20 Items Banned from Summer Concerts at Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater

When Summer concert season is in full swing, you can’t wait to get to the Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater, claim your little patch of the lawn with your blanket and grab a cold drink. But before you do any of that? You’ll have to make it through security. Those lines are no joke. 

Maybe I’m just excited to get in the venue, shop for merch and sing along…but it always seems like the security lines are a slow shuffle compared to the ones for food, drinks or even the port-a-potties! The last thing you want to do is be THAT person holding up the line because you brought an item that’s restricted from entering the venue. 

Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater Implements a New Clear Bag Policy

I think anyone would give you a pass if you get tripped up by the new bag policy when you go to your first concert of the year at the Idaho Center. For years, the venue let you bring in just about any bag in any color as long as it was within the approved measurements of 12” x 12” x 8”. 

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However, the venue’s management opted to change their bag policies to be more in line with the current industry standards for safety and entry practices. They rolled out the clear bag policy on May 1, 2025. If you’re unfamiliar with it, we break it down HERE.

Some Items Fall Under a Grey Area; So Always Double Check

One of the things I always see slow down the security lines is people with chairs. The venue’s policy on chairs varies from show to show and sometimes has to do with the preference of the tour. That’s why it’s incredibly important to refer to your “Know Before You Go” email that gets sent to ticket holders before an event or the “More Info” button on the venue’s page for that event. 

For example, we’re writing this the day of Hardy’s “Jim Bob World Tour” concert in Nampa. The event page for that particular show clearly states “no chairs.” But the one for next week’s Ivan Cornejo show reads: 

Personal chairs are permitted for GA lawn seating. Chairs must be low profile chairs with seats approx. 6” above the ground. No camping chairs or lean chairs. 

Always check the event info so that they don’t send you back to your car after you waited in line for half an hour in the sun! 

What About Water Bottles?

I don’t know about you, but most of the concerts I went to at the Ford Idaho Center last summer were on days where it was 100º+. On days like that water is ESSENTIAL. The venue does have stations to fill water bottles and most shows allow disposable, empty, soft plastic clear water bottles.  

Items to Leave At Home

Per the venue’s website the following items are prohibited from the Ford Idaho Center.