Why is the Hollywood Bowl so expensive?

Why does the Hollywood Bowl have a high price?

Located in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, The Hollywood Bowl is one of the most popular and renowned outdoor music theatre stages. This beautiful location is an LA summer residence and has welcomed such stars as The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald, among others, during its existence for almost a century.

However, beyond the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and the famous names of musical legends, ticket listings on the ‘Ticketmaster’ website are shockingly high and the fees often result in the Hollywood Bowl being a rather costly experience. So why are tickets at this legendary venue priced so steep compared to other outdoor concert venues, such as amphitheaters?

A quote that describes this venue as unique and challenging:

The first one can be the straightforward difficulty of the stadium as a playing ground for soccer matches. Due to the geographical inaccessibility and weather conditions, the need to keep the Hollywood Bowl functional is incredibly high, and the construction cost of the facility is much higher compared to regular indoor theaters or sports arenas.

From the shell-shaped band shells to the elliptical audience chamber to the complex acoustic characteristics needed to broadcast sound in an open setting, staging events at the bowl is relatively more involved in terms of resources and costs. Another challenge that an open-air theater has to deal with is weather and outside sound, which are inconveniences that an indoor theater does not have to deal with and this makes operating expenses to run events quite steep.

incorporation of 3D modeling and projector for better positioning and arrangement of the audience and structure, as well as satellite speakers at the periphery to enhance the sound distribution, adds to the mounting costs of organizing high-quality concerts at Hollywood Bowl each year.

Scarcity Drives Up Demand

Despite this popularity, the structural design of the Hollywood Bowl has a restricted seating capacity of approximately 17,500 seats. Of these, fewer than 25% have the backs of the chairs against the primary riser seating in the more desirable “box” sections nearer to the stage. The other ones are benches-type of seating arranged along the massive edges of the amphitheater.

These are limited seating options coupled with the Bowl’s reputation as one of the premier venues to watch concerts across the world, making tickets very hard to come by. Based on the law of demand and supply, demand determines the price when supply is relatively low and restricted.

The Bowl’s short summer season from June to September also enhances this factor due to high competition for bookings from event organizers. This results in high numbers of music tourists and residents knowing the time they have is limited to attend a concert and thus, demand is peaking during those few months. Once more, simple supply-demand laws say that prices will go up to compensate for the skewed ratio of willing buyers and products available for purchase.

Hefty Talent Fees

Of course, the artists themselves are part and parcel of any ticket pricing and would naturally claim a huge chunk of the ticket prices. Concert pricing is a complex process, which takes into account not only the fees for the artist and the money for backing musicians and crews but also tour costs, rental fees for venues, and many others.

Just artists’ fees are capable of causing huge price escalation since the Hollywood Bowl isn’t just any venue; it hosts mega-celebrities at the apex of their fame. It has been a favorite theatre for Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, and other regular pop, rock, and R&B artists who command premium prices. Apart from such figures of six figures for flat fees, most A-list artists charge a percentage of ticket sales too.

Hence, the ticket prices end up being inflated so much after the star-level performance fees (besides all the other show production costs piled onto the main fees).

That is how one gets VIP treatment, but the price that has to be paid is extremely steep.

As it is with most large concert venues today, the Hollywood Bowl has developed a variety of VIP seating and backstage passes that inject a reach into the thousands. Apart from general reserved seats, there are packages for instance…

The Box Circle Club is a private club located on the stage level with a luxurious lounge area for members, free dining, and champagne before the performance.

Pool Circle Tables: four top tables which are placed just close to the dancing platform with preferred car parking space, restaurant, and also a bar. Easily runs $10,000+.

Well, music lovers expecting the best experience to complement one of the most famous venues in the world, namely the Hollywood Bowl, should not be blinded by the fact that the VIP experience comes with a price tag. Of course, the plus is that you will probably get the only chance to see the band in one of the most iconic music venues.

Operational and Venue Improvements

Those in the ticket-selling business may be wondering why ticket prices do not appear to drop even when concerts are sold out season in and out. The reason is that the venue has continued to implement large-scale annual improvement projects and renovations of the performance, all aimed at enhancing the audience experience but funded by tickets.

That alone, in recent years, has included the addition of video screens, enhancement of box seating sections, the evolution of more food and beverage options, and other facilities meant to accommodate fans. There are also recurring costs for things such as the coordination of parking, maintenance and construction projects, and debt servicing for bonds incurred for previous improvement projects.

Such endeavors, without doubt, contribute positively to the audience experience but they fuel the upward slope of prices as operators seek to recoup the cost of the improvements from ticket sales. Of course, to the fans of music, such high ticket prices are justified to feel the magic of the night filled with stars and brilliant live music echoing throughout the natural theater.

Altogether, the ticket price is relatively steep, but the Hollywood Bowl is a unique part of Los Angeles that is worth seeing and feeling to get the whole idea. Indeed, for music lovers, it is a dream to see the icons who performed on the arched stage and though people may have to save all their pennies to be able to watch their favorite stars perform at this legendary place, it is worth every penny. The overall investment in the shows is worth it because of the unique performances held just once in a lifetime and the scenic beauty of Hollywood Hills.

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