May 13, 2020 – The famed Hollywood Bowl amphitheater in Los Angeles announced Wednesday it will not open for the 2020 season.
The venue says the decision was made “in response to the latests guidance of public health officials and in an effort to protect artists, audiences, and staff from the spread of Covid-19.”
With a seating capacity of over 17,000, the Hollywood Bowl hosts about 110 concerts each summer and is one of the largest outdoor amphitheaters in the world, according the venue. It closed for 12 days in 1951 but has never been shuttered for an entire season in its 98 years.
The Ford, another outdoor venue located near the Hollywood Bowl, will also not open this season.
“The Hollywood Bowl and The Ford are much more than performance venues. They are iconic places and represent summer traditions that have played a part in defining Los Angeles itself,” Gail Samuel, president of the Hollywood Bowl and chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, said in a statement.
“It’s deeply saddening to acknowledge that the 2020 summer season is gone, but the LA Phil isn’t going anywhere. Our cultural community is among the most vibrant and creative in the world.”
Samuel said the organization is looking ahead to the 2021 season, which will mark a centennial celebration for the venues.
Scheduled concerts for 2020 included Hall & Oates, KT Tunstall, Lady Antebellum, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Lita Ford, The Playboy Jazz Festival, Steely Dan, Garbage, Alanis Morissette, Liz Phair, Halsey, Brandi Carlile, Andrea Bocelli, Bob Dylan, Pentatotnix, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Janelle Monae, Maxwell, Chick Corea, Ruben Blades, Dave Brubeck, Peggy Lee, Debbie Harry, The B-52s, Diana Ross, Sheryl Crow, Herbie Hancock, Matchbox Twenty, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Backstreet Boys, Charlie Wilson, Yuja Wang, the LA Phil shows, the fireworks shows, and more.
Everyone of those cancellations is not just a lost gig, but probably a lost tour, and all the people, jobs, and moments that go with that.
It’s not a surprise but it’s still a blow..
