The Magnolia

I saw one of my favorite artists in concert there a few weeks ago and had great seats in the 5th row, stage left. The venue is easily accessible and ample valet and free parking right next to the theater is very convenient.The sound was great, I saw the same artist a week earlier at a similar venue in Los Angeles, and I thought the Magnolia concert sounded the best.

This was our first visit to The Magnolia, and I loved it! It is a great venue for concerts!Parking is easy to get to from the freeway, and waa pleasantly surprised to find out it is free. It is a quick walk from the parking lot to the venue.The venue is a wonderful size, and honestly, no seats inside are bad seats.I look forward to future concerts at The Magnolia!

Great place for a concert. Clean bathrooms, friendly staff. Good sound system and light show. Easy parking. Expensive beer though, holy cow, ouch!

My girlfriend and I just recently experienced a show at The Magnolia for the 1st time. We saw The Black Jacket Symphony perform Pink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon. Fantastic show and such a nice venue! Looking forward to seeing more shows there.

Great venue for seated concerts.Not much space for dancing or crossing, very theater style. Which I liked but YMMV.

This venue has all the makings of a nice evening and performance. The parking was free and easy to access off Main st. Traffic was practically non existent after the show.All the staff were very friendly and helpful. From the initial entrance employee, to the box office staff, and even the bartender. Happy staff makes for happy patrons. And it didnt go unnoticed.Our 14th row seats were head level with the band and the seating was very comfortable if you chose to use it.Now, I realize that the sound is subjective depending on the band. But I have a feeling that this theatre setting might lack some theatre acoustics. Its hard to replicate that in what seems like a very sterile acoustic environment. Please please please consider some acoustic reinforcement and some frequency atonement for this room. An additional investment for something like this could quite possibly make you a much needed world class concert venue in our area. Just some constructive criticism. But its all love, I swear. I would certainly come back, but I would constantly be thinking of how much better it could be.

Beautiful venue with auditorium style seating. Didnt even know this place existed! Lots of conversation stands with pretty quick moving lines, even on a full night.Would highly recommend this venue and plan to come back more often. Image from row Q, seat 47.

An up and coming venue poised to be a major location in the future.What was once a gross location in the heart of El Cajon has become a central fixture of arts, cultures, and community.There are still some things to fix in The area but some B List celebrities, local events, and mixture of big business names and small local shops nearby this place could be the next major venue.The good stuff:surrounding area local events, shopping, dinning, and nearby decent hotel. Inside has a fairly easy to understand layout, ample concessions, alcoholic beverages, and nice , pleasant staff.The downside:Parking is a little confusing depending which side of the building you were directed to go. An available parking structure functions well but looks gross and unsafe despite being near a police station.The main entrance is in the back not the front of the building which if your not familiar with it can cause a small amount of frustration. Lastly staff doesnt seem to know layout of the theater itself and can not tell you where your seat is despite being next to a sign that tells you where your seat is.Final review: with a renovation of the parking structure, and perhaps better signage to the front amd parking this place is the place to watch for big name acts in the next 5-10 years.

Really good venue. I wish the seats were wider because Im huge, but there isnt a bad seat in the house.

Love the free parking. Now that parking for concerts is so expensive, it’s nice to find a theater/concert venue that has free parking. The actual theater is great. Seats are comfortable, great leg room, stadium seating. The only issue is that the rows go from one end of the theater to the other end. So if you’re sitting in the middle of the row you have to literally walk through half the theater to get out of the row. Or God forbid any emergency, there would likely be a backup getting out of the rows. Other than that, great venue.

The Magnolia is a newly renovated movie theatre turned concert venue in El Cajon. It’s a bit out of the way for this OC resident, but I’ve driven to LA to see a show, so this seemed reasonable. What a pleasure! Plenty of parking. Every seat worthwhile. Great downtown area with plenty of food and drink options nearby. Definitely worth the visit. Hope to see some other great acts in this cool new venue.

We received atrocious customer service from the staff at the Kevin Hart show. Initially two of the employees were so considerate and understanding, but it turned ugly very fast. I am very visibly 8 months pregnant and we were standing in line for awhile, waiting to get into the 8pm show. I needed to use the bathroom really badly and take a seat, so I asked one security guard and he was so nice and instructed me to walk up to the front and ask the security guards. When I got to the front, they had just begun to let people in and this security guard was so nice and recognized the urgency of my situation, wrote our seat numbers down and shuffled us to a VIP line to get in and use the bathroom and sit down due to my high blood pressure. She informed the other security guards of the situation, that I needed to use the bathroom and take a seat. I was appalled by the response of the security guard letting people in. She looked at me straight in the eye and said, Were not letting anyone else in right now. I informed her that I needed to use the bathroom really badly and that Im eight months pregnant. Again, she looked me in the eye and said, So does everyone else. I was floored by this behavior. Eventually we were able to get in, but I would hope that another pregnant lady or anyone for that matter that possibly needs a medical accommodation never be treated this way by this venue again.

Saw Creeper. The venue was good. Lines moved quickly. Drinks were delicious. The seats were a bit small, but thats to be expected in a venue like this. Overall l, a great place to go see a show.

Great venue!! I think that from any seat, you can have a clear view of the stage. I believe it seats 1,200 people. The sound is so great and clear. Clean, and good service from the team members.

