Projects
Bringing Starlight back has taken many kinds of work—from caring for the site to building partnerships and finding resources for its restoration. These projects show what Save Starlight and its supporters have helped make possible, and what we’re working toward next.
Twilight in the Park
For more than 40 years, Twilight in the Park has brought free summer concerts to the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, with local musicians and volunteers at its heart. Save Starlight partners with the Twilight committee as its fiscal sponsor, helping receive donations and raise support to keep the series going. It’s a natural partnership for us: while we work toward reopening the Starlight Bowl, we can help sustain the kind of accessible, community-led live music we hope to welcome there in the future.
ADA Facility Improvements
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.
Concept Community Events
Over the years, Save Starlight has brought people together through community outreach, music education, mariachi festivals, and a wide range of cultural celebrations. We’ve participated in major Balboa Park events and collaborated with park organizations, community partners, and event producers to connect with new audiences and keep Starlight’s future part of the conversation. These efforts offer a glimpse of what a revitalized Starlight can bring to San Diego: a welcoming place to learn, celebrate, experience live music, and connect across generations.
Celebrity Auction Campaign
Our Celebrity Auction Campaign brought together artists and music lovers to support Starlight’s future. The collection included the last guitar autographed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers before his passing, alongside guitars signed by Keb’ Mo’, WAR, Jewel, The B-52s, Tower of Power, and Jeff Bridges, to name a few. These contributions connected extraordinary musical legacies with our efforts to preserve a historic stage—helping raise funds to bring live music and community back to Starlight.
Ongoing Security, Maintenance, and Repairs
For years, Save Starlight has done the work of caring for a closed venue while pushing for the chance to restore it. Our team and volunteers have maintained a presence at the Bowl, responded to security concerns, removed graffiti, cleared overgrowth, and organized community cleanup days. We’ve handled ongoing maintenance and basic repairs, and taken on larger projects, including work to restore the upper bathrooms. Much of this has happened behind the scenes, with limited funding and people willing to give their time and skills. Each effort has helped protect the site from further damage and shown what a committed community can accomplish. But maintaining an aging amphitheater is an ongoing task, and the repairs still ahead are far beyond what volunteers can take on alone. We’ve kept showing up because Starlight is worth saving and because the work we do today helps make its future restoration possible.