City Council Approves Two Rose Bowl Concerts, Performer as Yet Unidentified

The City Council approved a license agreement with Live Nation for two concerts to be held on or around September 30 and October 1. 

“This is exactly the kind of event that is perfect for the Rose Bowl and the community in general,” said Steve Madison. “This is very exciting for the Rose Bowl.”

The attendance for each event is expected to be approximately 60,000. The name of the artist appearing was not revealed on Wednesday. 

Madison called the artist “iconic” on Wednesday.

“The concerts would be the 22nd and 23rd displacement events in 2023,” according to a City staff report. “The first 21 displacement events in 2023 are: six scheduled UCLA football games, the Rose Bowl Game, 10 Music Festival dates, and four soccer matches with Soccer United Marketing and AEG.”

The Arroyo Public Lands Ordinance establishes guidelines and policies related to the administration of the Arroyo Seco, including the Rose Bowl. 

According to the ordinance, the City Council must approve the additional displacement events after 15 have been scheduled.

Some residents living around the stadium have long opposed more events being held at the stadium due to noise and traffic impacts.

“.. We continue to object to holding loud concerts with other major impacts on Sunday evenings unless concerts end before 10 p.m. Oct. 1, 2023 is a Sunday,” wrote Nina Chomsky of the Linda Vista-Annandale Neighborhood Association. “We have brought up this issue many times based on noise and traffic impacts on residents who must commute on Monday, and are regularly promised that Sunday concerts will be curtailed or at least end early. Please direct this one end by 10 p.m. or not be held on a Sunday evening.”

Rose Bowl General Manager Jens Weiden said the RBOC meets regularly with the neighbor to discuss the challenges and impacts of the displacement.

Weiden acknowledged that the standard is to allow artists to go to 11 p.m.. but efforts would be made to mitigate the issues.