Fun venue. Saw King Diamond here in December (2019). There isnt a bad seat in the whole venue. Decent drink selection (at usual concert venue prices).The lighting and sound were much better than expected. When other bands I want to see come here, I will be sure to go again.1 BIG plus. Parking is FREE and there is plenty of it...

Every seat in the house has a great view of the stage. Excellent sound!

They recently spent somewhere in the ballpark of $7 million on their renovation and rebranding and it is obvious. The theater is as good as it gets. It feels mew and clean. The only thing I think is wrong with their design is there is no center aside. So if your seats are in the middle you have to scoot past a bunch of people both ways. Going to the restroom? Grabbing some concession snacks? Same thing, you have to walk past a ton of people.The show was great, easy to see the stage and hear the sounds. The acoustics are nice and I didnt see a bad seat in there.Definitely a gem in ElCajons cap.

Amazing theater. Very nice and roomy and u can easily walk through each isle. Every seat has a perfect view so don’t stress about being too far. I’m definitely coming back. Restrooms are clean alcohol drink are good too.

The venue seems to improve to the level of the artist quality that performs. Ive seen some good shows and walked out on the So Good, Neil Diamond Tribute.The sound was horribly loud and the lighting was dated.Bring earplugs and lots of $ as the price of drinks is absurdly high.

Great medium sized performing arts venue in El Cajon. Central location with plenty of free venue parking as well as street parking nearby. Staff was attentive and the seating arrangements were easy to locate.Great view and sound from all seats. Saw Viking group Wardruna. They sounded fantastic and with many interesting lighting and effects that were present in the venue only further enhanced their performance. Would definitely return. Beer prices were steep, but nowadays its becoming quite commonplace.

Nice place to go see a show but would be nice if they had better shows like DJ hip hop old school artists play there.have some shows in the day time on weekends and most importantly have this venue take cash to pay for items or buy stuff.

It was a great venue. The spacing is tight, tho ended up stepping on feet to use the bathroom and felt horrible about it

Great little venue. Easy to navigate around and also inside. No bad seats really. Just prepare for a long line for the restroom if you go during an intermission. Saw Café Tacvba here and the venue made it an even better experience.

Great facility! Seats could be a little wider and maybe add a few restrooms - but a clean and nicely organized venue. Parking is decent and nearby restaurants coupled with around 1200 for capacity make The Magnolia a definite multiple event location for concerts!

We went for the Dave Koz Holiday concert. Excellent venue. Free parking. Easy to get to. Every seat is great. Only one womens bathroom on the main floor. Long line for the womens restroom at the intermission. Concert was excellent.

Great small entertainment venue! Bathrooms are nice and seating is plush and comfortable

Great venue. Good sound quality and no obstructed seating. People in front dont block your view. Its a nice place with easy parking. Fantastic for an intimate concert

Great venue. great safety precautions. not crazy about the clear bag role but, its not onerous. good views, I dont think theres a bad seat in the house. the acoustics were very very good. Ill definitely be back!

Great venue! No bad seats and easy parking.

Other than being in El Cajon, it was a great time!

The experience was great however one of sale points at the venue had nachos for sale and they came with meat, etc.. once I got some they run out of the meat but they didn’t had a choice of a discount since there was no meat and that didn’t seem fair since there wasn’t enough items to choose from to eat the the venue. Hi Paris I replied back to you via email as you asked!

Nice local venue to see shows at. Live Nation has done a great job renovating and modernizing this venue. Comfortable seating up front. Long rows make for people always walking around during the show.

The theater was nice and clean. We attended the venue for the comedy show, Bored Teachers. They had three different drink and food sections and it helped make the lines shorter for food prior to the show. The security staff were helpful in finding our seats. Even though they had some technical difficulties with a video at the beginning of the show, it was worth the wait. I highly recommend this venue!

Went to a concert and the parking across the way had no signage that it was for Marriot only. After a great show I came out to find my car had been towed. It’s not necessarily the Magnolias fault but they could have definitely marked no parking zone better. $60 dollar show turned out closer to $560.

Nice venue to see a show such as Morrissey. The seat rows are wide enough that getting in and out isn’t an issue. Acoustics seemed good, but I’m no expert. Plenty of food options within walking distance of venue.

Great venue to see a live show. No seat is bad. Amazing acoustics.

We went to Patti LaBelle Concert, which was sold out. We had excellent seats 3rd row center. Love the renovations and glad we have a local venue once again for El Cajon. The staff were smiling, informative and helpful. The bartenders were also smiling, engaging and did not short pour. Concert seats are padded and comfortable. Stage acoustics and lighting is good as well.Ms. Patti was amazing as well as her band and backup singers. We had an excellent time.

Nice facilities and easy parking, the staff is not friendly and they were shortstaffed on the bar looong wait to get drinks and snacks

Eaay to find free parking. Plenty of places to eat before or after on Main Street. Comfortable seats. All seats look like they have a good view of the stage.

This is a beautifully maintained venue. Staff was very friendly, a well organized security team and the whole facility was super clean. Best venue I have been to!Congrats to the management. Keep it up! 👍

Comfortable and good stages views from all locations.

