Big news: Save Starlight now holds exclusive negotiating rights with the City of San Diego to secure a long-term lease for the Starlight Bowl. This is a monumental milestone that brings us significantly closer to making renovations and full-scale programming a reality.

That said, the process of securing the lease and starting physical renovations will still take several more months. In the meantime, we continue to incur operating expenses—everything from planning and legal fees to outreach, grant writing, and administrative costs.

This is where you come in.

If you believe in this mission, now is a vital time to help keep the momentum going. Every donation supports the groundwork being laid for the Starlight Bowl's bright future.

We are excited to announce that Wayne Nelson from Little River Band has recently decided to join our Board of Directors as a way to share his passion for saving San Diego's most beloved outdoor theater! Help us welcome him to the Save Starlight Family. If you know of any other local icons that want to help our cause, please let us know. ⭐️

Save Starlight In The News!

Check out ABC 10 San Diego’s in-depth segment on our efforts to save Starlight and our work on the RFP

Watch FOX 5 San Diego’s segment on Save Starlight for the latest updates on the efforts and pre-register your ticket to an upcoming show now! It costs you nothing now - you’ll only be charged if we are successful in securing the lease and moving forward with reconstruction.

About Us

“This venue is essential to San Diego and Balboa Park’s history. No matter what kind of show or performance you can recall, everyone has the memory of the joy and magic they experienced here.”

SAVE STARLIGHT
A 501(C)3 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

The Save Starlight organization’s goal is to preserve The Starlight Bowls history and memories and to also create a new and adaptable platform for future events and generations. 

The Starlight Bowl, a 4,000 seat outdoor amphitheater, was originally commissioned by the Ford Motor Company for the 1935 California-Pacific Exposition. The venue has grown and evolved over the years turning into one of San Diego’s favorite, historic and precious gems. Families of multi-generations have developed a passion and dedication to Starlight's events, sadden to see it abandoned in despair. Most people remember The Starlight Bowl for its famous musical theater shows it produced during the summers in San Diego. However, the previous tenants have left and the venue has been abandoned for almost 10 years. 

Our Mission

The Save Starlight mission is to repurpose San Diego’s abandoned historic Starlight Bowl, restoring and modernizing the facility under community collaboration into an inclusive and innovative interaction of arts, culture, and education for all.

watch video for a brief history and overview

Not only did Starlight host many stage productions, it also hosted music legends.

UPDATES

The Starlight Bowl has been authorized to receive $500,000 for ADA Facility Improvements.
We are excited to share that the Housing and Urban Development/EDI Appropriations Community Project has appropriated $500,000 specifically for the Starlight Bowl to make necessary ADA facility improvements. We have increased our efforts to advocate for Starlight, and our hard work is paying off. Save Starlight wants to expressly thank Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, Mayor Todd Gloria, and Carleton Overstreet, Jr. for their efforts to make this happen.

Thank you to our supporters