JUNE 14 at 8PM
Last Whispers – Oratorio for Vanishing Voices presented in association with LACMA and the Natural History Museum IGNITE @ the FORD!  An immesive experience, Last Whispers – Oratorio for Vanishing Voices, Collapsing Universes & a Falling Tree is simultaneously a spatially-designed sound composition and film.

Dedicated to the mass extinction of languages, the project was created by Lena Herzog and features sound design by award-winning sound designers Mark Mangini and Marco Capalbo. Find out more HERE.

JUNE 15 at 8PM: TAIKOPROJECT presents Rhythmic Relations 2019. 50 taiko drummers of all ages perform on drums of all different sizes. The evening will include a mix of classic and contemporary taiko songs blended musically with koto, vocals, marimba, shinobue, and dynamic choreography and dance.

JUNE 23 at 7:30PM: Element Band’s distinctive arrangements both preserve and refresh traditional Armenian songs by infusing each song with large-bodied vocals and contemporary sounds. Armenian folk musician Miqayel Voskanyan and his band will open the evening with what Miqayel calls their “mostly folk with jazz-fusion combinations.” 

JUNE 27–30 at 8PM: SAG AFTRA Foundation presents Game Changers which celebrates the power of film and television to broaden cultural understanding and influence the human experience, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation presents Game Changers. Taking place over four nights, each event will highlight a groundbreaking film or television series that made a significant impact on diversity in representation, reimagined traditional narratives, or achieved major technological advances in storytelling.

JULY 6 at 8:30PM: Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet returns to the Ford stage with a magical evening that will highlight the mystery and enchantment representative of the Mexican Southwest.

JULY 13 at 8PM: Visionary vocalist and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello will perform songs from her new album Ventriloquism, as well as a selection of her favorites.

JULY 20 at 8PM: Rennie Harris Funkedified pushes the boundaries of street dance vocabulary, and challenges stereotypes and invites the audience to view hip-hop through a new lens celebrating the funk music and street dance of the 1970s. Inspired by the political turmoil and atmosphere of Rennie Harris’ childhood, Rennie Harris Funkedified will be performed by dancers from Rennie Harris Puremovement; The Hood Lockers, one of the most seminal locking groups since Don Campbell and The Campbell Lock Dancers; and dancers from LA’s own Versa-Style Dance Company.

JULY 24-27 at 8:30PM: Outfest Los Angeles is back with four new films for their annual Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival. Film titles won’t be available until the first week of June, but Outfest programmers always save the festival’s most fun and outrageous films for the Ford.

JULY 28 at 8PM: Radio/TV host and journalist Nic Harcourt has curated an evening of Mexican electronica, starring the legendary electronic/funk/rock band Kinky, performing music off of their latest album, Nada Vale Más Que Tú. Mexico City-based DJ Mexican Institute of Sound will open with a set of vintage Mexican pop and dance records from the ’20s through the ’60s mixed with modern loops and beats.

JULY 30, AUG 27 & SEPT 24 at 8:30PM: Hollywood Shorts (presented with HBO) is a monthly screening program that celebrates award-winning short films and animation, shining a light on exciting emerging voices. Hollywood Shorts returns to the Ford for three outdoor summer screenings on The Zev as part of their 20th season in Los Angeles. Attendees can grab free popcorn or something heartier at the Ford Terrace Café before kicking back to enjoy an evening of the best short films under the Hollywood stars. Stay after the screenings for a brief Q&A with the filmmakers. Films to be announced.

AUG 8 at 8PM: Boney Manilli is a hallucinatory mash-up that takes the shape of a church revival, discotheque, burial ceremony and a puppet show loosely centered around ’90s pop group Milli Vanilli. In this Artist-in-Residence Work-in-Progress Showing, Los Angeles-based artist Edgar Arceneaux invites the audience on a journey from the tombs of pop infamy to the redemption of an infamous lip-syncer, exploring the consequences of entertainment and how it animates our contemporary political moment.

