A Giant New Entertainment District Is Coming to Anaheim

A huge new entertainment district called OCVIBE is being built in Anaheim, California, right next to the Honda Center arena. The project covers 100 acres and will cost around $5 billion when finished. It will include a concert hall, restaurants, hotels, offices, homes, and large parks open to the public. The first part is expected to open in early 2027.

The district is being developed by the Samueli family, who also own the Anaheim Ducks hockey team. Henry and Susan Samueli wanted to turn old parking lots into a lively neighborhood where people could gather every single day. Henry Samueli is also the co-founder of Broadcom, a major technology company, so technology is a big part of how the district is being designed.

One of the most exciting features is a new 5,000-seat concert hall set to open in March 2027. Orange County did not have a modern music venue this size before, so many concert tours skipped the area. The new hall can host all kinds of music, from Latin and K-pop to country and rock. The outside will be decorated with public art designed to look like musical notes.

Food is also a huge part of the OCVIBE experience. A two-level food hall called Katella Commons will have 21 chef-run food spots and six bars inside a 50,000-square-foot space. In total, there will be 35 places to eat spread across the whole district. Local chefs were attracted by the low startup costs, since OCVIBE helped build much of the kitchen space for them.

OCVIBE also has a one-of-a-kind office building called the Weave. It is built using mass timber — large, specially engineered wood pieces — instead of concrete and steel, making it the first of its kind in Southern California. Each floor has balconies so workers can enjoy fresh air without leaving the building. The first tenant is a company called Kiln, which offers shared office space for smaller businesses.

Later phases of the project will add more than 500 hotel rooms and 2,000 new homes across eight residential buildings. Some of those homes will be set aside for people with lower incomes, even though it was not required by law. Residents and visitors will also enjoy 20 acres of open-air parks connected by a three-mile walking path. The district sits next to the Santa Ana River, where water activities may be added in the future.

The Honda Center is getting a $1 billion upgrade that includes a new entrance, better seating, and a high-end club. The arena will also serve as the indoor volleyball venue for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Nearby, billionaire Stan Kroenke plans to buy the Anaheim Angels baseball team and the land around the stadium, which could eventually connect to OCVIBE through an underpass. Local leaders hope the whole area, known as the Platinum Triangle, will one day be fully developed.