If you’ve never seen a concert tucked into a canyon with the breeze in your hair, tacos in hand, and someone next to you dancing like no one’s watching—welcome to The Ford. The LA Phil just dropped the full 2025 season lineup for the 1,200-seat amphitheater in the Hollywood Hills, and it’s a vibe-heavy buffet of music, film, family, and cultural magic that honestly makes FOMO a real threat.

Running July 18 through Halloween, this year’s lineup brings back beloved traditions (Studio Ghibli under the stars? Yes please), bold new collaborations (Betty Who with the LA Phil orchestra), and community-driven stories that feel both personal and powerful.

Music That’s Local, Global, and Loud in All the Right Ways

Expect nights with big names like:

Perfume Genius (Oct 4): The king of brooding queer pop makes his Ford debut.

Aly & AJ (Sept 19): Yes, that Aly & AJ—now grown-up, soulful, and Laurel Canyon-tinged.

The Pharcyde & Friends (July 18): A live band tribute to Labcabincalifornia with Pharoahe Monch and DJ Nu-Mark.

Betty Who + LA Phil (Aug 30): Synth pop meets symphony under the stars.

But the Ford also gives major love to LA’s cultural heartbeat. From mariachi tributes and cumbia blowouts to Indigenous hip hop, spoken word, flamenco, and beyond—it’s a lineup that feels proudly of this city.

Theater, Dance & Spoken Word That Dares

DIRECT ADDRESS (Oct 24): Cornerstone Theater’s poetic response to the state of the world, built from voices across LA.

Joe Bataan & Quetzal (Oct 25): A musical tribute to the labor movements that connected Mexican and Filipino workers.

Lula Washington Dance Theatre (Aug 23): Celebrating 45 years with two new North American premieres.

The Improvised Shakespeare Company (Aug 9): Think yes, and in iambic pentameter.

Family Vibes, But Make It Artful

LA Soundscapes returns with free or low-cost daytime programming for families. Highlights include:

Punk Kids LA! (July 20): Bob Baker Marionettes + punk legends Alice Bag & Kid Congo Powers = chaotic genius.

WonderLAnd! (Aug 17): Soulful street dance meets immersive joy.

Hangawi: The Autumn Festival of Korea (Sept 14): Drums, dance, and harvest celebrations.

Olé Los Angeles (Oct 19): Flamenco fire straight from Santa Barbara.

Kids 12 and under get in free with a ticketed adult, which basically makes this a fancy playdate with better music.

Ghibli, Get Out, and a Side of Zombies

The Ford’s outdoor film screenings are what LA summer dreams are made of:

Studio Ghibli Nights (July 25–27): Howl’s Moving Castle, The Wind Rises, and The Boy and the Heron, under the stars.

Get Out (Oct 30): Halloween horror with a side of social commentary.

Night of the Living Dead (Oct 31): Romero’s zombie classic with real scares and real subtext.

The Takeaway

This isn’t just a concert schedule—it’s LA, remixed. Whether you’re introducing your kids to mariachi for the first time, crying softly to JP Saxe (Sept 18), or finally catching Aly & AJ live like it’s 2007 again, The Ford is where it all hits differently. Smaller than the Bowl, cooler than most museums, and wildly representative of what makes this city hum, it’s the kind of place where you’ll leave every night saying, why don’t we do this more often?

Tickets:

theford.com

Shuttle from Hollywood/Highland or Metro available

2580 Cahuenga Blvd E, nestled in the Hollywood Hills

Come for the music. Stay for the tacos. Leave with your heart a little more full.

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The Ford’s 2025 Season Is Here—And It’s Basically LA’s Ultimate Summer Playlist

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