Hollywood Bowl 2021 lineup: Kamasi Washington, James Blake, Christina Aguilera, Brittany Howard, H.E.R. and more

Kevin Bronson on May 11th, 2021

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The Hollywood Bowl’s 2021 summer season will feature Kamasi Washington, James Blake, Christina Aguilera, Brittany Howard, H.E.R., Yo-Yo Ma and Carlos Vives, along with 14 concerts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic guided by music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel.

The slate of 50-plus concerts also includes annual favorites such as the July 4th Fireworks Spectacular, the Sing-A-Long “Sound of Music,” Maestro of the Movies (feat. John Williams) and the Tchaikovsky Spectacular with firworks.

After losing the 2020 season to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dudamel, for one, says he can’t wait to get started. “Music-making is ultimately about the shared experience of people coming together and being united in a communication of sound,” he said. “For musicians, there is no greater joy than feeling our instruments resonate in harmony with those around, and that is why this return to in-person performances at the Hollywood Bowl is such a powerfully important moment. After the many challenges of the past year, we all feel a profound sense of joy and gratitude to be able to once again share music with you.”

Dudamel pointed especially to the five free concerts that open the Bowl season — all special shows or frontline workers being presented in conjunction with the Kaiser Foundation.

The Bowl has established some COVID-19 protocols: As of the time of first publishing of this schedule, capacity will be limited to 67%, and the majority of all seats will be designated for vaccinated patrons. Masks will be required. See the Bowl’s current safety information here.

Bowl subscription renewals start today. Tickets for the July 4 shows go on sale May 18, and tickets for individual concerts go on sale June 1.

[Updated May 26 with St. Vincent show]
[Updated May 28 with Jonas Brothers show]
[Updated August 28 with Black Panther conductor Thomas Wilkins and special guest Baaba Maal, added Oct. & Nov. shows, Pet Shop Boys and New Order postponed to 2022]

HOLLYWOOD BOWL 2021 SEASON

* Special concerts for frontline workers
# Lease event (not part of the official Hollywood Bowl Season)

May

05/15/21 Dudamel and the L.A. Phil Return to the Bowl*
05/17/21 P!nk: All I Know So Far (documentary screening, with an appearance by P!nk)*
05/22/21 Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev with Dudamel, L.A. Phil and Gabriella Reyes, soprano*

June

06/12/21 Thundercat and Flying Lotus*
06/26/21 La Santa Cecilia*

July

07/03/21 July 4th Fireworks Spectacular, with Kool & the Gang and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Wilkins
07/04/21 July 4th Fireworks Spectacular, with Kool & the Gang and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Wilkins
07/15/21 “Peter and the Wolf,” with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, narrated by Viola Davis
07/16/21 Christina Aguilera, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel
07/17/21 Christina Aguilera, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel
07/18/21 Kamasi Washington and Earl Sweatshirt
07/20/21 Tianyi Lu Conducts “Pictures at an Exhibition,” with L.A. Phil, conducted by Tianyi Lu, and Alison Balsom (trumpet)
07/22/21 Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Enluis Montes Olivar, and Lukáš Vondráček (piano)
07/24/21 Ledisi Sings Nina Simone, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Thomas Wilkins
07/27/21 Mozart and Mendelssohn with Ruth Reinhardt, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Ruth Reinhardt, and Eric Lu (piano)
07/30/21 Cynthia Erivo, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Thomas Wilkins
07/31/21 “The Princess Bride” in Concert, with L.A. Phil, conducted by David Newman

August

08/01/21 Reggae Night XIX, with Ziggy Marley and Wailing Souls
08/05/21 Schumann & Schumann, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gemma New, and Isata Kanneh-Mason (piano)
08/06/21 Tchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Bramwell Tovey, Sterling Elliott (cello) and the USC Trojan Marching Band
08/07/21 Tchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Bramwell Tovey, Sterling Elliott (cello) and the USC Trojan Marching Band
08/08/21 Dave Koz & Friends’ Summer Horns Tower of Power
08/10/21 Dudamel Conducts Gershwin, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano) and John Holiday (countertenor)
08/12/21 Dudamel Conducts the “New World,” with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, and Randall Goosby (violin)
08/13/21 H.E.R. with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel
08/14/21 H.E.R. with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel
08/15/21 “Blame it on Rio!” with Sergio Mendes and carnival dancers
08/17/21 Dudamel Leads Elgar and Grieg, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, and Sheku Kanneh-Mason (cello)
08/19/21 Dudamel Conducts Beethoven & Falla, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, María Dueñas (violin), Pablo Ferrández (cello), Sergio Tiempo (piano) and Isabel Leonard (mezzo-soprano)
08/21/21 Sing-A-Long “Sound of Music,” hosted by Melissa Peterman
08/22/21 32nd Annual MARIACHI USA® with FIREWORKS!
08/24/21 Dudamel Leads Márquez and Tchaikovsky, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, and Anne Akiko Meyers (violin)
08/26/21 Piazzolla & Tchaikovsky with Dudamel, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, and Karen Gomya (violin)
08/27/21 Carlos Vives, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel
08/28/21 Carlos Vives, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel
08/31/21 Ray Chen Plays Mendelssohn, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Paolo Bortolameolli, and Ray Chen (violin)

September

09/02/21 Gershwin and Bonds, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Thomas Wilkins, Aaron Diehl (piano) and Julia Bullock (soprano)
09/03/21 Maestro of the Movies, with L.A. Phil, conducted by John Williams and conducted by David Newman, conductor
09/04/21 Maestro of the Movies, with L.A. Phil, conducted by John Williams and conducted by David Newman, conductor
09/05/21 Maestro of the Movies, with L.A. Phil, conducted by John Williams and conducted by David Newman, conductor
09/09/21 Beethoven & Schumann, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Marta Gardolińska, and Hélène Grimaud (piano)
09/10/21 “Black Panther” in Concert, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Thomas Wilkins, and Baaba Maal
09/11/21 “Black Panther” in Concert, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Thomas Wilkins, and Baaba Maal
09/12/21 “Black Panther” in Concert,with L.A. Phil, conducted by Thomas Wilkins, and Baaba Maal
09/14/21 Yo-Yo Ma, The Bach Project (Bach, Six Suites for solo cello, no orchestra)
09/17/21 “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” in Concert, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Justin Freer, conductor
09/18/21 Brittany Howard, Jamila Woods and Georgia Anne Muldrow
09/24/21 St. Vincent, Spoon and Mereba
09/25/21 James Blake, with Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Wilkins
09/26/21 Herbie Hancock
09/28/21 Mozart Under the Stars with Dudamel, with L.A. Phil, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, Martin Chalifour (violin) and Teng Li (viola)

October

10/01/21 Daryl Hall & John Oates, Squeeze and KT Tunstall#
10/05/21 Alanis Morissette, Garbage and Cat Power#
10/06/21 Alanis Morissette, Garbage and Cat Power#
10/08/21 Burna Boy. Queen Naija and UMI#
10/09/21 The Neighbourhood#
~~10/15/21~~ New Order and Pet Shop Boys# – postponed to 10/07/22
~~10/16/21~~ Pet Shop Boys and New Order# – postponed to 10/08/22
10/21/21 Erykah Badu, Steve Lacy and DOS Negros Orchestra#
10/24/21 Andrea Bocelli#
10/27/21 Jonas Brothers#
10/29/21 Dead & Company#
10/30/21 Dead & Company#
10/31/21 Dead & Company#