Grand Performances

Grand Performance is a awesome place to go with your family. This was the first time i attended a concert. It was really very high quality and great one compared to other places. Its definitely worth checking in. In addition to the performance by the band, they have transformed their park and extra spaces with a large screen make visible for everyone. The lighting, speakers, stages everything is extra ordinary. Dont miss to visit this! Rush soon and enjoy your time with your loved ones.

A repost from Sunday Grand Park and thought I’d drop this review here:
How could you not love free music concerts. Thought I’d write this review before summer is actually over. It’s always a great place to bring your mat, towel, and picnic basket with friends and family and enjoy the music of great bands and performances. Last time I was at the venue, Aloe Blacc was performing with Yuna opening. It was the first time that I saw it way overcrowded but crowd was so diverse and an experience worth having. Then you also have those UnilocalERS in their own section., or could it have been a previous concert? Regardless, I have used Unilocal for almost 6 years but never have had the time to «check-​in» or review all the places I’ve been to because it takes away from being in the present.
Nevertheless, I always look forward to summer concerts here. Find street parking before paying. Yellow Loading zones are free after 7, which is no longer a secret!

What’s not to love? Free live music, pretty fountains, plenty of seating options, and happy Angelenos?! Score. Great way to spend a summer night!
Pack your picnic, bring a blanket, (or a few, since you will likely be sitting on concrete). There are chairs, that you can reserve. There are also vendors that set up on the top level in case you can’t pack a picnic. If you come early you can score some pretty awesome seats, but show up late, and good luck… you’ll be standing in the walkways.
Not sure what the rules are on booze, but the vendors sell it so there must be a way. Check before you pack though… have fun!

Had a great night and the pleasure to watch Yuna and Aloe Blacc! It’s such a great thing that free events like this exist. It brings together a crowd that represents LA: old, young, black, white, yellow, brown, and much much more. I loved seeing all of the different faces in the crowd, dancing and enjoying the music.
Definitely snag a seat early (an hour or two if you can spare), and bring your own food if you can! I wish CA plaza had a better mix of food and drinks — that’s the only complaint!
Fun times!

I’ll qualify this rating. As good as it gets if you get there early to claim good seats and time to wander around. If you arrive late, it’s not the best viewing experience.
When the concert starts, there is a lighted water show in the background, but you don’t really hear the water shooting into the air. If you take the Metro, it’s just a block from the Pershing Square Station by 4^th and Olive. Walk one block up 4^th, go up the escalator and you are there. One block on the other side is the Grand Central Market and Angel’s Flight Trolly. It’s a great way to spend a day, so I encourage coming early, seeing the sights, and getting a great seat. You can bring your own food and drink, or buy something there. Very relaxed but well-​run operation. There is a lot of security there, but you won’t get questioned for bringing in a picnic setup or cameras.
I went yesterday to see Gaby Moreno, who is a Latin American star and 2013 Latin Grammy winner. She’s awesome, and looks like a Latin American version of St. Vincent. I got there about 6:30 for an 8pm show and got a third row seat. Got to see her sound check, (see photo) and found the «Artists Sales» merch table where I got her newest CD at a nice price. I wanted to get her Grammy winning CD, but it is so rare, SHE didn’t even have it. Third parties in the USA ask several hundred dollars for it. After her set, she came to a table to do a meet and greet, and sign autographs. What a babe.
As I was leaving, I saw that the Plaza was packed, so I was glad I came relatively early. I’m looking forward to attending more shows this summer. Grand Performances has been putting on these free Summer shows for 29 years.

Yuna and Aloe Blacc!!!
Such a good time with great company. We parked in the parking structure on 1^st and Olive for $ 9 and it took us a few minutes to walk to the event. It was pretty crowded but our group of 15 found our meeting spot easily. Fun night!

Grand performances concerts are great! And they are free!!! What’s not to love about live music outside during the summer? The first time I went to a concert, I couldn’t believe that I didn’t have to pay. I almost felt guilty.
The set up is great… with lots of lights, a pond and fountain. Don’t forget to bring all you summer concert goodies… i.e. blankets, food, drinks, chairs. They have food and wine in case you forget to bring your own. The crowd is very friendly. Also, parking in the area is very easy, just make sure you don’t get lost getting there.

What’s not to like about free concerts? This is one of my favorite summer events to check out during Friday or Saturday evenings with friends. I love how you can bring your own bottle of wine and eats to enjoy with no corkage charge or anything. Everything about GP is wonderfully free. I’m so glad amazing organizations like them offer complimentary entertainment for people who don’t really have that kind of money to spend to enjoy something nice during a weekend.
Transportation wise, you can take the metro or find parking inside their parking lot structure for $ 6 – 8.
I do recommend to come a little earlier to snag better seats if you’re coming with a big group.

