What to Know
- The 2022 season runs on select dates from June 12 through Oct. 23
- The free 101 Festival, in partnership with the Hollywood Bowl, takes place on June 12 (and June 11 at the Hollywood Bowl)
- Michael Franti & Spearhead, Best Coast, and Ani DiFranco are on the schedule, with poetry events also ahead; tickets start at $10
The notion that two cultural landmarks, both giants of the performance venue world, would keep each other company after the footlights grow dim each night seems a rather fanciful one, like something from a fairy tale.
And yet?
Our storied city does boast two big besties in this fanciful realm, a pair of neighbors separated by a major freeway but united in a common cause: Deliver magical nights and marvelous musical moments to Angelenos.
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It's The Ford and the Hollywood Bowl we're rhapsodizing about, of course.
And while we're not sure if these landmarks catch up with each other after the bands and audiences leave at the end of an evening, we imagine these beloved bastions of harmonies and happiness do have a wonderful, or perhaps 101derful, relationship.
With that in mind, the free 101 Festival, held in partnership with the Hollywood Bowl, will return in mid-June to help launch The Ford's 2022 season.
The "two-day-long celebration of music and community" will "reverberate through the Hollywood Hills," but there are many gems to anticipate on The Ford's upcoming schedule.
The roster, which was officially announced on April 5, includes shows from Weapons of Mass Creation, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Best Coast, Warpaint, Ani DiFranco, She & Him, Melissa Etheridge, and José González.
"Pan-American Hoy!" is also a centerpiece of the schedule, "an evening that celebrates the eclectic, vibrant musicians from across the Americas and highlights rich musical traditions and contemporary creativity that infuse reimagined folk traditions."
Dance is also a vibrant hallmark of The Ford, and Pacífico Dance Company will present "DesdéMexico" in early September in honor of the troupe's 30th anniversary.
And "Outfest Under the Stars" will play a central part in the 2022 LGBTQ+ film festival, with three nights of great movies and community spirit later in July.
Like its performance-packed pal The Hollywood Bowl, The Ford, a 1,200-seat outdoor venue, can trace its story back to the early '20s.
The landmark, in short, has had decades to become the august experiential icon it is today, meaning stellar groups, troupes, artists, and acts regularly grace the picturesque stage.
So finding a show, or three, or ten you'd love to see? The upcoming schedule is asparkle with jewels, for sure.
"This season, The Ford will offer a magnificent musical feast with artists of all different styles, backgrounds, and cultures — including our expansive Pan-American Music Initiative," said Los Angeles Philharmonic Music & Art Gustavo Dudamel.
"Much like the beautifully diverse people and neighborhoods of our great city, we will join together to become something more than the sum of our parts, united in harmony by the common language of music."
Tickets start at $10, and they're on sale now.
