Jones Beach Theater is one of Long Island’s most memorable places to see a concert, especially on a clear summer night when the stage, the bay, and the ocean air all come together. But because the venue sits so close to the water, certain concerts can become unforgettable for reasons fans may not expect, especially when high tide, moon phases, and weather conditions combine.
Upper deck view at Jones Beach Theater. Photo: Brian Kachejian © 2017
Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater is one of our favorite theaters to see concerts. On a beautiful, clear night, there is no better place to sit and enjoy the legends of classic rock, country, or up-and-coming modern-day artists. The theater and its promoters, Live Nation, do a wonderful job of scheduling a concert season that includes artists for all generations and fans of all genres. With a capacity of 15,000 seats, the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater is the largest concert arena on Long Island. The renovated Nassau Coliseum once had a larger seating capacity, but now seats only 14,500 for concerts. Other concert venues, such as Stony Brook University’s Staller Center or LIU Post’s Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, have a much smaller seating capacity.
As every individual who has ever bought Jones Beach concert tickets understands, all concerts at Jones Beach are held rain or shine. Odds are that if you are reading this article, you have experienced sitting at the theater in the rain at one time or another. That’s understood, that’s accepted, and according to the fine print, it is something one agrees to when purchasing a ticket. For the most part, the odds of enjoying a concert on a clear night are higher than experiencing a rain-soaked show, especially during the months of July and August.
I had purchased two tickets to see Joan Jett and Boston on the evening of July 23, 2017. During the Fourth of July weekend, Live Nation announced it would be selling concert tickets at the theater for only $20. The last time I purchased concert tickets for 20 dollars was probably in the late 1970s. Granted, the twenty-dollar tickets were in the upper deck, but for twenty dollars, I had no problem sitting up high with the seagulls. There were still tickets available in the orchestra section, but the prices for those seats were close to ten times what I paid for the cheap seats. What I witnessed happen to fans sitting in the orchestra section during the Boston performance made me feel very fortunate that I had not purchased orchestra seats.
During the Joan Jett set, I noticed that the bay water was nearly level with the orchestra floor. After Joan Jett’s performance, the water started to creep onto the sides of the orchestra section. By the time Boston was hitting the stage, the entire front section of the orchestra was flooded in at least a foot of water. For the entire two-hour Boston concert, every person who had purchased a concert ticket in that area was forced to stand in ankle-high water. It seemed that in certain sections, the water was even higher. I had friends who were standing in front of the stage, and they told me people were just taking off their shoes and making the best of it. Of course, you had those splashing around, making it even more miserable for those who would rather be standing on a dry floor. By the second hour of Boston’s set, half the fans in the orchestra section had left.
Flooding at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater. Photo: Brian Kachejian © 2017
Why the Orchestra Section Flooded
Since I had never seen the orchestra section flooded during a show, I did some research to determine why it happened. It all came down to basic science and a perfect series of natural events. The first one was obvious: high tide. But high tide happens every day, 12 and a half hours apart. So concerts occur at high tide all the time without flooding. The key factor to the flooding was the New Moon that occurred during that high tide. A New Moon or Full Moon will always cause a higher tide than normal. If there is also a strong northern wind, the combination of high tides, a New Moon, and wind can cause flooding, which is exactly what happened during the Boston set.
So here’s the good news. While it is pretty much impossible to predict whether a few months in advance, the phases of the moon can be 100 percent accurately predicted. All one has to do is check the concert date and then look up the phases of the moon for that night. If you are planning to buy Jones Beach concert tickets in the orchestra section, you can check whether there will be a New Moon or a Full Moon for that evening’s concert. If there is, you may want to buy seats above the orchestra, or you will be wringing out your socks. It’s as simple as that. As long as Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater continues to utilize no solid barriers between the orchestra floor and the bay, those waters will continue to flood the orchestra section when nature aligns in conflict with rock and roll. The links below will give you access to the phases of the moon that you can use to match up with concert dates.
Jones Beach concerts are fun. Just take our advice and check in advance if there will be a Full or New Moon rising when buying Jones Beach concert tickets.
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If you enjoyed this article, be sure to explore more ClassicNewYorkHistory.com features on Long Island history, Nassau Coliseum, Stony Brook events, Jones Beach, and memorable New York concert experiences.
Updated: June 27, 2026
