Living in Los Angeles means having the chance to go to many Jimmy Kimmel tapings. Here are a few tips if you want to go!
1. Be on time
There are three types of categories your tickets may fall under: general, priority, or wait list. These tickets have different call times and people in line will be ushered in starting with priority, followed by general, and ending with wait list. So if you have a priority ticket and you do not meet the priority deadline, you will have to queue with general admission.
2. Seating can change
Being on time is important, but that being said, audience coordinators will often rearrange audience members and sent them based on show demographics, clothing, aesthetic, or the number of people in your party. Therefore, don’t stress out too much if you’re moved up or back a few seats.
3. Dress Accordingly
Choose a sassy but classy outfit. Dress code is upscale casual. Don’t wear your yoga pants; you know the ones that say “JUICY” on the back. Or for the guys, avoid a shirt that says “#SWAG”. You never know when the camera will pan or if you might be asked to be part of a skit.
4. Parking in and around Hollywood Blvd. is expensive
If you’re going with a group of people try to carpool so you can split the parking fare, which can be up to the low $30’s. Jimmy Kimmel does validate, but only for a limited time and you have to take into consideration the amount of time you will be in line plus how long the musical guest’s set will be. Parking meters are available, but they’re not very good option since unoccupied ones are hard to find and most max out at an hour.
5. Hollywood Blvd. is weird . . . but FUN!
While standing in line you are going to come across five different Spidermen, three Batmen, countless vendors, and one Muscle Man. You can embrace the craziness of it all and take a pic for a tip.
6. Don’t Bring Everything You Own
Keep your belongings to a bare minimum (because since when do bears carry large messenger bags lol); if your bag is too large you might be told to put it back in your car or leave it with security. Eating isn’t allowed inside the studio so eat before the show and leave that picnic dinner at home.
7. Embrace Don the Warm Up Guy
His humor is a little bit out there. Roll with it, have a good time and you might end up liking some of the jokes. He likes to get to know the audience and heckle certain peculiar audience members, but you might get a prize!
8. Meeting Kimmel
Jimmy comes out before the show to greet the audience, sees where they’re from; he especially likes to greet foreign guests. He really is funny in real life and a great improviser. The stage is a lot smaller than it appears on TV so you actually get to see Jimmy interview his guests a lot closer than you’d think.
9. Enjoy the Bonus Footage
Not everything you see on TV is what was filmed that day. Things are cut and edited, so as an audience member you get to see “bonus footage” that you normally wouldn’t. Sometimes clips and segments are filmed in advance and also for other projects (TV shows, commercials, movies, etc.).
10. Jimmy Kimmel is the president of The Handsome Men’s Club for a REASON
He is taller and more handsome in person. ;)