Parking, bag policy, transit and history are on the main Hollywood Bowl guide.
How to read the Bowl's seat map, from the stage uphill
The quick answer: for most buyers, the Super Seats in sections H, G1 and J1 are the best balance of view, comfort and distance, because they sit dead center on Promenade 3 with padded seats, backs and arms. Closer than that, you are buying a box; farther, you are on a bench.
The Hollywood Bowl has no decks or overhangs. The whole house is one slope, and the seat map is easiest to read as a series of horizontal bands separated by walkways called promenades (wide cross-aisles that run the width of the bowl). The venue's own accessible-seating map labels the bands like this, from the John Williams Stage uphill:
- Pool Circle: movable seats directly in front of the stage.
- Garden Boxes and the side boxes, reached from Promenade 1 and Ramps A and E.
- Terrace Boxes, with sections D and E on either side, along Promenade 2.
- Super Seats and the lettered sections F, G, H, J and K, along Promenade 3.
- Bench sections above Promenade 3. Two seating guides agree that these lettered sections continue up the hill to the X sections at the top.
Every event uses the same layout. Unlike an arena, the Bowl does not reconfigure for a rock show versus a symphony, so a seat that works for one kind of night works for the other. What changes is how you will use the seat, which is covered below.
Pool Circle, Garden Boxes, Terrace Boxes and side boxes
The front of the Bowl is sold mostly as boxes (small fenced enclosures of four or six folding chairs around a table). The numbering tells you where a box sits.
Garden Boxes and Terrace Boxes
Garden Boxes form the first band behind the Pool Circle; Terrace Boxes form the second, higher band. Box numbers run into the hundreds, and the venue identifies boxes such as 643 and 944 by number on its accessible-seating map. Box tickets are sold by the seat, so a single or a pair may share a table with another party unless you buy the full box.
Side boxes
The side boxes flank the Garden Boxes at the front corners of the bowl. Per the venue's accessible-seating map, the east side (the Main Gate side, near Ramp A) holds boxes 307–309, 407–409 and 507–509, and the west side (the Field Gate side, near Ramp E) holds boxes 374–376, 475–477 and 575–577. They are as close to the stage as the Garden Boxes but view it at an angle.
Pool Circle
The Pool Circle is the closest seating in the house and the only zone below the boxes. Its seats are movable chairs rather than fixed seats. For a lease concert (a show booked by an outside promoter), this is the zone that sells first.
Promenades 2 and 3: sections D and E, the Super Seats and the wings
Above the boxes, the seat map switches to letters, and the suffix numbers carry information.
Promenade 2: sections D and E
Sections D (east) and E (west) sit on either side of the Terrace Boxes, at about the same height. They are the closest non-box seats in the Bowl and are reached by elevator with no steps, per the venue.
Promenade 3: the center and the wings
Promenade 3 runs across the bowl directly above the Terrace Boxes. Reading the venue's map from west to east, the sections run K3, K2, K1, J2, J1, H, G1, G2, F1, F2 and F3. The pattern is consistent: a higher suffix means farther from the center line. H is the center section; J1 and G1 flank it; J2 and G2 sit one step out; and K3 and F3 are the outermost wings.
The venue describes the Super Seats in sections H, G1 and J1 as theater-style metal seating with cushioned seats, backs and arms. That makes them the most comfortable fixed seats in the Bowl, and for a long program the comfort matters as much as the view.
Above Promenade 3: the bench sections
The upper hillside is wooden bench seating in lettered sections. Two seating guides agree the letters climb to X at the top of the hill, and most letters are split into numbered pieces across the width of the bowl, as on Promenade 3. Check the map for which piece sits nearest the center line before you buy; a center bench beats a wing seat a few rows lower.
Seat numbers, groups and aisles
The bench sections number seats odd on one side and even on the other, a pattern two seating guides describe the same way. Seats 11 and 12 in the same row are therefore not neighbors. A party of four should buy four consecutive odd numbers (11, 13, 15, 17) or four consecutive even numbers, never a mixed run.
Two smaller habits help:
- Aisle seats on the benches are worth asking for at a picnic night. You will be passing food, cushions and blankets, and a bench has no armrests to mark where your space ends.
