There’s a reason the Hollywood Bowl continually wins awards as one of the best outdoor venues in America. As a longtime resident of Los Angeles, I counted down the days from the end of one season and the start of another. So let me help you with my picks for the Top Shows at the Hollywood Bowl 2026.
Blue Note Jazz Festival June 13th-14th
The highlights of the first day of this year’s festival are Kokoroko as part of the first part of the day and R+R=NOW appearing just before headliner Wyclef Jean. Robert Glasper’s R+R=NOW features Terrace Martin, Chief Adjuah, Derrick Hodge, Justin Tyson and Taylor McFerrin.
The highlights of the second day are the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble at UCLA, Samara Joy, Gregory Porter and Patti LaBelle.
Arsenio Hall serves as MC for both days.
Opening Night at the Bowl: The Best of Broadway – June 20th
There isn’t a music this season (like last year’s Jesus Christ Superstar), so this all-star show will fill that gap for fans of musicals.
Halle Bailey, Tony Award-winners Darren Criss (Maybe Happy Ending), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton), Brian Stokes Mitchell (Kiss Me, Kate) and Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon) will offer the star power.
Thomas Wilkins conducts the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra with Members of YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles).
The evening will culminate in a firework shows. (And you know how impressive Bowl fireworks shows are!)
Wilkins Conducts Bernstein & Ellington – July 8th
Two other Broadway stars, Alex Newell and Ali Stroker, join this all-American music program.
The first act opens with Valerie Coleman’s Fanfare for Uncommon Times. That’s followed by William Grant Still’s Mother and Child and a song cycle from the Shaina Taub’s musical Suffs. This is a world premiere.
The second act opens with Three Dance Episodes from Leonard Bernstein’s On the Town and closes with Duke Ellington’s Harlem.
Gracie Lawrence also appears. Wilkins conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Music from the Films of Wes Anderson – July 10th – 12th
Over three nights, music from Wes Anderson’s movies will be performed by a different line-up each night.
The July 10th line-up is: Beck, Jackson Browne, Ami Dang, Britt Daniel, Karen Elson, China Forbes, Jim James, Jenny Lewis, Mark Mothersbaugh, Bill Murray, Karen O, Rogé, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Iryna Orlova leading the Ukrainian Mosaic Orchestra and Kaoru Watanabe.
The July 11th and July 12th line-up is: Beck, Jackson Browne, Ami Dang, Britt Daniel, Karen Elson, Jeff Goldblum, Jim James, Jenny Lewis, Mark Mothersbaugh, Bill Murray, Rogé, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Iryna Orlova leading the Ukrainian Mosaic Orchestra, Rufus Wainwright and Kaoru Watanabe.
The July 10th and 11th concerts feature Thomas Wilkins conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic. They are not part of the July 12th show.
All performances will include a band with Jason Falkner, Roger Joseph Manning Jr., Gus Seyffret and Joey Waronker. Musical Director is Justin Meldal-Johnsen.
Let the Sunshine In: The Music of ’69 – July 17th
Ted Sperling, conductor and creator of This Land: America in Song at Ravinia on August 2nd, has another show looking at a particular time in American history vis-à-vis its music.
Joining him (as they are for the Ravinia show) are Noah J. Ricketts and Bryonha Marie. Also on the program are Lizzy McAlpine and Morgan James with more artists to be announced.
Sperling will lead the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
Rhapsody in Blue & Shostakovich – July 28th
I’m intrigued by the pairing of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 at this concert. They are separated by 13 years and very different ideas.
Conrad Tao is the soloist for Rhapsody in Blue.
The concert opens with Anna Clyne’s Masquerade, a five-minute piece she composed in 2013.
Marin Alsop conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Herbie Hancock Celebrates Miles – Aug 19th
With all the celebrations of Miles Davis and his centennial, the one that stands out to me is this concert put together by a member of his Second Great Quintet: Herbie Hancock.
Because he’s Herbie and because he knows everybody, he has a great line-up for this concert: trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard; bassist Ron Carter who also a member of that quintet; Kenny Garrett who played saxophone with Davis; conductor and arranger Vince Mendoza and bass player Marcus Miller who produced Tutu.
Celebrating Gustavo at the Bowl: Beethoven 9 – August 20th
Normally a performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony wouldn’t be reason to include a concert – even if Dudamel is conducting it as part of his farewell to Los Angeles.
No doubt that will be quite good with soloists Ryan Speedo Green, Saioa Hernández, Tamara Mumford, David Portillo, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and YOLA.
It’s the opening of this concert that piqued my interest: a new work, world premiere by composer Michael Giacchino and Amanda Gorman. I don’t know any more than that, but I’d go just for that…and stick around for the Beethoven.
Celebrating Gustavo at the Bowl: Dudamel’s Playlist – August 21st
Beyond the title, I don’t know anything about this concert except what the website says: “Join Gustavo for a one-of-a-kind, one-night-only celebration! Acting as host for the evening, he’ll invite some of his favorite artists to the stage for a surprise-filled performance.”
Having watched Dudamel during all but the last year-and-a-half of his tenure with the LA Philharmonic, that list is quite long and whatever combination of people he puts together, it is bound to be interesting.
Note: There is another Celebrating Gustavo concert on August 22nd with The Foo Fighters. It just didn’t make my list.
Celebrating Gustavo at the Bowl: A Musical Legacy – August 23rd
I don’t know any more about this concert, either. But since this marks the final concert of Dudamel’s time as Music Director with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, I anticipate this will be quite special.
Maestro of the Movies: A Tribute to John Williams – September 4th – 6th
Why mess with success? Even if these concerts of various pieces from John Williams massive cannon of work don’t radically change, they are always immensely satisfying.
David Newman returns to conduct the LA Philharmonic in pieces from Close Encounters of the Third Kind; E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Harry Potter, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Lincoln, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler’s List, Star Wars: A New Hope; Superman and the Olympic Fanfare and Theme.
Don’t fret those of you with your lightsabers, the concert will inevitably end with the annual Star Wars finale!
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis / John Coltrane 100th Celebration with Lakecia Benjamin – September 23rd
Saxophonist Benjamin’s 2020 album, Pursuance: The Coltranes was a breakthrough for her. Since that release, she’s gone on to create one great album after another – include this month’s We Dream.
For this concert she will put her focus back on John Coltrane in honor of his centennial this year.
Before Marsalis steps down as the Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, he’ll perform a program of big band arrangements of music by the likes of John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter.
Those are the top shows at the Hollywood Bowl 2026 that I’d go see. What are you seeing and why? Leave a message in the comments!
For tickets and more information for any of these shows, please click on the title of the show or, for those with different line-ups on different days, click on the day/date.
To see the full Hollywood Bowl season, please go HERE.
Main Photo: The Hollywood Bowl with Fireworks // All photos courtesy Los Angeles Philharmonic unless otherwise noted