Dweezil Zappa and his amazing Tour Hit it hard

Would go again. Good sound, convenient , almost all good seats. Sort of generic though, like a university concert hall.

Great venue! Not too big, parking was easy, and sound was good.

This venue just opened, the few bad comments below are completely off. There are snack carts everywhere. Security to get it was very easy as they had multiple metal detectors and people checking. Alcoholic drinks are what all Live Nation venues charge. Bottled water was only $3 not $4.And so far the first band that finished up was amazing. Sound in here is fantastic.I think this is an amazing place to have big name bands play.

My husband and I saw Juanes perform- it was amazing! The venue is the perfect size. Even though we were towards the back of the amphitheater, we could see Juanes perfectly!

It is a great intimate place to see a concert. Every seat is a good seat. Only a couple of minor negatives. One is leaving the parking structure. It can take a long time because it is next to the street and only one way out. I suggest you leave early or park on the street. Also the cup holders on the seats are attached to the arm wrest but really high like half way between your elbow and your shoulder. Two issues with this, I am not a big guy but I have broad shoulders so it is up against my arm. Picking up your drink and placing it in the holder is awkward.

Ive been to the Magnolia three times now, and every time, the sound is terrible. The first time is was Elvis Costello, and we had seats very close to the stage, and we couldnt understand the words. My friend walked around the venue, and he said the sound was bad everywhere. I had heard from a friend that the sound was fine the time that she went there, so I decided to give it another chance. We went to see Yes, and we walked out before it was over because the sound was so loud and muddy. My wife said the sound was great in the womens room! I guess thats an option for women...

Awesome venue. Totally organized with how people are seated. Others should take note

Saw The Mavericks and Kevin Hart; my only complaint is the sound - its not good - there is no distinction in instruments and voice is muddy - otherwise there are no bad seats in the venue

A good venue. No complaints on sound, lights or seating neither security. Easy parking and access. Unfortunately some attendees have too much to drink, disregard common respect for performer artists, ushers and audience 😕 kept, standing blocking view, being nonsense or pretending to dance?

Leslie Jones is a very funny woman. Had a wonderful time. The magnolia is a perfect theatre for an intimate evening for comedy. Highly recommend.

Great intimate place for a concert public parking nearby and just awesome for the overall experience did not

Very nice theater. First time Ive been there and was impressed. I was in row K and felt pretty close to the stage. Nice layout and look. Ill be looking into other acts they have there in the future

Nice venue with plenty of parking. Magnolia is walking distance to several restaurants if you want a pre-show dinner, and there is a large, full bar inside the theater. There are no bad views, any seat will do, but they are a little tight on leg room. The sound system was great. You can skip the VIP lounge, its oversold, tiny, and probably not what you imagine.

Such a cute little venue. Perfect for a comedy show or concert. Not a bad seat in the house.

This is a wonderful performing arts venue. Easy to find, great parking, and many choices to eat by walking in the neighborhood.

Beautiful venue. Patti Labelle wore 6 inch high heels all night. Amazing woman. The area is safe, well lighted, parking in the Courthouse parking lot or police station free. Very proud of the city of El Cajon, California.

Before the day of the concert, I looked on Google Maps to plan how to drive to The Magnolia; the directions were clear. However, Google Maps did not have any information about where I could safely and legally park. I looked up the website for The Magnolia, but still didnt find very helpful parking information except for what others had written about the venue. Finally I found the FAQs, scrolled down to the question about parking, and clicked on it. A parking map with directions popped up.On the evening of the event, I drove to W.D. Hall St., and when I saw the two parking attendants, I knew I was in the right place. They, and all of the staff were friendly and helpful. I purchased a ticket at the ticket window for the very back row. A few minutes after I went to my seat, a very nice usher offered me an upgrade to sit much closer to the front. So, she and all of the staff deserve a big round of applause!

Really great venue i never heard of before. Its set up like a big venue but when you get inside it feels more intimate. Its like a big theater with all stadium seating. Awesome place to see a show

What a fantastic first-time experience! Allow me to give you the lowdown on everything - for parking if you put in your GPS the address of the Magonlia, it will take you to a street of free parking after 6pm and you can park around the bend if you dont immediately see anything. Otherwise you can park in the free designated separate event lots behind the Marriot - do not park in the Marriot lot or you will get towed.They have food onsite and drinks. Taco stand was there and I had the empanadas. You can get a Magnolia shaker cup drink where you can take home the shaker! You can bring your drinks into the theater.I went to see the Prince Again tribute with a Whitney Houston band as the opener and it was phenomenal! It gave me everything - amazing energy, singing the songs in its original form, fabulous band, hot dancing and great seats where you are encouraged to get up and dance! It was electrifying and I would go see that performance again. Far cry from The Purple Ones where I was so disappointed because they changed up the version of each Prince song and I couldnt get into it. Prince Again did everything absolutely right and paid the proper homage. Cant wait to go back to the Magnolia!

Small venue and great for musical acts. Go to the ticket office to buy your tickets and avoid the rip off charges from Ticketmaster.

Went to see TOP, horrible experience. The sound and lighting was just terrible. The seating is cramped and if someone in the row behind you spills a drink its going all over your head and back. We ended up leaving an hour in. The audio was muffled and in the red, lead mic was completely muffled to the point where we couldnt understand anything being said. The lighting blinded the crowd for no apparent reason every minute and a half or so. Parking, get there early!! The set was ok, they were throwing in some new christmas songs which didnt help keep us there. End result, I would not see any other shows at this venue.

