The Hollywood Bowl is a fantastic activity for tourists and locals alike. We love to go for concerts of our favorite musicians but honestly, the venue is cool enough that you can go to any event and have a great time.

Maybe the most important aspect of attending a show at the Hollywood Bowl is the fact that you can always bring in your own food and almost always bring in your own booze, too! Here are our go-to’s on packing for dinner:

1. If you are sitting in a box, there are tables and plenty of room so you can bring pretty much anything or even order ahead and have a full meal delivered. We love to pack a full picnic basket complete with real silverware and placements. One of the Hollywood Bowl staff will come by and help you with setting up your table (don’t forget to tip!).
2. In the more affordable seats, we love to pack sandwiches and individual bags of chips as it’s easier to manage when you are sitting on a bench. You can always arrive early if you want a bit of room to spread out or head over to one of the many picnic areas around the bowl.
3. Bring an extra bottle of wine. We’re big fans of these insulated reusable wine bottles especially when it’s hot out and you want to enjoy a nice chilled glass of white wine. If you can, avoid bringing anything glass to the Hollywood Bowl – this is a bit of an unspoken rule, safety first!
4. Pack water! Especially when it’s hot and if you are drinking, hydration is super important. You can still be fancy even with your water and bring flavored sparkling water or pack these packets of crystallized lemon juice to spice up your beverage.
5. Don’t forget dessert. We love to break out the chocolate during intermission once our meal has settled and we are ready for round 2.

Beyond your food and drink situation, there are a handful of other things we like to tell first-timers when they’re going to their first bowl show:

1. Get there early. There’s a lot to enjoy about the bowl outside of the actual show. Getting there early (gates usually open 90 minutes before the show) provides for setting up your dinner and drinks, grabbing any extras you might want from inside the venue (like a seat cushion!), and, of course, excellent people watching.
2. Choose your seat wisely. Seats on the left side of the venue (stage right) exit the fastest, so if you’re nervous about the late night, shave a few minutes off by picking a seat in those sections (E, K, J, P, N, U, T, and X). Aisle seats are far less cramped and allow a smidge more room to spread out. And the front row (really, all the front sections) is great if you can get it… unless it’s a fireworks night! The fireworks display is directly behind the amphitheater so if you want a great view, opt for the high and cheap seats.
3. Invest in your comfort. Buy a seat cushion for only a $1, and you’ll for sure thank us 2 hours into sitting on that hard bench. Also, bring a sweater. As soon as the sun goes down temps can drop 5-15 degrees and it will feel pretty chilly, especially if you’ve been sitting in the sun before that. Wear your best walking shoes! There are a lot of stairs, and depending on your seats, you might climb them all.
4. Don’t drive. Options abound for getting to and from the bowl, and our very least favorite way to do it is in our own car. Use the metro, shuttle buses, park ‘n ride, or rideshare (here’s a Lyft referral code!) and you’ll breeze in and out without dealing with the horror that is stacked parking. Remember that the street parking around the Hollywood Bowl area is closely monitored so finding a free spot is going to be tricky.
5. Read the rules. Not every bowl show is created equally. If you’ve never been to a show, be sure to check out HB’s “Guide for Newcomers” for some of their recommendations. Also, check out their “House Rules” for the full rundown on what is and isn’t allowed into the venue, depending on if it’s a house or lease event. This is super important when it comes to BYOB.

Have you been to a Bowl show this summer? What did you bring, what did you wear, what were you sad you forgot?? Let us know in the comments!