- Boxes are sold by the seat. A listing for two Garden Box seats is two chairs at a shared table unless the listing says it is the full box.
Best sections for each kind of night
Classical and film-with-orchestra programs
Sound is amplified across the whole hill, so choose on sightline and comfort. The center Super Seats (H, G1, J1) are the first choice. G2 and J2 are the close alternative. For film nights, the screens and the shell read best from Promenade 3 or higher, where the picture and the orchestra fit in a single frame.
Lease concerts: rock, pop, hip-hop and jazz
Closeness drives demand. The Pool Circle and the Garden Boxes put you within reading distance of faces, and the Terrace Boxes keep much of that feel at a lower demand level. On a budget, sections D and E are the nearest seats that are not boxes, though both sit to the side of the stage.
Fireworks nights
Fireworks fill the sky above the shell, so a higher, centered seat shows the whole display. A center bench section in the middle of the hill often beats a box at the front, where you are looking straight up.
Picnic nights
The boxes include a table, and the benches do not. If dinner is half the point, a Terrace Box seat is a better purchase than a slightly closer bench, and a full box avoids sharing a table.
Seats to think twice about
- The outer wings, F3 and K3. They sit at the far east and west edges of Promenade 3 and view the shell at a sharper angle than F1 or K1 at the same height. The venue's map shows that the last two rows of F3 and K3 are set aside for accessible seating.
- The side boxes for a staged production. They are close, but the angle can hide part of the stage. They suit a concert better than a film night.
- The top bench sections. The X sections are a long climb, and you will rely on the video screens for detail. The view of the hills and the city lights is the consolation.
- Single seats in a box. You will share the table with strangers, which some buyers enjoy and others do not.
Every order is backed by a 100% guarantee, but a wrong-sided or mixed odd-and-even purchase is a problem no guarantee fixes, so read the section and seat numbers before you check out.
Accessible seating locations at the Bowl
As of the 2026 season, the Hollywood Bowl says at least 200 wheelchair, semi-ambulatory and companion tickets are available across the venue, at most price levels. Wheelchair locations have no fixed chair. A buyer of an accessible seat may add up to three companion seats in the same row, next to the accessible seat. The venue's published locations are:
- Garden Boxes 643 and 944.
- Side boxes: 307, 308, 309, 407, 408, 409, 507, 508 and 509 on the east; 374, 375, 376, 475, 476, 477, 575, 576 and 577 on the west.
- Ramps A and E, near Promenade 1, with no steps.
- Sections D and E, off Promenade 2, reached by elevator.
- The last row of the Super Seats (H, G1, J1), off Promenade 3.
- The last row of sections G2, J2, F1, F2, K1 and K2, and the last two rows of F3 and K3.
Accessible box seats may be bought as a full box or any portion of it. LA Phil-produced events can be ordered through the venue's accessibility office by form, email or phone, and lease events through the primary ticketing link. Confirm the current details on the Hollywood Bowl accessibility page.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best seats at the Hollywood Bowl?
For most nights, the Super Seats in center sections H, G1 and J1 on Promenade 3 give the best mix of view and comfort, with padded seats, backs and arms. For a pop or rock show where closeness matters most, the Pool Circle and Garden Boxes are the top choice.
What does the number after a section letter mean at the Hollywood Bowl?
It marks distance from the center line. On the venue's map, Promenade 3 runs K3, K2, K1, J2, J1, H, G1, G2, F1, F2, F3 from west to east, so a 1 sits closer to center than a 3.
Why are my Hollywood Bowl bench seats not next to each other?
Bench sections number seats odd on one side and even on the other. Seats 11 and 12 are not neighbors; buy all odd or all even numbers for a group.
Are Hollywood Bowl box seats sold individually?
Yes. Box seats are sold by the seat, so a pair may share a table with another party. Buy the full box if you want it to yourselves.
Where is accessible seating at the Hollywood Bowl?
As of 2026, the venue lists Garden Boxes 643 and 944, the side boxes, Ramps A and E, sections D and E, and the last rows of the Super Seats and the F, G2, J2 and K sections. Several are reached by elevator with no steps.
Does the Hollywood Bowl have an upper deck or overhang?
No. The seating is one open slope with no overhangs, so no seat is under a deck. The higher bench sections are simply farther away and rely more on the video screens.