Awesome place for this kind of concerts. Excellent attention and well distributed. Cool parking and free. Nice places around to eat...

Great prices for great entertainment. Not a bad seat in the house. Good food across the street before concert. Friendly staff, good security. Parking not too bad. ECPD on site for added security. Nice.

Very well organized! Clean, thorough, and provided excellent customer service at the concession/snack bar. The dance venue there was beyond amazing!

Beautiful new concert venue! Professional staff.. Attended the Jesse Cook concert

One of the best music venues in all of San Diego! Comfortable seating and great sound!

Great venue for intimate show!Been here many times

I really like The Magnolia, it is a great venue and Ive heard some great bands there. However, when I was there to watch Whos Bad, the sound was awful. The bass guitar swamped out everything else. It appears that the mixer enjoyed intense base and nothing else, and we had to suffer. The microphone on my smartphone didnt pick up the base so much, but attending it in person, it was hard to hear the lead guitar and the vocals. Oftentimes the songs were not even recognizable.

Great venue. Not a bad seat in the place. Good beer selection. You also are able to go outside and then go back in if you want some fresh air or to have a cigarette.

Ive been to the Magnolia a few times and Ive had seats in a variety of places; There is not a bad seat in the house and the quality of the venue is superb.To be honest, Im really surprised how nice it is, its the best in Southern California.

This theater is not equipped to handle a full crowd. We saw a sold out show and it was very clear that while there were enough seats, the rest of the infrastructure couldnt handle this kind of crowd. First of all and most importantly, there is only one bathroom for each gender and it does not have sufficient stalls to support the audiences needs. The line for the womens room was INSANE to the point that at the end of the 20 min intermission, there was still a massive line and they started sending women to the mens room. There were 5 bars that sold drinks, but only 2 of them sold snacks. For some reason, they had the cashier mixing drinks and taking money while the food guy just stood there. I stood in line both before the show and at intermission and was unable to get anything to eat either time because the line moved so slow. There has to be a better system. Finally, the free parking is convenient and great, but a nightmare to get out of. I am currently sitting in my car in the parking lot and it has been 20 minutes and I still cant get out. Overall, the show was great, but the theater itself didnt hold up its end of the bargain and we wont be returning.

This is a very nice venue to see a live show. The sound was perfect and the staff was courteous and respectful. Definitely will be back to see another show.

Awesome place to see concerts

Great venue with good sound and literally not a bad seat in the house. Nice wide aisles, comfortable seats and a well-run auditorium makes this an ideal place to see a show.

Very nice event center for plays, speakers or concerts

Fun night, great show. A wonderful venue shared with good friends.

Never been here before but it was quite nice. The prices at the concession stand was a bit nuts.

Amazing time... seats are all great for performances... AC works great. Security made us feel safe.

The Magnolia is a really nice spot for a concert. Its not overly large, theres easy parking, and the seats are super comfortable.

Love the Magnolia! Great to see a concert here! Up close and personal with the Man, Joe Jackson.

Another enjoyable concert at this most excellent venue. Helpful, friendly staff. Easy, free parking. Great music and comfortable seats. What could be better?

Great venue. Be very careful with parking lot in front of Marriott. Half is public and half is just for the hotel. Man was out there with an army of tow trucks as show was getting out.

Saw El Cajon Mayor and his band theres last night. Beautiful facility. $4 for a can of soda was a bit much but overall it was an enjoyable experience. Good atmosphere.

Really nice theater. Went to see Purple Madness and it was great. Restrooms were surprisingly clean considering the crowd and the line moved fast.

Went to Randy Rainbow last night. I have mobility issues so trying to find a handicap ramp was difficult. I had a walker which I use. People helped me get to the entrance and up the stairs. I had to park the walker by the seating area. When I came out to get my walker it was gone as well as the other walkers that were left in same area. There was only one walker left and it wasnt mine. Im in need of my walker. I cant walk without it. I took the one that was there but it was less of a model that I had. So disappointing

The venue is good but the Michael Jackson show last night was cringe worthy. Terrible sound, singing and so called dancing. Insult to Michael Jackson.

Saw Angela aguliar there. Good sound system and not too far and good view of the stage at any angle

Yeah Definitely Did Like The Stones Tribute Band & The Tina Turner Tribute Band. I Had A Very Good Time. I Didnt Like The Aggressive Security Staff Who Yelled At My Friend For Waiting For Me To Enter The Venue. I Would Recommend This Place. I Would Tell The Security Team To Relax And Not Hassle Guests.

It was nice evening with Jesse Cook

Great theater and great acoustics for the AL Di Mielo show. I saw Ray last year

I was actually very surprised at how nice this theatre was. I saw that it was located directly next to the Jail and Police Station, however security was on point and there are a lot of restaurants walking distance. The theatre seats were very comfortable and plush. The only gripe is that they do not have enough bartenders to make the lines flow quickly, however that may be because of staffing issues. All around, great experience.