Over the last few years I have caught some great free concerts put in by Grand Performances. Thanks for all your hard work GP!
The venue is easy to get to via public transportation. If you drive, there are a number of parking lots. The farther away you park, the cheaper it is. For those that bike, they have bike valet.
There are a limited number of tables, benches, and stadium seats available. If you show up early, it’s not that hard to snag one. You can always bring your own folding chairs and set them up.
There are always a few food vendors –although none of them ever serve vegan food. I usually just bring my own cooler of food and drinks. Makes for a cheaper, healthier time anyway.

The atmosphere and vibe was great. We went to go watch The Family Crest and the sound system was amazing! I can actually hear the words they’re saying without having the sound system overpower their voices, yet the sound was hitting you hard enough to feel really immersed in it. There’s plenty of good seating and views everywhere. It makes for a good picnic type opportunity, where you can bring you own drinks and snacks and enjoy the free show.

Summertime seems to be the perfect time for any type of outdoor activity, and really, who doesn’t like live music– regardless of who is playing.
While parking is certainly not cheap, admission into the Grand Performances stage/​viewing areas is free. There’s plenty of room for everyone, though I suggest getting there at least half an hour to an hour early to snag yourself a good spot near the stage or on one of the terraces overlooking the courtyard. The acoustics are great, so sound quality is never a problem– it’s 360 degrees of superb audio.
Another cool thing about this place is that it not only has some pretty neat restaurants right near the courtyard where you can grab anything from a Starbucks Frapp, to a grilled cheese sandwich, Subway, or even some snacks & surprisingly high-​quality prepared foods to-​go at the Famima convenience store they have on site.
The bands & performers vary from week to week, and you can always go to their page to check out the lineup; who knows, one of your favorites may be playing one of these weekends, and you get to see them live, practically for free– minus parking. And who doesn’t love being out and about on a cool Summer’s night, in the big city, being surrounded by bright lights, tall skyscrapers, good food & company, and great music?

Last night was first time witness the Grand Performances. I haven’t been to any free downtown events, and I am glad this was my first one because the music, the atmosphere and the people are for sure going to bring me back.
I had the opportunity to see Family Crest and Run River North and their performances were amazing! I loved how the water fountain was synchronized to their music which made my experience so much better. There was a photo booth and an Amoeba music booth as additional entertainment! On top of it all, people were allowed to sit on blankets and bring their own food, making for a cozy and relaxed atmosphere. I cannot wait for my next Grand Performances concert!

What a great summer series offered by grand performances! I came here last night to see Chitresh Das and Jason Samuels Smith in a Kathak tap concert. I actually attended this concert in Seattle when it went on its world tour and tickets were not cheap. So, it was really nice to be able to take my husband and friends to see this dynamic duo in concert FOR FREE! Some tips for newbees:
Seating: Seating is amphitheater style on concrete staircase levels. They offer complementary blue cushions but they are limited so get yours early. A lot of people bring blankets and chairs. Also, keep in mind that the first four rows are generally reserved for VIP; for this reason, it’s best to get there at least an hour before the show starts to get good seating.
Food & drinks: Bring food and wine with you! It is allowed which is really nice. We went to dinner at a nearby restaurant, but in the future, I would definitely just bring cheese and crackers, sandwiches, wine, etc. There’s also a few eateries in the plaza; fast food style. Enjoy your dinner during the hour prior to the concert. It’s a great location on the water and you’ll also secured good seats.
What to wear: It’s a very casual environment. Ladies, I wouldn’t recommend heels or dresses, since you aren’t sure where you will be sitting. It gets quite cozy. Casual clothing is best. It’s outdoor in the summer and since it’s always warm in LA, no jacket is necessary.
Parking: The building has a parking garage and for this special event, parking is only $ 7.50. We ended up going out for drinks after the concert, and they told us we could leave our car in the garage as long as we wanted! How nice!

We went here for a free musical performance and were shocked at how crazy packed this place was. It was like an impromptu music festival had popped up overnight.
The horseshoe shaped venue helps you get a good view no matter where you’re sitting. Feel free to bring your own chairs and coolers as we saw when we arrived. The same goes for food and wine, it’s a BYOB venue.
If that’s not your thing there are quite a few places to eat at the venue including pizza and sit down restaurants not to mention the couple of food trucks that hang around.
If you’re looking for a family friendly night or a date night this is probably the place to check out regularly as their lineup is always changing.

