there. Waited in line for an hour for the ATM machines to be fixed but they never were. Also, between bands they run commercials on the big screens - over and over - which is really obnoxious. read more

Based on how good of a time my wife and I had on 8-6-16 at the Train/English Beat concert, I gotta give this place 5 stars. I read up on Yelp prior to going so was as prepared as I could be for our first concert here. (We've been to the winery many times - a favorite place to bring visiting family - for the grounds, and the museum). We got to the the grounds at about 6:20 pm, parked quickly and got right to the gate - no hassles. Asked a question of the first parking attendant I saw and he was very pleasant with his answer (no rudeness as previous reviews have stated). We were at the gate exactly one hour before the 7:30 "start time" but people had been entering for quite some time - so the "opening approximately 1 hour before performance" is just that - approximate. Next time we might plan on another half hour earlier. But still, we were quite happy with where we got our spot laid out on the grass. Got our lawn chairs at Target specifically to comply with the event rules - looked like so did many others. They also have Tommy Bahama chairs at Orchard Supply that meet the 32" back height. Back to our "seats" - we were just back from the edge of one of the raised grass areas and were very happy. No we couldn't see the facial expressions of the group, but the big screens make up for that. Just fine for us. We were close to concessions and restrooms. We were fine with the wine - an $18 plastic carafe of Chardonnay - very drinkable. They ran out of chicken for the Chinese Chicken salad just as I got to order. But the super friendly young man that helped me asked if I would mind having the BBQ chicken instead. We were fine with that and he had the gals in back pile a little extra on - he didn't have to but was apologetic and made the effort to provide good service. Got some curly fries too - pretty dang good for being cooked outside. Biggest problem we faced were the few "meat bees/yellow jackets" that decided they wanted to share our meal. It was just a few and after closing our food for a few minutes, they went away and we weren't bothered by them at all. The performances were great - Train was phenomenal!! People were up dancing all around us for both groups. We did have to stand to see the stage when Train came on but my wife was grooving to their songs anyway. Just a great night for us - perfect weather, great music, friendly people all around and my favorite person in the world to share it all with. Definitely a five star night. Will definitely come back for more concerts in the future! read more