As we’ve been talking about in our LA Parent Podcast’s Summer Spectacular Series, outdoor concerts are happening everywhere! There are so many opportunities to see live music in beautiful spaces around Southern California. San Diego just added a new venue to that growing list: The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park.
Aimed to be one of the most acoustically superior outdoor concert venues in the nation, The Rady Shell gets its name from its seaside location and dramatic shape. The first permanent waterfront venue on the west coast, set on the scenic San Diego Bay with stunning, 360-degree views of the downtown skyline, the 10,000-seat concert venue has been 5-years in the making. Built on a 3.7-acre park, the new concert venue will be the summer home for San Diego Symphony and the first bayside concert venue in the nation to be operated by a Symphony orchestra. The Shell Provisions, The Rady Shell’s culinary program, will feature a range of local specialties from San Diego’s eateries like Urban Kitchen, Biga and Lola 55, in addition to celebrity chef Richard Blais’ pre-order menu and picnic boxes. Jacobs Park, which features walkways, open-air dining pavilions and recreational facilities, will be free to the public 85% of the year.
This weekend marks the official opening of The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, which hopes to host more than 100 concerts and events year-round. The inaugural concert on Aug. 6 features Rafael Payare conducting the San Diego Symphony in the world premiere of Mason Bates’s “Soundcheck in C Major.” Opening weekend programming continues Aug. 7 with “The Best of Broadway,” showcasing Broadway luminaries Megan Hilty, Norm Lewis and more. Other confirmed musical guests include Grammy Award winner Gladys Knight, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and two-time Grammy Award winner Jason Mraz.
For a full schedule of events, ticket reservations and concert packages, visit theshell.org. The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park is located at 22 Marina Park Way, San Diego, 92101.