A concert series that started with crowds of a few dozen people is nearing the end of another season in Long Beach, where organizers say Long Beach Live now draws hundreds to the city’s Town Green.
The series will hold its final concert of the 2026 season Oct. 2 at Harper McCaughan Town Green. Long Beach Live has brought free outdoor concerts to the city since 2009, typically holding events on the first Friday of the month during its season.
Event Chairman Donald Frazer said the series was created in part to bring people into the community and encourage them to visit local businesses.
“Our thinking was if we could get people around town, it might generate a little extra money for the businesses,” Frazer said. “It’s kind of grown into what it is today.”
Frazer said attendance has changed considerably since the first concerts.
“The crowd size is the biggest thing that we’ve noticed,” Frazer said. “Our first couple of concerts had maybe 20 to 50 people. (Now) we’re averaging several hundred people each concert.”
Weather can affect turnout, Frazer said, but the concerts have also spread activity beyond Town Green. Some people listen from nearby restaurants, while businesses have approached organizers about becoming involved with the series.
“People will sit out on the porch of different restaurants and listen,” Frazer said. “You have businesses that go, ‘How do we get involved?’ so that whole atmosphere is embraced by the business community.”
Frazer said seeing residents continue to attend is one of the most rewarding parts of organizing the series.
“It’s something that’s really rewarding just seeing people out,” Frazer said. “It’s a way for not only the city but the community members to give back to their own city.”
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