Beautiful venue. Seems to hold around 1200 ppl, all seated. Seats are decently comfortable. Easy to park. Nice bar selection albeit priced like a pro ball stadium, and snack stands offer your basics like popcorn, pizza, churros, soft pretzels. The acoustics in the theater were excellent. Its a beautiful venue overall offering a decent crowd without losing the intimacy of seeing the artists fairly close.

Great venue for Tangerine Dream.They used the existing sound system at the Magnolia. A little static (feedback) here and there though all in all, a wonderful experience.Peace-Walt .

Fantastic concert venue with a great vibe!

They have excellent facilities, you can see your artist well from any seat in the place.

Went and saw three dog night. They built a guest bar that they charge an additional $40 to enter. We never left instead of going to our seats we stayed in the bar because the view is exceptional as well as the service. Id go there again for any concert!

A great addition to the cultural scene, that has been sorely needed in East County. After a major update and upgrade, made possible through a partnership with Live Nation, this theater-type venue has been a godsend for El Cajon. With a state-of-the-art sound system and lighting to match, there really is not a bad seat in the house. Ive seen about 6 artists perform there since the Grand Opening in the fall of 2019. Very eclectic mix-- just check out the website. The only reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5 is the food and drink vendors inside. Way expensive, and very little choice. I realize that its not dinner theater, but there is so much to choose from in local cuisine, and surely we can do better than nachos, pretzels and school cafeteria-level overpriced mini pizzas! Overall, going to a concert here is a very positive experience, friendly staff, beautiful place. Give it a try!

My first time at this venue. It was easy to get to off the Fwy. Parking was close enough and free. Once youre thru the security/vaccination proof check, beverages and food were available in the lobby (no cash pymt). There were vendors as well selling goods. I like that each row of seats are elevated. I could clearly see the stage most of the time. The sound/acoustics was not good at first but it did get better. Overall it was a nice experience.

This place was super nice and had plenty of space. Parking was a little hard to get out but not terrible.

Very nice theater with friendly staff. Drinks way too expensive though so have a couple before arrival!

It is hard to imagine any venue of this size having only one small restroom per gender. The 20 minute intermission wasnt long enough to accommodate everyone wishing to use the facilities.. On the other hand, the show was superb.

The Magnolia is not a safe place as they have no security and allowed a performer to be verbally abused for an hour and a half. There is no security, and in this day and age, violence is rampant and they are not a responsible venue.

Amazing venue! Good concession and great seating.

The theater was very comfortable. Good sound, and aisles big enough that we didn’t feel crowded, like in many other concert venues. Free parking, reasonable ticket prices, and most shows don’t seem to sell out, so it’s a pretty relaxed setting. Will definitely go back for more shows!

This was my first show here. Very intimate but loved it. Not a bad seat in the house.I will say though, if youre sitting near the VIP section the folks in there can be distracting.

Ive seen a few shows here. This place can easily steal the thunder from a lot of the coastal venues, with the right talent on stage. A win for El Cajon and the East County in general.Unfortunately, I dont think Ive seen the right people there to accurately guage the acoustics. Seems okay. The restrooms could be bigger as well.Im compiling a list of bands to recommend to Live Nation so that Ill never have to drive more than 7 miles for a concert ever again.

Easy to get to. Clean & comfortable. Free accessible parking. Not a bad seat in the house. Excessive beverage costs.

Very nice venue! Very clean. Seating didnt feel cramped like in so many theaters. Be aware the new rules with COVID and security do not allow purses/bags over 6x8. They did provide plastic bags for those who had to take purses back to their car. Most people were ok with it when the reasoning was explained but a few gave the ushers a rough time. Ushers/security are just doing their jobs and were polite about it. Maybe a sign or 2 at the Parking lot would have been a good idea.

Ive been here several times. Last nights concert was awful. It was so loud that it was distorted. We left after the first few songs of the 2nd band. And I know venues charge exorbitant prices for alcohol, but this place charges 3x. Insane to pay $18 for a shot of tequila.

Awesome venue! I look forward to attending more events here! I have deducted one star for a step down that needed to be lit up to avoid accidents. I was in row G and for some reason, at the start of the row, you step down into it. If the lights are down, you cant see it. One gal didnt and tripped into the row, dumping her drinks all over the people in seats 1 and 2. Bummer way to start the night. I will make sure not to choose that row again. P. S. We saw Queen Nation and they were amazing! Felt like watching live history...or history live? Yeah, thats it!

Great intimate venue! Free parking!

Pleasantly surprised! This is a great venue. Very comfortable seating, well spaced aisles and excellent full stage view.

Awesome venue and view from any seat. Id return any time. But...the drinks are outrageously priced. An average drink is $17. Its Sleep Train Amphitheater prices. Do not buy drinks here.

No big purses allowed. If you do not have your vaccination card you must pay $30 for a covid test, or not allowed to come in. Security guards on 02/12/2022 where extremely rude. Demanded my disabled to get off her seats (seated in the wrong ones but he never asked or was member polite at all). Crowd enjoying the show had more customer service attitude than any of the staff. Other small things that are NOT listed on the website to make you spend more money once you are there. False advertising, tickets cost way more in person than it said online. Terrible experience. Only good thing was the show/performance.

Small intimate venue to see a live band. Other than the fact that the echo effect makes it seem louder than it is, its a great place.

