How Are Hollywood Bowl Seats Numbered
The Hollywood Theater is one of the six theaters at UCLA that are connected to the Los Angeles campus via an indoor/outdoor pedestrian bridge. It is also one of two remaining large movie theater buildings in Westwood, next door to the smaller Royce Hall.
The most distinguishing feature of the Hollywood Theatre is its seating chart. There are 2,000 seats here! This includes both regular seatings as well as premium loge (or rooftop) seating. To tell how many tickets go into each row, there’s an elaborate numbering system that has been around for more than half a century.
There you have it - the inner workings of the Hollywood theatre! Let’s take a look under the hood now and learn about some cool features of this beautiful movie house.
Row numbers and section numbers
As we mentioned before, most major sports have different ways to number their seats. This is so that you can know which row your seat is in, as well as what section of the arena or stadium your seat is in.
In the case of the NBA, it is very easy to identify your seat because each team has two color schemes they use for jerseys. One uses white as the main jersey color and then a secondary color that changes from year to year. These colors are used for rows and sections.
For example, say the Los Angeles Lakers play an opponent with purple uniforms. Then all of a sudden, the Lakers switch out their main uniform color from white to purple! That would be row one, section five, for the Lakers’ game this season.
The other teams in the league do not always maintain consistency when it comes to their row and section designations. Some teams may go back and forth between having numbered rows and/or sections at some games but not others.
But overall, there is a standard way to refer to a basketball match-up by row and section.
Seat numbers and section numbers
As we mentioned before, most major sports have what is called a row or level number system. This means that there are several levels in which to organize individual seats within a stadium. For instance, at the Los Angeles Lakers game I attended last month, there was an upper deck level with rows 1-8 and then down below the court lower bowl seating areas for sections 9-22.
The numbering of these seat levels varies slightly from league to league and venue to venue. Some use numerals instead of letters (like the NBA) while others may put the numbers in alphabetical order like the NFL does. But no matter how they're arranged, all levels have a number!
Seat levels are usually designated by a letter followed by a numerical place value. The first few levels typically start out as A through G, but some venues go up one more or drop a couple so it doesn't look quite symmetrical.
The highest and lowest numbered seats
As mentioned before, the number of rows in an orchestra or amphitheatre seat is not important unless you are very tall or short, respectively. However to determine how many rows individual pieces sit in, there are two numbers that matter!
The first row level entry goes by what’s called overhead. This refers to the distance between the floor and the top of the cushion (the plastic or leather part of the seat). On most modern-seated concerts this drops down slightly, which is why people have to stretch their legs a little bit more than they would normally.
The second row level entry comes from the back of the seat, what we refer to as legroom. This is the amount of space left over when you lay your feet down next to the other person’s knees.
We can calculate the best possible legroom for a specific concert using some simple math. First, we take the height of each row at the front of the stage plus the drop (how far the ceiling dips) and then subtract that value from the total length of the row. For example, if one row is three metres long and the drop is one metre then you would get 2m of usable height.
The best and worst seats
Even though you can’t see the action from some areas, that doesn’t mean they are useless. For example, the upper level at the east side of the stadium is perfect for watching the game and taking in some scenery.
The lower bowl area is great if you like to get close to the action or just want to enjoy the show more thoroughly. Both have excellent sound quality and there are many public restrooms nearby.
Hollywood Studios is an interactive venue so don’t miss out on anything by not knowing your seat! There are often promotional events or activities happening outside the stadium as well.
The sections with the most audience participation
In the Los Angeles area, there are two main hockey rinks that hold hockey games every season. One is the Stoney Creek Ice Center in South Orange County where the SoCal Hitmen of the Pacific Professional Hockey League play their home games.
The other is the Honda Center in Anaheim, which is also used for concerts. Both have very open-faced seating areas called “bleacher” style seats. These types of tickets do not have back support, making it easy to rise up and down at your own speed. This can be fun if you enjoy watching sports or music more than sitting still!
These bálleresse (bleachers) seats are typically divided into three separate sections by plastic barriers. Sections one and three are accessible from either side of the arena via an entrance/exit tunnel. Section 2 has no such exit, but instead connects directly to the next row.
Sections 1 and 3 each contain about a dozen rows of chairs, while section 2 only contains eight. Each seat belongs to a specific person - they paid for it and it is theirs to use however they like. Some people choose to get some snacks or drinks before the game, while others prefer to watch the action without anything in hand. It depends on what kind of spectator you are!
Section numbers exist in a sort of hierarchy within professional ice hockey. The highest level is known as premium boxes, and those are few and far between.
The sections with the most audience participation
In the Orchestra Section, there are six rows of seating called Legends Row that is mostly reserved for high profile events or concerts. These seats go up to $1,000 per row! All other tickets in this section cost around $150-250 depending on how much merchandise you purchase as well as additional fees such as service charges and food and beverage purchases.
In the Balcony Section, there are three rows of seating that can be accessed via an outside staircase. Each balcony seat costs the same amount as a regular orchestra ticket, but they do not have the option to buy extra merch. There will also be no backstage access unless you pay more than the price of a normal orchestra ticket.
In the Lawn Ticket Category, there are two different areas people usually talk about when it comes to lawn tickets at the Hollywood Bowl. One area is General Admission (GA) which does not have assigned seating and the other is Terrace Level Tickets (TLT).
General admission is typically anywhere from $30-$100 per person whereas terrace level tickets start at around $500 per person. Both GA and TLT include entry into the venue before the show and one drink voucher if you choose to eat food while watching the performance.
Know the row number and seat number of every seat
The Los Angeles Lakers play in the NBA season at the Honda Center, home to their basketball team as well as the UCLA Bruins. Like our beautiful Olympic Gymnastics Arena, the Honda Center has two levels with separate seating areas.
The lower level is known as the All-Conference Level or “All-Court” for its roomy feel. It is also referred to as the Club Level because it offers more amenities than just seats. These include bar tables, large screen TVs, private event spaces, and a rooftop terrace that gives patrons an incredible view of the venue!
The upper deck of the arena is called the Court Level. Here, you will find the most expensive tickets, which are still very affordable if you're looking to see a game on the floor.
However, there is one important thing about these seats - how they are numbered.
Know the row number and seat number of every seat
The other important thing to know is how many rows you have in front of you and behind you in the seating area of the stadium. These are your “row numbers” or “seat numbers,” depending on what kind of numbering system you use.
The Hollywood Bowl has three levels of seats. The top level is called upper deck. There are eight rows of plastic chairs up there that offer great views of the stage. Some people call these rows tier one, two, or floor level 1-8. (We will not be using those terms here.)
But aside from the view, they do not sit very high. This is why it is sometimes referred to as the sky box section. You get the best sound quality by listening through headphones or earbuds.
Lower down is lower deck. This is where most of the action takes place at the show. It is made up of five sections that run parallel to each other along the side of the venue. Each of these sections contains twenty-four rows of tickets.
These rows go all the way down to the ground! Some people refer to them as lawn seats because they can lie down if needed. Because they are low enough, you must wear shoes with solid soles so you do not damage anything when walking around.
Section A is typically the highest paid ticket section at a music festival like the Hollywood Bowl. They cost more money per person than any other section.