Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles summer staple, announces reopening plans

The Hollywood Bowl is coming back.

The famed Hollywood Bowl amphitheater in Los Angeles announced on Friday it will be reopening this summer, more than one year after it closed its gates due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The venue said it plans to reopen in May with a limited capacity audience of about 4,000 and hope to increase that as the summer goes on. The normal seating capacity is over 17,000.

The first four concerts to be held at the Bowl will be free events sponsored by Kaiser Permanente for healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers “as a gesture of thanks for all they have done for Los Angeles throughout the pandemic,” a press release read.

Further details on artists and dates for summer concerts will be announced on May 11.

“As we prepare to reopen, the health and safety of our audiences, artists, and staff is our top priority,” a release continued. “We are committed to ensuring that you have an exceptional Bowl experience, with confidence in the policies and procedures designed for the safety of our guests.”

The Hollywood Bowl hosts about 110 concerts during a typical summer and is one of the largest outdoor amphitheaters in the world, according the venue. It closed for 12 days in 1951 and, until last year, had never been shuttered for an entire season in its 98 years.