Where to hear live music in Hollywood: Tips for the Hollywood Bowl

One of my favorite things in life is hearing live music. Being inside concert venues, no matter the size, is my happy place. I love having shared experiences with people who are all doing something we love — seeing bands that have played the soundtracks to our lives. Los Angeles is one of the best places to hear live music from small venues with local talent trying to make it big to venues holding thousands of fans singing along to the words. It is also great because so many musicians live and work here. Surprise guests at concerts are more commonplace than you would think. In the Where to Hear Live Music in Hollywood series, I will talk about the places I recommend and some that I don’t recommend at all. Since my first recommendation in this neighborhood has so much to offer, I will focus on it for an entire post. Here are my tips for the Hollywood Bowl.

The Hollywood Bowl

This historic venue has been part of the Hollywood landscape since the 1920s. Every May to the beginning of October, the Hollywood Bowl holds its concert season. The line-up includes well-known artists, musical sing-alongs, music in film, and several performances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic who relocate to the Bowl each summer. The genres and artists who perform here are so varied that in a week, you can hear classical, country, jazz, rock, and electro-funk.

There are a lot of things to love about this place– the killer sound system, the ability to actually get tickets to the bands I want to see, and enjoying music under the stars with a nice bottle of wine. It can, however, be a pretty overwhelming experience for some. From being too close for comfort with 17,500 of your fellow music lovers to being confused by what you can bring to the Bowl, here are the types of programs held and my personal tips.

The LA Phil 

Each summer, the Los Angeles Philharmonic holds both practice sessions and concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. Their concerts are mixed into the schedule, giving you the opportunity to hear Mozart one night and bands like Cafe Tacuba the next. A summer tradition is when John Williams directs the LA Phil. For that evening, you are transported to galaxies far, far away with music from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jurassic Park, and of course, Star Wars. The Bowl becomes alive with the glow of lightsabers.

You also have the opportunity to attend LA Phil practices at the Bowl for free. These are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m., starting after the fourth of July to Mid-September. You do not have to stay the whole time, but you should observe orchestra rules while you are here. Quickly, no talking during performances and enter and leave during a break between songs. These practices are open to the public and kid-friendly. If it didn’t sink in, you get to see these world-class musicians on one of the best sound systems in the city for FREE.

See if they have a practice open to the public here.

For rules on what you can bring to LA Phil concerts, continue below.

Hollywood Bowl Events

If classical music isn’t your thing, do not worry, more bands than I can mention have played here, including the Beatles in 1964. The Hollywood Bowl team and local radio station, KCRW, pack the line-up with new genres every night. During the 2019 season, you had the opportunity to see Cyndi Lauper, Gary Clark Jr., Kristin Chenoweth, Leon Bridges, and Bad Company, as well as sing along to songs from Disney’s The Little Mermaid and attend the three-day Playboy Jazz Festival. This is not all of the musical acts, either.

The Hollywood Bowl/LA Phil evening events allow you to pack a picnic and bring your own beer & wine. There are still some rules to keep in mind for these events; that list is here.

Lease Events

Once the Hollywood Bowl season ends, the venue continues to host lease events until mid-November. You will notice two names on the lease event tickets, Andrew Hewitt and Bill Silva. They tend to organize the big draw bands and artists, like Radiohead, Interpol, and the Jonas Brothers. Lease events have additional rules to keep in mind. These events are more restricted to what you can bring. For example, you cannot bring your own alcohol and nothing in glass bottles, including non-alcoholic beverages. Additional rules can be found on the Hollywood Bowl website.

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My personal tips for the Hollywood Bowl

Where to sit

There is a wide range of price points for this venue. There are different prices, from the white tablecloth garden boxes, the terrace picnic boxes, and Superseats, all the way up to the wooden bench stadium seats at the top of the canyon. Sound-wise, there is not a bad seat in the house. There can be a lot of distance between you and the performers, but there are jumbotrons, which is why I like sitting in sections: F1, D, E, or K1. It is a good compromise on price and being able to see the stage.

Getting to the Hollywood Bowl

• There are Hollywood Bowl Shuttles that leave from different points in the city that drop off directly in front of the Bowl.
• Take the Red Line to the station at Hollywood & Highland and walk. (You may want to pack lighter for this option.)
• WHATEVER YOU DO, do not drive here. The parking for the Bowl is stacked parking. Leaving early is not an option because you are parked in.
• Rideshare is your best bet; Lyft is an official sponsor and has its own waiting lounge.

The Pros and Cons

Pro

• A lot of venues in Los Angeles sell out in a matter of minutes. Due to the number of seats at the Hollywood Bowl, it is easier to snatch a ticket before it is gone.
• The sound system is one of the best in the city and sound-wise there isn’t a bad seat in the house.
• The restaurants in the venue are actually pretty good, but what is better is being able to choose your own price point by picnicking at the site.
• Sitting under the stars, drinking wine, and listening to music is magic.
• Transit options to the Bowl.
• This venue has an app. To see the Hollywood Bowl schedule, to buy tickets, and order picnic boxes, download the app.

Con

• Cell signal is pretty inconsistent here. Due to all of the people sharing their experiences with the world, you will notice low or no signal. I STRONGLY recommend that you save your tickets to Google Drive, Dropbox, Apple Wallet, etc., and switch them to available offline. It would suck to get all the way there and not have your tickets.
• If you decide to buy food at the venue, keep in mind that it is expensive because you are a captive audience. Lines can also be very long. I missed most of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, waiting for a hot dog.
• Because it is such a relaxed atmosphere, people do sometimes hold full conversations during concerts. 
• I have had to throw away a nice bottle of wine because of not reading the rules before a lease event.
• Also, contact highs, which may be a pro for some people.
• Parking

If you happen to visit during the off-season, the Hollywood Bowl Museum is open all year round if you want to learn about this venue’s place in music history. [Info. here]

The Hollywood Bowl is my favorite place to hear live music in Hollywood and probably all of Los Angeles. It is too bad that it can’t be an all-year-round thing. I hope these tips for the Hollywood Bowl help you enjoy your experience more.

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