Long Beach finally did what the culture has been waiting on. On June 6, Mayor Rex Richardson presented Snoop Dogg with the key to the city of Long Beach, a moment that felt as inevitable as it did long overdue.

The honor came at the end of a night that was already historic on its own terms. Snoop headlined the grand opening of the city’s brand-new F&M Bank Amphitheater, performing for a sold-out crowd of 11,000 people along the waterfront. By the time Mayor Richardson took the stage to make it official, the crowd already knew they were witnessing something bigger than a concert.

“Long Beach created the culture, and Snoop Dogg shared it with the world,” Richardson said, emphasizing that the key recognized not only Snoop’s extraordinary achievements in music, entertainment, and business, but also the authenticity, creativity, and pride he has brought to Long Beach on the global stage for decades.

With over 35 million albums sold, an Emmy, 17 Grammy nominations, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Snoop’s impact spans from co-headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show to coaching on The Voice and supporting Team USA at the Olympics. All of it rooted in one city. And on this night, Long Beach made sure he knew they haven’t forgotten where it all started.

In addition to the key to the city, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Americans for the Arts presented Snoop with the Citizen Artist Award.

The venue itself is no small thing either. The $21 million F&M Bank Amphitheater sits on the waterfront with the Queen Mary in the background, making it Long Beach’s first large-scale outdoor music venue and the second-largest outdoor amphitheater in Los Angeles County. The 2026 lineup already includes Ice Cube, Lil Wayne, Toto, Luke Bryan, and Mötley Crüe, among dozens of other acts.