Foo Fighters Make Hollywood Bowl Debut With LA Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel

Foo Fighters played their first-ever Hollywood Bowl show on 22 August, backed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under music director Gustavo Dudamel. Roughly 17,500 people filled the historic venue for a concert that paired the band's rock catalogue with full orchestral arrangements. Rolling Stone

The night carried an extra layer of significance beyond the band's debut at the venue. It was Dudamel's penultimate night with the LA Phil before he departs for New York, where he is set to begin his next post. His collaboration with Foo Fighters gave the orchestra's farewell run a crossover flourish.

Dudamel, the Venezuelan conductor who has led the LA Phil since 2009, is one of the most prominent figures in classical music. Sharing the stage with a rock band is unusual for him, and the pairing drew attention from both classical and rock audiences in the lead-up to the show.

During the set, Foo Fighters dedicated the song "Aurora" to their late drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died in 2022. Frontman Dave Grohl addressed the moment directly, saying of Hawkins: "He would have loved this." Rolling Stone

Grohl also spoke about the experience of performing with the orchestra. "I wish that we could do this every night for the rest of our lives, with all these amazing people," he told the crowd, according to Rolling Stone. The comment came during a set that included "Home," which the band had not played live since 2007.

The performance closed with "Everlong," arranged with the full orchestra and choir, with fireworks timed to the music. For a band that has headlined stadiums and festivals for three decades, the Bowl show offered something they had never done on that stage before.

For fans, the night sat at a particular crossroads: a rock band stepping into an orchestral setting, a beloved conductor saying goodbye, and a community still remembering a drummer who was not there to see it.