As music festivals postponed or canceled their dates one by one, we held out hope that life would find a way for the Hollywood Bowl. But it turns out there’ll be no John Williams scores or fireworks or boozy concerts this summer at L.A.’s finest music venue.
On Wednesday, the LA Phil announced that it was cancelling this summer’s slate of concerts at the Hollywood Bowl—for the first time in the iconic venue’s 98-year history. In addition, the season at the Ford has been canceled, as well.
We’re pretty sure we say the season is great every year (because it is), but this summer’s lineup was a particularly excellent one, which makes its loss that much harder. The 2020 schedule was supposed to include orchestra-backed shows from Janelle Monáe, James Blake, the B-52s, Flying Lotus, Kamasi Washington and Cynthia Erivo; concerts from Diana Ross, Andrew Bird, Yo-Yo Ma and Sheryl Crow; screenings of The Princess Bride, Harry Potter, Amadeus and classic Looney Tunes moments; a staging of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-scored musical School of Rock; and a centennial celebration of the women’s suffrage movement, among many other shows.
“The cancellation of our summer programs and the resulting impact on our musicians and staff is devastating,” said LA Phil Association CEO Chat Smith in a statement. “We are all broken hearted by the effects of this crisis and share the disappointment of all those who look forward to the Bowl and Ford seasons every year.”
The LA Phil had already canceled the rest of its 2019/2020 season at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, which was originally scheduled to run into early June—after which the shows would typically head to the Bowl. As a result, the LA Phil is now facing an $80 million budget shortfall and is furloughing 25% of its full-time non-union workforce and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra through September 30 (this is in addition to existing expense cuts, salary reductions and layoffs of part-time employees); it’s also laying off seasonal Hollywood Bowl employees.
To address its financial shortcomings, the LA Phil is now launching “Play Your Part,” a $35 million campaign to support its ongoing programs and educational initiatives. Hollywood Bowl ticketholders will have the option of donating the value of their tickets back to the LA Phil.
Most popular on Time Out
– These 12 great L.A. restaurants just launched takeout and delivery
– L.A. County trails and parks have reopened
– Here’s what you can and can’t do outside in L.A. right now
– Here’s what dining in California will look like when restaurants reopen
– L.A. County beaches reopen this week—with plenty of restrictions