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Hollywood Bowl

  • Things to do
  • Hollywood
  • price 2 of 4
  • Recommended
Hollywood Bowl, drone image, Los Angeles, California
Photograph: Courtesy Los Angeles Philharmonic Association/Adam Latham
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Time Out says

The Hollywood Bowl is beautiful even when it’s empty (when there’s no performance, the iconic venue doubles as a county park). But when there’s a show—when picnic basket-toting concertgoers amble up the hill and fill amphiteater’s 18,000 seats—it’s simply magical.

The summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 1922, the Bowl is simply unlike any other concert venue in L.A.; seeing a show here isn’t just a performance, it’s an experience. The gates typically open two hours prior to showtime, when guests stream in and start to claim to the picnic areas. Yes, you can bring your own food, and even your own bottles of beer and wine for LA Phil-produced shows (as opposed to lease events, which aren’t BYOB friendly).

Being just about anywhere inside the Bowl feels electric, but of coursewhere you sit does still matter (the bulk of the venue is bench seating). If you’re able to splurge on the box seats (which can cost hundreds of dollars each), you’ll be treated to four foldable chairs with two tables that pop open for the ultimate pre-show picnic. On the opposite end, if you’re booking tickets early you might be able to nab $2 bench seats all the way in the back for some LA Phil. If you don’t want to drop a ton on seats but do still want a taste of a premium experience, consider booking a reservation at the Backyard, an open-air restaurant right next to one of the huge screens that flank the stage. Reserve an early time slot and you’re welcome to wine and dine right up until the start of the show.

There’s, of course, one notorious downside to seeing a show at the Bowl, but we don’t think that should stop you from coming here. Traffic can be horrendous given its canyon location (however early you think you should leave, leave even earlier), and the parking lots are all stacked, meaning you’re stuck unti any adjacent cars can get out. If you insist on parking on site, Lots C and D across the street are still stacked but sometimes somewhat less of a nightmare than Lot B. Otherwise, we strongly suggest either parking at Ovation Hollywood and taking the shuttle or walking (it’s about 20-plus minutes slightly uphill), or using the Bowl shuttle from the L.A. Zoo (there are park and ride buses to farther destinations around the city, but the zoo bus is by far the most efficient).

Details

Address:
2301 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles
90068
Price:
Tickets $1–$150; parking $22–$60
Opening hours:
Box office: Tue–Sun noon–6pm
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What’s on

Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett

  • Pop

Even if you never really vibed with Jimmy Buffett’s whole “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” and “Margaritaville” state of mind, you have to admit that the lineup for this tribute show at the Hollywood Bowl is akin to having a cheeseburger in Paradise. Paul McCartney, the Eagles, Jon Bon Jovi, Zac Brown, Jackson Browne, Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Scotty Emerick, Jack Johnson, Caroline Jones, Mac McAnally, Jake Owen, Pitbull, Jake Shimabukuro and the Coral Reefer Band will all perform at the Hollywood Bowl on April 11 in honor of the late singer-songwriter.

deadmau5

  • Dance and electronic

Named for the Canadian electro-tech jacker’s cat (how sweet!), the rodentia-head-sporting deadmau5 (Joel Thomas Zimmerman) brings his mind-melting array of flashing lights and sonic boom to the Hollywood Bowl for “retro5pective,” a show to celebrate two decades of his music. You might want to pack your sunglasses.

Caifanes + Café Tacvba

  • Rock and indie

The two legendary Mexican rock bands team up for this coheadlining show at the Hollywood Bowl.

Vampire Weekend

  • Rock and indie

At times a little bit South African rhythm by way of Paul Simon, a little bit New York indie rock and a little bit yacht rock, Vampire Weekend returns to L.A. for a show at the Hollywood Bowl. 

Noah Kahan

  • Folk, country and blues

The singer-songwriter’s “Stick Season” quickly became a viral sensation on TikTok, as did his album of lockdown songs by the same name. Now, Kahan hits the road at staggeringly sized venues, including two dates in L.A. at the Hollywood Bowl.

Chris Stapleton

  • Folk, country and blues

Kentucky boy Chris Stapleton has penned hits for country superstars Kenny Chesney and George Strait, but it’s his solo career that’s earned him the most attention lately.

Roots Picnic: Hip-Hop is the Love of My Life

  • Rap, hip-hop and R&B

The Roots headline this hip-hop fest at the Hollywood Bowl, which boasts the likes of Queen Latifah, Common, Digable Planets, Arrested Development, the Pharcyde and Black Sheep.

Barbie The Movie: In Concert

  • Comedy

We thought this year’s Hollywood Bowl lineup was already kenough, but here’s one more addition that has us dreaming in pink: Barbie will screen at the Bowl this summer with a live orchestra performing the score. On July 27, conductor Macy Schmidt will lead the Barbie Land Sinfonietta, an all-women, majority women-of-color orchestra, in a performance that accompanies a showing of the Greta Gerwig film. As is the case with the majority of LA Phil-produced shows, tickets are currently only available to subscribers, but single tickets will become available on May 7.

Outlaw Music Festival

  • Folk, country and blues

Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp and Brittney Spencer play this touring country fest, which stops in L.A. at the Hollywood Bowl.

The National + The War on Drugs

  • Rock and indie

Soak up the vibes of an evening of beautiful but kind-of-melancholy rock as the ever-brooding National share the bill with the Petty/Dylan-esque War on Drugs at the Hollywood Bowl, part of the bands’ coheadlining Zen Diagram tour.

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