I bought tickets and it said the show was at7pm. There were at least 100 people who showed up at 6:15 to just stand out front until we were let in at 6:40. Then we couldn’t go to our seats until 7. And when we sit down we find out the show starts at 8. IDIOTS! Very disappointing

This is an awesome small venue performing arts center and the heart of El Cajon.Its the first time Ive been here since theyve taken the name The Magnolia. I must say I really enjoyed myself. I love the City layout because theres not a bad seat in the house. I was a little taken back by some of the items being sold outside the theater. I bought a hot dog for $5 but a bottle of water was also $5. I can understand beer and soda but water?? Thats a little sad. Other than that I really enjoyed the venue and the show.

Very comfortable venue. Would like to see more and more classic rock and blues and jazz acts here. Small enough that you will find your friends, big enough that you feel like you are at a concert.. Tickets are priced much better than other small/medium San Diego venues.

Really great midsized venue. Its nice to have a place like this in east county. The sound is outstanding and even the farthest seat back is still very good. Looking forward to more shows as they ramp up and get more acts. Nice not having to run up to a casino to see a band or worse, a casino in temecula.

The staff was so kind... free parking... excellent venue for a concert...

Nice venue, good views of the stage, pretty good sound quality. The downside is the seats are really small 1 tiny armrest for 2 people to share? We had to sit sideways.

My lady and I saw Sal Vulcano from Impractical Jokers on Saturday night. The show was excellent. The venue was terrible. My rear end hurt very badly by the end of the show from the uncomfortable seat,, and Im still a little sore two days later. Sal actually ragged on the layout of the auditorium during his performance bc it has long rows that likely violate fire codes. The VIP lounge looked pathetic, but I didnt get VIP tix so thats a small assumption. The food was bottom quality and cost a fortune. The drinks were way over priced, even more expensive than Padres games or Viejas arena games/shows. There was only one bathroom for men and one bathroom for women, so the line was very long before and after the show. The concession stands looked like pop up carts. This is the worst venue Ive ever attended in San Diego. Its worse than several high school auditoriums. On top of that, my lady brought a very small purse, and it still wasnt small enough to get in. After we took it back to our car and came back to the venue, the same security guard made an exception right in front of us for another purse that was too big for their very small allowed bag size. Not that Im against letting in bigger bags, but several other ladies had to take their very small purses back to their cars. Just another reason why this venue is terrible.

So far I’ve seen 4 shows here, the performers are always top notch and intimate. Al Di Meola & Steve Vai come to mind. I was very impressed by the warm reception I received in the VIP lounge by Nayeli Valencia, she answered all my questions, guided me through the venue and gracefully added suggestions that uplifted my concert experience, all with the best attitude and willingness to help.The service provided is nothing short of amazing (unlike the bone head security guards of Elite/Alliance)

Great venue! They basically took everything that sucks in other venues and made it somewhat close to perfection. Easy parking (coming in and out), good drinks, the acoustic of the place is on point, clean bathrooms, and comfortable seats. Amazing experience!

Nice venue with friendly staff. Easy parking. Several places to eat in the immediate area. They do have some vendor carts out side, hotdogs and sandwiches. A bit pricey but decent and convenient. Full barAll sets have good viewing. I have seen other posts about the sound system being poor... I have some experience in sound, and found it fine

My favorite local venue, really good seating where no matter where you sit the view is good.

Went for a soundcheck before the main event, Alan Parsons. Going back later for the show which will be awesome as usual. His previous show was the last there before the Covid crisis, this will be my first show to attend since the relaxing of the restrictions and the venue is still spot on. Clean and organized, plenty of personell to assist and an overall positive atmosphere.Looking forward to seeing more live performances there.Get a chance, check them out.

Great concert venue. They need better food though.

Loved the small venue for sure. But thought the sound was better in the restroom than the concert hall. Will try again if another artist appears that I am interested in. Drive from Oceanside for Pat Benetar, she did not disappoint along with her husband Neil Gerardo.Also suggest a video screen.

Great venue for concerts. Plenty of room in your seat.

The seats are comfortable, the aisle way is wide enough so that people arent tripping over each other. I guess the acoustics are okay it was hard to tell with such loud rock and roll. I was impressed with the venue.

Awesome venue! Every seat in the house is great!

Great concert YESnice place

I enjoyed the seating areas. You have a great view no matter where you were seated. There was even walk room for people to pass by without you having to stand up. Only suggestion I would make is make the letters bigger for the rows or paint the letters on the floor in front of each row. Some of us have a vision issue when the lights are low. Because the ushers are at always helpful.

Im not sure what can I say about the venue because I have more to say about the show itself. Anyway, it uses the same parking as the court house parking. The place itself is pretty new and well maintained. It has concession stands which serves alcohol. At the event yesterday, it sold popcorn, cotton candy, and cotton candy. Cool little place.

You can park at the courthouse. The staff seemed really friendly. The venue is all seated. Theres no general admission areas. Drinks were really expensive, and I think the venue takes a cut of all the bands merch sales, thus making tee shirts cost more. My friend had a real problem with a particular security guard. My friend was at the front, in front of the barrier, and this security guard kept standing directly in front of him, blocking his view. Even when he moved, the guard got in his way. Not sure if the guard worked directly for Live Nation, or an agency. This was at the King Diamond show. Thats really what kept this review from being 5-stars.

