Hollywood Bowl welcomes audiences back, as they present their first performance on May 15, 2021, after a year of lockdown closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Jon Putman | The Corsair)

Summer life in Los Angeles is synonymous with eclectic outdoor concerts presented at venues across the city. Last summer, due to the pandemic, much of this rich element of L.A. culture went missing. Now, as COVID-19 conditions continue to improve, Angelenos can look forward to returning to the Hollywood Bowl following last year's historic cancellation — the first in the past 98 years.

To kick off the reopening plan, the Bowl is presenting a series of free, invite-only concerts for frontline and essential workers in appreciation of their service during the pandemic. Thundercat and Flying Lotus will perform on June 12 and La Santa Cecilia will perform on June 26. On May 15 and May 22, the series featured the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (LA Phil) conducted by Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel. On May 17, The Amazon Original movie "P!nk: All I Know So Far" was also screened as a part of these complimentary performances. These shows are sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and GRoW @ Annenberg.

“We will be having a very special show for all of our frontline workers. We are in such gratitude to you, this show is for you,” said La Marisoul (Marisol Hernandez), lead singer of La Santa Cecilia in a recent Instagram post.

“We are wasting no time in hiring seasonal staff and implementing policies and procedures designed for the safety of our audiences, artists, and staff," said Los Angeles Philharmonic Association Chief Executive Officer and David C. Bohnett Chief Executive Officer Chair, Chad Smith, in a press release on April 9. "This summer’s concerts will likely be some of the most memorable, uplifting, and restorative of our lifetimes, and we can’t wait to get started.”

Kevin Bernard, Supervisor of Customer Service at the Hollywood Bowl, stands in front of the Marquee of the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, Calif. on May 31, 2021, where they plan on rolling guests back into the venue after being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bernard, was super enthusiastic for the plans they have in place to safely welcome guests back to enjoy the events. (Jon Putman | The Corsair)

For the Bowl's main box office Customer Service Manager, Kevin Bernard, the reopening represents a return to the work he has enjoyed for the past 37 years. “Last summer was agonizing…[the streets] felt like a giant Twilight Zone episode, it was just unthinkable,” said Bernard. “But this past month the Governor put California in the yellow, that's when we got called back.”

The regular season, open to the general public, will kick off with the July 4th Fireworks Spectacular featuring Kool and The Gang and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra led by Principal Conductor Tom Wilkins. The season lineup also includes performances by Yo-Yo Ma, Christina Aguilera, Sergio Mendes, Ray Chen, Anne Akiko Meyers, Herbie Hancock and Carlos Vives, among others.

Dudamel will conduct classical performances beginning with Prokofiev’s "Peter and the Wolf" with narration by Viola Davis, and the debut of the Pan-American Music Initiative, a five-year effort dedicated to celebrating the Americas' creative music scene.

The Hollywood Bowl will continue its tradition of presenting movies under the stars with live orchestral accompaniment. “The Princess Bride”, “Black Panther”, and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in Concert” will be screened while soundtracks are performed by the LA Phil and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. KCRW’s World Festival will also return this summer to present four concerts featuring artists such as Kamasi Washington and Ziggy Marley, among others.

As Bernard considers the season ahead, he reflects upon what will truly restore the essence of summer at the Bowl. “I've always loved being in the theater with a full crowd, and just watching the expressions on people's faces, so I often go in the back so I can watch the crowd," said Bernard. "Once I get into a situation like that, [that appreciation] will come back.”

In July, Hollywood Bowl concerts will increase to 100% capacity. The most recent COVID-19 guidelines for the venue are available on their website.

Hollywood Bowl Summer Season Is Here