Ever since the LA Phil has taken over the programming for the Ford, the Hollywood Bowl’s smaller sibling has felt like a welcome bonus to the Bowl season. And once again, after looking over the just-released schedule, that’s absolutely the case at the Hollywood Hills amphitheater.
For the 2024 season, which runs from mid-July until Halloween, you can catch sets from Guster (backed by the LA Phil), the Airborne Toxic Event, José Feliciano, Devendra Banhart and Bonny Light Horseman; hang out with the hosts of Vibe Check, listen to a live episode of Song Exploder on the Magnetic Fields’ 69 Love Songs, and see Alan Cumming and NPR host Ari Shapiro debut a new cabaret show; and watch a series of Studio Ghibli screenings, including Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and a pair of Street Food Cinema events for The Shining and Young Frankenstein.
Tickets are on sale now for packages of three or more events; single tickets go on sale May 14 at 10am. For the three kid-friendly L.A. Soundscapes shows, each full-priced ticket includes up to two free children’s tickets.
If you’ve never seen a show at the Ford before, here’s a quick rundown: The roughly century-old outdoor theater sits just on the other side of the 101 from the Hollywood Bowl. But unlike the staggeringly huge Bowl, the Ford and its castle-like stage are intimate by comparison with only 1,200 seats (and the same picnic-friendly policy). Even at that smaller size, parking is still a stacked squeeze in the tight Cahuenga Pass, so you’ll find free shuttle service from the Universal City Metro station as well as Ovation Hollywood.
You can find this year’s full lineup—with all sorts of dance and jazz shows that we haven’t even mentioned yet—on the Ford’s site, as well as below.
July
Vibe Check
Sun, July 14 at 7:30pm
DILLA JAZZ featuring DJ Battlecat and Bilal, plus J. Rocc & Special Guests
Produced in Partnership with Just Jazz and Fusicology
Thu, July 18 at 8pm
Guster with the LA Phil
Sat, July 20 at 8pm
Song Exploder: 69 Love Songs with Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields) and Hrishikesh Hirway
Wed, July 24 at 8pm
Prateek Kuhad
Fri, July 26 at 8pm
Meridian Brothers
Sun, July 28 at 7:30pm
August
The Just and the Blind: Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Daniel Bernard Roumain
Fri, Aug 2 at 8pm
8th Annual Boleros De Noche featuring José Feliciano and Tres Souls
Sat, Aug 3 at 8pm
The Motherboard Suite featuring Saul Williams and directed by Bill T. Jones
Fri, Aug 9 at 8pm
Los Cafres
Sat, Aug 10 at 8pm
Bloco Obini
Sun, Aug 11 at 11:30am
100 Años de Libertad
Sat, Aug 17 at 8pm
TAIKOPROJECT
Sun, Aug 18 at 11:30am
Princess Mononoke
Fri, Aug 23 at 8pm
Spirited Away
Sat, Aug 24 at 8pm
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Sun, Aug 25 at 7:30pm
Jazz Is Dead: The Mizell Brothers
Wed, Aug 28 at 8pm
September
Michelle Dorrance + Jillian Meyers + Josette Wiggan
Fri, Sept 6 at 8pm
Flypoet Summer Classic
Sat, Sept 7 at 8pm
Jeff Rosenstock
Fri, Sept 13 at 8pm
¡Viva La Tradición! La Quinceañera
Sat, Sept 14 at 8pm
¡FIESTA! with Bob Baker Marionette Theater
Sun, Sept 15 at 11:30am
Jazz Está Morto: Marcos Valle, Azymuth
Tue, Sept 17 at 8pm
Noche de Cumbia: Reyna Tropical and Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto
Sat, Sept 21 at 8pm
Inner Wave presents Sun Transmission 10th Anniversary
Sun, Sept 22 at 7:30pm
Blue13: 100 Seconds to Midnight
Sat, Sept 28 at 8pm
Un Fandanguito con Caña Dulce y Caña Brava
Sun, Sept 29 at 11:30am
October
Devendra Banhart + Marina Allen
Wed, Oct 2 at 8pm
Island Womxn Rise: Ruby Ibarra, Klassy, Rocky Rivera, Faith Santilla & Kimmortal
Sat, Oct 5 at 8pm
Bonny Light Horseman
Sun, Oct 6 at 7:30pm
Jazz Is Dead: Ebo Taylor & Pat Thomas
Wed, Oct 9 at 8pm
Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro: Och & Oy! A Considered Cabaret
Fri, Oct 11 at 8pm
The Airborne Toxic Event
Fri, Oct 18 at 8pm
Leith Ross
Sat, Oct 19 at 8pm
The Shining
Wed, Oct 30 at 8pm
Young Frankenstein
Thu, Oct 31 at 8pm