Growing up in Los Angeles, my favorite thing to do each summer is enjoy yummy food and an amazing show with my family and friends at the Hollywood Bowl. I truly do not feel like it is summer without going to the bowl for a show – or 5, like I did last summer. I highly recommend for all to experience it at least once, because there is nothing quite like the Hollywood Bowl.
At the We Can Survive concert at the Hollywood Bowl in October 2017.
“The tap of the baton. A blast of horns and a grooving bass. Laughter over a shared meal. Cheers for a favorite film. The boom of fireworks. And the show-stopping sophistication of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. It’s the sounds of summer, from Classical nights to Weekend Spectaculars. Only at the Hollywood Bowl.”
1. Amazing Show Lineup
The Hollywood Bowl has such a diverse lineup of programs available from June to September. Their summer schedule has everything from classical and jazz orchestras to popular rock and rap artists. They also have amazing live musicals, such as Mamma Mia, or movie nights, such as the Grease Sing-a-Long I attended this weekend. Other upcoming shows at the Bowl include: Jennifer Hudson, Beethoven Night, JAWS – in Concert, Annie – Musical, The Pink Panther – in Concert, Harry Connick Jr.
2. Every Event is Special
The Hollywood Bowl always goes out of their way to make every show or event special with pre-show festivities, photo opp areas, special surprise hosts, fireworks, and more. Even for a simple movie screening like Grease, each guest received a bag with interactive themed goodies and were surprised when the Grease director came on stage to say hello.
3. Beautiful & Scenic Views of the Hollywood Hills
The outdoor venue has the best location with the best views and amazing weather. I love to stare at the stars and take in the views from there. I would highly recommend arriving early to take advantage of this beautiful picnic location before your show begins and bringing a blanket for when it gets colder at night.
4. Convenient Shuttles
The only thing worse than traffic on the 405 is post-concert traffic in a parking lot. My favorite part about the Hollywood Bowl is their super convenient shuttles. They have parking lots available at different locations (such as the Ventura Annex lot near Universal City, the LA Zoo lot, and Hollywood and Highland) where you can park your car and hop on their shuttle. The shuttle costs $6 a person and is the fastest and most convenient way to travel to the Bowl.
It’s extremely difficult to call an Uber/Lyft to this busy area and all parking at the Hollywood Bowl is stacked parking – so you need to wait for other cars to move out of your way so you can leave.
5. Affordable Tickets
You can find tickets for as low as $1 or $8 in the back sections of the Bowl for most shows, except for the special leased events which can be a bit pricier, but still low compared to Staples Center or The Forum. The Bowl is also small in comparison to other venues, so every seat really is a great seat.
6. You can order food without leaving your seats or waiting in any lines
If you are lucky enough to have box seats, there are waiters who walk around and can help you order food straight from your box before the show. Otherwise, I would recommend downloading the Hollywood Bowl app where you can avoid waiting in lines with their new mobile ordering program that launched last summer. The app will tell you exactly what time to walk out to the booth and pick up your food, saving you from missing parts of your show just to get a snack.
7. You can bring your own food (and WINE)
The best part of this amazing outdoor venue is that you can BYOW. Bring your favorite bottle of wine to share with friends and enjoy during the show. The Hollywood Bowl also offers an amazing collection of wines you can purchase there as well.
The Hollywood Bowl is where summer plays! With a diverse list of shows, the exciting, beautiful and convenient attraction has to be at the top of your summer bucket list. Check out their website for more information on upcoming shows.