First time there and we loved it. Went to see the 10th Anniversary for Rock1053theshow Very nice place.

Went to my daughter’s dance competition last night and overall our experience was terrible. Most other venues for dance competition allow guest re-entry but the Magnolia Security team did not allow this; they wouldn’t even let the dancers competing in to use the restroom or buy snacks while they waited outside and don’t give me that COVID as an excuse because they didn’t care too much about COVID halving every single seat filled. And I wish there would be a site to review the hosts of the Prelude So.Cal Dance Competition because the way you people worded your site had many families afraid of purchasing their tickets in advance for the fear of the event being canceled and not being able to get refund for their tickets; I know this as our family who came out was not able to see the performance but waited outside in support of our daughter because of this verbiage you had on your site. Luckily my mother in law had hers so we were able to have one family member in there watching (and that’s, that our drive is two hours away); there was a family from Utah who DROVE all the way out here who didn’t buy their tickets in advance for the fear of cancellation and not being able to get their money back. Even concerts give refunds if a show gets canceled.

Nice place. It is an east county hiden jewel.

What a fantastic and intimate venue. Not a bad seat in the house! Comfortable temperature was a real plus! Seats are too small but there is some leg room. Nice job creating this excellent venue in El Cajon.

Best venue for concert. Small, easy parking.

Best venue in San Diego! Easy, free and accessible parking for the events.Exceptional line up of talent.And the bar is unexpectedly great with more than just beer or wine to choose from. The entire downtown around it has great restaurants and art galleries to visit before performance s.-Best new discovery!

Nice place, great acoustics, very friendly and professional staff. My only issue was when buying tickets, I was shown the seats I was getting as being very near the middle of the auditorium, right to left, but I got the 3rd and 4th seats from the side. Good thing pretty much all seats are good.

This venue is a tragedy waiting to happen. We’re lucky to be alive.On May 26, 2022 - after almost 2 years of waiting we drove almost 6 hours to The Magnolia theatre to see one of our favorite bands OMD play.The theater was very nice in appearance and we were very excited to see the band. We also had 2nd row seats.During the 2nd song I started to feel the floor literally move up and down. I looked over to my friend and asked him if this was an earthquake because we had to hold on to our chairs to avoid falling down.During the 3rd song the floor began to flex and shake so badly that I witnessed people starting to leave and there was even dust clouds starting to form in the air that was visible when the neon lights were shined out into crowd.The floor flexed and shook so badly that people were holding onto their seats and leaving the venue fast. After 2 years of waiting we decided to leave the venue also. It was not worth having the floor collapse and losing our lives.After we left I came to learn that The Magnolia was recently renovated and apparently OMD was the first concert since the renovations.I have attended hundreds upon hundreds of concerts in my lifetime and I have never felt the floor lift up and shake like a full blown earthquake. This venue needs to be shut down and the Civil Engineer for El Cajon needs to come inspect the flooring before it’s too late and lives are lost.

Great place to see a show, every seat in the house is a good seat. Like the downtown area its in too. Many good places to grab dinner and drinks before the show.

Small and intimate theater. There isnt a bad seat.

Ive seen 2 performances here and wont go to this venue again. The seating is too cramped and the sound system is terrible. It takes almost an hour just to order a drink. Long lines to go to the bathroom too! Terrible!

Most of the staff were efficient and worked well, but a few staff lacked in communicating event critical info to the guests which made my night here less fun then it should have been.

Extremely rude security. Building staff not professional. The company charges $30 for a covid test, unless you are vaccinated and can prove it. Terrible experience, the only nice thing was the show itself. Before and after the show was just a stressful mess.

I unknowingly purchased tickets through a third party and was totally ripped off. I purchased great seats but when we arrived found out we were in the last row! I questioned this and MELISSA escorted me to the box office and TAYLOR was outstanding and accommodated us to the great seats I believed I had purchased back in October. Outside of the 3 obviously intoxicated obnoxious adults behind us, the evening was wonderful. All thanks to Melissa and Taylor. Outstanding customer service and rate them both a 10!

This place is comfortable and clean, the staff is very kind

Great Venue! There is plenty of parking. Going through security to get in went very smoothly. The venue is smaller, so every seat is a great seat.

Nice cozy venue. Acoustics were just OK. Maybe a bit more money needs to be invested.Long lines for the bar. Limited food options.Just one bathroom on each side of the venue.Free parking.

Great to have a new alternative outside downtown and the usual San Diego venues. Cant give that the place was originally built in a different millennium, but provides a fairly comfortable seated concert hall with good acoustics and a small-ish kind of feel.Big downside: only two bathrooms for the entire venue means long lines during intermission.Also, rather limited options for concessions.

Not a bad seat in the house. Its also located in a nice area to take a stroll around after the show. Staff are friendly. As with most places that have live shows with intermissions, queues outside the lavatory can be quite long.

The show was fantastic and the theatre is one of the best in SD

Security a buzzkill. A few grannies wanted to get up and dance during The Mavericks concert and security made the old bags sit down.

I thought it was like 15 thousand capacity, because the Sal Vulcano show was sold out and it looked great, but we looked it up and its 1200. Great venue, great sound, and quick entrance.

