The Newport Pop Festival was held here the weekend of August 3-4, 1968 with many huge stars. It was the first music concert ever to have more than 100,000 paid attendees.
Harvey “Humble Harve” Miller, a Top 40 disc jockey for 93 KHJ-AM in Los Angeles, was hired to promote the show and hosted the event with Wavy Gravy.
Some of the performers were: Steppenwolf, Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe McDonald, The Chambers Brothers, James Cotton Blues Band, Alice Cooper, Sonny and Cher, Canned Heat, Electric Flag, Butterfield Blues Band, Eric Burdon and the Animals, Blue Cheer, Iron Butterfly, The Byrds, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Tiny Tim who shared top billing with The Airplane!
Orange County Fairgrounds
88 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa CA 92626
714 708-1500
Was there for the Sunday show. 14 years old and straight from Catholic mass to the festival. It was my third concert experience (the 1st was Ravi Shankar at UCI and the 2nd was the Dead with Jefferson Airplane on a revolving stage across from Disneyland). August 4th 1968 was hot as hell. The fairgrounds were just dirt with no asphalt. I now live about 300 yards from the site.