Gustavo Dudamel delivers his ‘love letter to L.A.’ in his final summer at the Hollywood Bowl

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This summer marks a special time at the Hollywood Bowl, as Gustavo Dudamel finishes his incredible 17-year leadership of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Fans will have a chance to say goodbye to him with three concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall in June. Then, the Hollywood Bowl will begin its new season with a four-night event honoring Dudamel, called “Celebrating Gustavo at the Bowl,” starting August 20th. The L.A. Phil is expected to reveal its full summer schedule on Wednesday.

The Hollywood Bowl is celebrating both John Williams and Gustavo Dudamel this season. The venue is officially renaming its stage after Williams, recognizing his long history with the Bowl, and featuring special performances led by Dudamel. This happens at a significant time for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, marking a moment of transition and honoring two legendary figures associated with the venue.

Music

The Los Angeles Opera will reveal its 2026-27 season plans on Tuesday. The season will include two well-known operas led by the company’s new music director, Domingo Hindoyan.

In 2009, Gustavo Dudamel made his debut as the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s music director with a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. The performance, titled “Bienvenido Gustavo,” featured Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and a special appearance by Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), an organization Dudamel passionately supported throughout his time with the orchestra.

Meghan Umber, president of the Hollywood Bowl and chief programming officer at the L.A. Phil, recently explained that they used this idea as a starting point and decided to frame the entire experience as a shared journey.

Umber announced the symphony and youth orchestra will both perform in “Beethoven 9,” which will launch the “Celebrating Gustavo at the Bowl” series. During that performance, Academy Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino will premiere a new orchestral work with lyrics written by Amanda Gorman, the youngest person ever to read poetry at a presidential inauguration.

The four-day event will conclude with several exciting performances, including “Dudamel’s Playlist,” a lively show hosted by the conductor featuring Latin pop and rock. There will also be a special concert with the Foo Fighters, and a performance described as a heartfelt tribute to Los Angeles from Gustavo Dudamel.

Entertainment & Arts

2025 was a strong year for classical music, with notable achievements from figures like Gustavo Dudamel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Claire Chase, and Peter Sellars.

The Hollywood Bowl is where everything really started for me and the LA Phil, and it still feels like a truly special place to perform. We’ve pushed each other to be better, really redefined what an orchestra can do, and created a community built on a shared love of music and connection with each other.

The conductor expressed immense pride and gratitude, saying it meant a great deal to share these performances in the same location where their journey with the orchestra began, surrounded by the city lights and the night sky.

“We don’t look at this as a farewell for Gustavo,” Umber said. “He’s part of the family.”

Instead, she said, “this is a transition into a new era with him.”

Review

After 17 years, Dudamel’s L.A. Phil farewell concert bridges two orchestras with ‘Earth Between Oceans’

The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s conductor began his final season with a performance of Ellen Reid’s “Earth Between Oceans,” a piece created specifically to connect both of the orchestra’s main groups.

Instead of a big musical performance, the summer season at the Hollywood Bowl will begin with a concert featuring songs from Broadway shows. The concert will raise money for YOLA, and the evening will finish with a spectacular fireworks show.

As a huge music fan, I’m especially excited about some of the concerts they’re planning! They’re having a Juneteenth celebration with Chance the Rapper, and bringing back that awesome “A Roots Picnic Experience” night with Nas. Plus, they’re doing a Fourth of July fireworks show with the Beach Boys – and get this, John Stamos will be there too! It’s going to be an incredible summer.

Adding to the Bowl’s July 4th celebration, a selection of songs from Shaina Taub’s Tony Award-winning musical “Suffs” will be performed. Umber explained that the musical explores America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, offering a unique perspective on the historical period through the eyes of women.

Travel & Experiences

The park’s renovation will happen alongside several Disney projects celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States.

I’m so excited about the film lineup! They’re showing a really cool concert with music from Joe Hisaishi, the composer for Studio Ghibli films like “Princess Mononoke” and “My Neighbor Totoro” – they’ll even be showing clips from the movies! Plus, there’s a whole celebration of music from Wes Anderson films, which I love. And to top it all off, they’re doing a tribute to John Williams with a 50-minute highlight reel of his best work. It’s going to be amazing!

Umber described John as a special person, and his events at the Bowl as creating a sense of community. She explained that even if you don’t have family in the area, the atmosphere makes you feel like you do, with the L.A. and film communities becoming your extended family. She added that everyone lets loose and has fun, grabbing light sabers and feeling like a kid again.

Entertainment & Arts

John Williams is synonymous with Hollywood.

Beyond the new name, the Hollywood Bowl is getting a fresh look this summer. Updates include a new building for artists (the Terri and Jerry Kohl Artists Pavilion), a state-of-the-art sound system designed to improve the listening experience and minimize noise spilling outside, and a completely updated exhibit at the Hollywood Bowl Museum. This museum exhibit will showcase the Bowl’s rich history as a central part of Los Angeles culture and community – and it’s the first major overhaul of the collection in three decades, since the museum opened in 1996.

The Hollywood Bowl’s new permanent exhibit, “Hollywood Bowl: Soul of a City,” showcases the venue’s history through a variety of materials. Visitors can explore photos, recordings, original documents, maps, architectural plans, 3D models, listening stations, and items from the collections of the L.A. Phil and the Hollywood Bowl itself.

It’s hard to choose what to include in the Hollywood Bowl exhibit because there’s so much history to draw from,” Umber explained. “The exhibit will mainly highlight the successful collaboration between public and private entities that has allowed the Bowl to entertain Los Angeles residents for decades.

Umber pointed out that while we often focus on difficulties, it’s important to also acknowledge and celebrate our successes.

Besides the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s summer concerts, the Hollywood Bowl will partner with Live Nation-Hewitt Silva to present several shows in the coming months. These include stand-up performances by comedians John Mulaney and Marcello Hernández, as well as concerts by legendary music artists like Santana, the Doobie Brothers, the Black Crowes, and Tedeschi Trucks Band.

For the full 2026 Hollywood Bowl lineup, visit the venue’s website.

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2026-02-18 17:31