I was very pleased with free parking! Its a very pleasant atmosphere outdoors as well as when you walk in. The people are very helpful and friendly. The way the seats are designed theres legroom and you can see the stage from pretty much anywhere. Very clean!!

First time at this venue. Our Art Garfunkel Ticketmaster /Live Nation receipt and our concert ticket said 7 pm start time—so we left North county at 5:15 pm to get here before 7 pm. Got to the venue and was advised that the concert start time is 8 pm. What the heck? We go to a LOT of concerts and never had this situation. Get your act together.

Sound system and/or acoustics in this venue were terrible for the Fan Halen/LedZepAgain gig. So bad we left after about 5 songs of the LZ set. Seen them before and the bands are great, so its the venue not the bands. Interestingly the sound was decent in the lobby as we left, so not sure whats going on with the place. Wont be returning

Great venue, VIP room at top not worth the extra cost. Outrageous canned water costs $6.00. If on 2nd floor parking structure takes forever to exit.

Great place for concerts, not yo Big and with good acoustic, and You feel close to the artist, so You dont need to be on the first row to feel you are partof the show, so if you can , see artista in There

Great venue. Tonights concert with Pat Benatar sounded better in womans bathroom than in audience.Band was way too loud over her, that was a bummer. Bartenders said a lot of people had said the same.Still a great venue.

I got tickets for the February 22 show of Sinbad. If you go to The Magnolia website and check out their tickets for events and then go to the box office and get them there you will save a Ton of money. I saved over $20 per ticket and got 2 great seats. If you use other ticket sale websites you pay double the cost per seat plus fees. Best way is go to the box office and they will show you whats available and the price. Worth the trip.

This venue is a gem! Great sound, comfortable seats, and neat how they have pop-up food options outside. So glad we made the East county to find out this place rocks!

Fantastic venue. Not too crowded and any seat in the house has a fantastic view of the stage at all times.

Saw Alan Parsons last night. So much better than Humphreys in terms of acoustics, light show and comfort. Well staffed and decent food and drink. Best part is it’s only five miles from my home!

Love this venue because I got awesome seating in the 5th row. You never know who will be seating in front of you and always hopping there short. I will say water bottles are priced too high, come on its just water.

Outstanding venue!

We had the worst seat in the house row z3 and it was a great seat. Very comfortable and super nice staff. I look forward to seeing a show in the future there.

Beautiful theater. Not a bad seat in the house. Parking is a little tricky but not too bad.

We saw the Doo-wap Project. The performances were outstanding.. instrumentality and vocally but the audio mix was very poor. Hard to hear the lead singer ALL THE TIME.!They need a better board operator.

Nice intimate theater. I think it seats about 1200. Saw Eddie Vedder with his band the Earthlings. Great acoustics and experience.

Nice theatre. Comfortable seats. Stage. Bar with light snacks. This is the venue when you want to actually be near the artist.

Awesome small venue

Great venue! Easy, clean and no lines for anything! Not a bad seat in the house.Remember ladies no big purses (or outside food or drinks)

My son had a dance here. The event was great. Hope to see more, and as well to be part of. Thanks.

Great venue for a concert. Would definitely recommend..

Very good program! The venue is great and comfy. Acoustics need some tweaking, but you have done a greatkob bringing entertainment to East County.

First time at this venue when it was the East County Performing Arts Center. Huge improvement and every seat is great.

Nice theatre with weird seats. Everybody sat with their hands in their laps and their shoulders up around their ears cuz the arm rests are so high. Not sure I love this place. I had great seats. Row G

This really is a wonderful venue. It has been upgraded and there is a bar and food available outside for carry in. All seats are good and parking is easy.

Good times🤘 Alan Parson was ! Is Amazing 🤘✌

Its beautiful inside! Clean, well set-up and the staff are super friendly.....Definitely recommend checking out any show, concert etc at this place

The show was great & beautiful❤️, but started 1 hour after

Every seat in the theater is great! Fair prices too!

Great place, but first complaint to much trouble to get it in, the lady who was checking the covid vaccination cards, poor acknowledgement, we brought ours digitally even with QR code (fully vaccinated), and was denying us the entrance until another person came in and told her we were clear, after that, the size of the purses was another issue for lots a people, they should give better heads up in they have super strict rules to get in.

Saw Seth Meyers here, a great venue with friendly staff. Easy parking lot also.

Good venue for stand up or maybe a play but I cant imagine watching a music show or concert here

The concert was ear-splitting; dangerously loud where you cant hear each other speak and can lose/permanently hurt your hearing. No vaccination checks and little to no mask wearing.

The New Magnolia was Awesome! Its a great venue in the East County! The view is great, every seat has a best view and the sound was great too! I cant wait to go back.

Excellent sound, seating and lighting. Live Nation did a good job of renovating. unfortunately because it is Live Nation they still add ridiculous processing fee surcharges to every show there.

Great place for shows. Comfortable and good sound.

The staff here is really nice. The only negative is that they don’t have ADA accessible seating they could offer me, and I couldn’t get to my seat due to stairs.

Awesome venue, very well kept and designed. I was very impressed and look forward to attending another concert here.

Awesome place, almost better than Balboa theater. Vai, Petrucci and Mrs Henry last waltz last night, come on lets rock boys and girls..