Hollywood Bowl To Reopen With Free Concerts For Essential Workers

HOLLYWOOD, CA — After a grueling layoff that lasted over a year, The Hollywood Bowl and the Ford will begin their reopening process this summer. The Los Angeles Philharmonic announced both venues will kick off their 2021 season in July, with a string of concerts that include the popular Fourth of July fireworks, Tchaikovsky Spectacular and Sing-A-Long Sound of Music.

The Bowl will announce their full schedule May 11, while the Ford amphitheater will release their schedule May 25. Preceding the full reopening, the Hollywood Bowl will host four free concerts for healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers as a thank you gesture for their work during the pandemic.

"It's not possible to overemphasize the incredible support we've seen across our community during this unprecedented crisis," said LA Phil CEO Chad Smith. "We're looking forward to bringing our audiences back together with one another and with live music."

The Hollywood Bowl will welcome about 4,000 guests when concerts resume in May, slightly less than 25% of their overall capacity which is 17,500. Both the Ford and the Hollywood Bowl would be able to operate at full capacity in July, after the state said all coronavirus restrictions would be lifted June 15.

Three of the first free concerts at the Bowl -- made possible through a partnership with Kaiser Permanente -- will include performances by LA Phil Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel and the orchestra, May 15 and 22, playing repertoire from Beethoven to Marquez, with artists to be announced for the third event on June 26. The fourth free concert will be with local artists Thundercat and Flying Lotus on June 12, their first performance since winning a Grammy Award for best progressive R&B album earlier this year.

"I cannot describe the joy and hope that I feel at the thought of returning to the stage with our musicians, in front of a live audience," Dudamel said. "We have found so many extraordinary and creative ways to share music together over the course of this pandemic, but truly nothing can take the place of performing in person. And nothing can compare to the magic of making music at the Hollywood Bowl, where the sound waves mingle with the soft breeze of a Southern California evening. My friends, we have missed you, and we cannot wait to share music in person again."

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City News Service contributed to this report.