WOW! WOW! WOW! It’s 9 am and I just woke up and realized what a wonderful experience I had adventuring last night thanks to my friend Isaak.
We met up street side at the top of the Universal City subway station and our adventure began. We descended down a flight of concrete stairs and bee lined it to an ATM type of bank on the wall for my very own TAP card.
Tap Card — every person’s public transportation lifeline to the City of Angels. Load her up, get a one way ($ 1.50) — round trip $(3.00) trip, one day ($ 5.00), 7 day ($ 20.00) or 30 day ($ 75.00) pass whatever your heart desires and Los Angeles is yours without a car.
Tap card in hand, we now delve deeper into this hole down a set of escalators. Tap card. Gate access. Subway here I am!
Redline — stretches from NoHo to Union Station. For this trip, we got on at Universal and got off at Pershing Square. I swear it took no more than 15 mins at the most. No Friday night traffic to deal with. No need to «find» parking. And no need to pay exorbitant amounts of money to park, it’s free at the metro station!
The stop and exiting the Redline is quick, so pay attention to what the announcements are. Wait, Pershing Square!!! That’s us. Out of seat. To the sliding doors. Exit. Bye bye subway car. Up, up, up into the summer evening we ascend.
California Plaza — event venue and good time. Once you exit the metro station take a left. Make a right onto the sidewalk. Walk uphill along the fenced hillside. Say hi to the friendly homeless along the way. Cross the street. Ride the escalator up. Voila! There you are. Walk a little and feel free to explore. Free people. Not free food (let’s not get crazy now). Free Entertainment (now you can go crazy).
Upon exploring when you happen upon neon tape on the tile floor, you’re there! Plan to come early. Get the lay of the land, picnic and eat. Cavort. Cavort a lot. You will soon find that everyone is here to have a good time.
Grand Performances — the neon tape delineates the standing, sitting, dancing and walking areas. Most of the seating is for the general public but there is a small VIP reserved seating area. There an upstairs and a downstairs with lots of space for picnicking and cavorting with old friends and new friends made. The stage is on the opposite side behind the water feature but in front of the fountain. There’s a cute little dance area set up under scaffolding and lights for those that would like to wiggle it… just a little bit. Although, last night, there was no need for an allowable «dancing» area, I saw (ok, did) some chair dancing and aisle dancing everywhere. Friday, ⁷⁄₁₈ @ 8 pm. Nigerian beats meets funk.
Chop ‘N Quench and Sahr Ngaujah — performing music from the Broadway musical Fela! Horns. Drums. Guitars. Keyboards. A smoothly cool, lively mixture of Nigerian Juju intertwined with smooth sounds like Coltrane and James Brown.
I’m definitely rounding up more friends and telling them about this great summer fun!!! #LAStory @discoverLA

Next time any chump tries to say there’s no culture in LA, ask them where else they can watch a classic movie outdoors, get a free concert by an up and coming band across from City Hall, and watch a hip hop orchestra for free in a business plaza in the span of 3 weeks. Seriously, despite the fact that I spend most of the summer months complaining about the heat and my lack of home AC, it’s really the best time of year in LA because there are SO many amazing things to do at a low to non-​existent cost.
Grand Performances is one of the best of these, with an impressive lineup of famous and not so famous but still super talented acts lined up to perform on Fridays or Saturdays in California Plaza. Anyone who works in the area should take advantage of the lunchtime shows — what better way to escape from the grind than enjoying your lunch in the sun while taking in some great music?!
One of the best parts about the nighttime events is that they allow you to bring your own food AND booze! That’s right — you don’t even have to sneak your wine in a coffee cup, because they’re licensed to allow people to drink outdoors while watching the show. It’s such a rare treat that you’d be crazy not to take advantage!
Truly one of LA’s gems… not so hidden anymore, but still a treasure!

It’s one of DTLA’s best summer treat to it’s residents and savvy tourists.
What little stars you can see in LA, a cool summer night’s breeze, live entertainment, skyscrapers galore, and happy hours all around for food and drinks makes this a merry event all summer long. ALL. SUMMER. LONG!
Thank you Phillip?
Yes, you’re welcome Unilocalers!
If you brought some box wine, share the wealth please. I would not be opposed to bourgeoisie-​r liberations either.
PS, insanely close to public transportation so drink responsibly or be responsible if you missed the other goal.

Omg never knew about this and lived in LA for years! Love the live music, outdoor space, easy parking, clean bathroom and eateries! It is so nice it is free to the public! The orchestra is awesome on ⁶⁄₂₈! My fave song was CLASSIC! Soooo much fun and will have to come back! Got here around 6pm and a handful of people were already picnicking so keep that in mind. By the time the concert starts it’s very packed. The best place to sit is the stairs or the 2^nd level areas with plenty of room to spread out. Will def come again!

Loved it! Beautiful venue right next to the Omni Hotel, a block from the Standard, huge parking garage (cash only) with access off Olive, what a wondrous acoustic playland for artists and patrons alike. Please bring Da-​Kah HipHop Orchestra back again :)

Who doesn’t love Grand Performances? Who can say no to free performances that is one of the best places to go and dance, groove, and enjoy one’s company (excellent for a date with a significant other or with a good friend)? I love the variety that Grand Performances offers and wished Grand Performances was year around instead of just during the summer months.
I love the way the stage and seating area is arranged, it just gives a nice view and has a nice setting. I also love that I can bring my own food with me to eat while I watch a performance.
I have only taken advantage of Grand Performances for 2 summers now (wished I wasn’t so late to the party) and can’t wait to make this a continued summer tradition.
Oh and just thought I would mention that there are plenty of restrooms (for women at least, but I am sure it’s the same set up in the men’s restroom) that are clean and adequately stocked with the essentials.