Performers lining up to fill up a full Santa Barbara Bowl season ahead

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - After pandemic set backs and schedule disruptions, the Santa Barbara Bowl is powered up and welcoming a growing list of performers for this season.

It starts Saturday with Alt-J and Portugal. The Man. This will be the first of two shows by these groups, with a second show in a week due to the sold out demand for the first show and schedule availability.

For now, 34 dates are set. The limit by an operating permit for the facility is 37.

It's one of its most impressive starts to the year since the facility was built in the 1930's.

"We're thrilled to get back to our first full season in two years," said Santa Barbara Bowl Executive Director Rick Boller. 

They include a wide range of performers including modern rocks stars, classic rockers, country singers and comedy.

The show lineup will be diverse.

Already on the calendar are Jack Johnson, Jackson Browne, Steve Martin and Martin Short, the Chicks, Lorde and Rod Stewart. "Alternative, rock, blue grass,  reggae and comedy and  all the rest," said Boller.

Some acts are on the road at many of the bigger venues in California while they are also visiting including Coachella and Stagecoach.

Demand at the ticket office and in person has been high since January.

"We saw that last year at the end of the year in the fall when came back on line and that's just continued in to this year," said Boller.

There have also been encouraging interest from the bands booked at the bowl through Goldenvoice. "We felt it.  We felt it right away, as soon as the new year came around we started putting shows on sale and all the bands that had not been able to tour in the years before were ready to go out and playing for fans again," said Boller.

The bowl has been around since the mid-1930's and has a capacity of about 4600 to nearly 5000 depending on the show you are seeing and the set up for General Admission.

The COVID regulations  and the emergency order have not been lifted by the county and that may happen soon, but for now,  Boller said,  "we are requiring a proof of vaccination or a negative test and what we look to be doing is following the guidance of Santa Barbara County Public Health." All of the requirements are on the bowl's website and posted at the entrance in several locations.

For more details on the bowl go to: SB Bowl