The Los Angeles Philharmonic announced Friday that more than 158,000 tickets were purchased for classical programs during the 2026 Hollywood Bowl season, setting an attendance record for the summer series.
The total covered 17 classical programs and surpassed the previous summer attendance record of approximately 140,000, set in 2017, by 13%, according to the LA Phil.
Among the season’s highlights were performances by the LA Phil and musicians from Youth Orchestra Los Angeles honoring LA Phil Artistic and Cultural Laureate Gustavo Dudamel, along with appearances by the National Symphony Orchestra and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
Three concerts featuring the LA Phil performing the film music of composer Joe Hisaishi also surpassed the Hollywood Bowl attendance record for a single classical program, according to the orchestra.
“The success of the 2026 Bowl season’s classical programming demonstrates how vital orchestral music — from soundtracks of beloved films to cross-genre collaborations to historic masterworks — still is to our community,” LA Phil President and CEO Kim Noltemy said. “The orchestra’s enduring power to transform and inspire us is only enhanced by the chance to experience it under the stars at one of the country’s most cherished venues.”
The Hollywood Bowl, which seats nearly 18,000 people, has served as the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922. The venue is a Los Angeles County park operated in partnership with the LA Phil.
The orchestra said additional non-classical programming remains on the Bowl’s 2026 summer schedule.