AUG 11 at 8PM The Nonsemble presents [Up]Rising: an Afro-Future Jazz Her-Story showcases an evening of post-modern South African music hosted by Don Cheadle with emcee Garth Trinidad of KCRW. Siya Makuzeni will perform with her trans-Atlantic jazz sextet (and a few very special surprise guests) interspersed with the signature post-punk and blacktronica sounds of her alter-ego “Ippyfuze,” all of which is informed by her South African heritage.

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Joining Makuzeni for this celebration of South Africa’s National Women’s Day will be singer-songwriter Thandi Ntuli with her soulful voice and jazz piano. Other performers slated to perform include LA-based KATALYST [The Collective] and new-soul / jazz / hip-hop artist Georgia Anne Muldrow.

AUG 16 at 8:30PM: In celebration of the 99th anniversary of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote, Brockus Project will present Women Rising: Choreography from the Female Perspective. The evening will pay tribute to women pioneers of modern dance as well as celebrating women choreographers working in Los Angeles today who continue to innovate. Ten groups will perform, including JazzAntiqua, LA Contemporary Dance Company, Blue13, Heidi Duckler Dance, Luminario Ballet, Rosanna Gamson/World Wide and more.

AUG 24 at 8PM: Nearly 10 years after their first performance at the Ford, Mantra Siam will return with Tales from Mount Sumeru: The Golden Peacock. The performance will feature a fusion of ballet, modern dance and jazz with traditional Thai classical movement directed by Zarot Wayuchot and produced by Chotiros Viboonlarp, founders of Mantra Siam Performing Art.

AUGUST 30 at 8PM: Choreographed by Urban Bush Women Associate Artistic Directors Chanon Judson and Samantha Speis, in collaboration with the company, Hair & Other Stories is a multidisciplinary experience that blends dance-theatre with conversations that challenge existing American values and celebrate our choices around “who we be” and how we do.” Featuring new music compositions by The Illustrious Blacks (Manchildblack and Monstah Black) with stage direction by Raelle Myrick-Hodges.

SEPT 7 at 8PM
Colibrí Entertainment presents ¡Viva La Tradición! Viva LA Mujer

Some of Southern California’s most iconic female mariachi groups will unite for an epic event in celebration of major anniversary milestones. Colibrí Entertainment presents ¡Viva La Tradición! – Viva LA Mujer, a night of performances by America’s First All Female Mariachi, Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles (celebrating 25 years) and Ford favorite Las Colibrí (celebrating 10 years), with special guests. San Fernando Valley-based Ballet Folklorico Ollín will accompany the evening with their vibrant dances and colorful costumes.

SEPT 14 at 8PM
The Leela Dance Collective presents Son of the Wind

Son of the Wind is a kathak dance drama that follows the trials and adventures of Hanuman as he helps rescue the princess Sita from the clutches of Ravan, King of Lanka. Under the artistic direction of Seibi Lee, Rachna Nivas and Rina Mehta, this all-female production brings a contemporary spin to India’s ancient epic, the Ramayana.

SEPT 15 at 7PM
4th Annual Boleros De Noche

Headlining this celebration of bolero music from Latin America is an incarnation of Trio Los Panchos, led by Gabriel “Gaby” Vargas Aguilar, the adopted son of original member Alfredo Gil. Playing the requinto guitar (like his father), Gaby keeps the classic repertoire alive of these bolero music pioneers – all the way from their beginnings in 1944 New York City. The GRAMMY®-nominated all-female Trio Ellas will kick off this magical summer evening filled with nostalgia and love. Presented by Ánimo Production.

SEPT 21 at 8PM
Olga Pericet Company – La Espina
The Thorn that Dreamed of Being a Flower or the Flower that Dreamed of Being a Dancer
IGNITE @ the FORD!

Versatile artist and magnetic dancer Olga Pericet is one of the top names in Spanish flamenco.

As an award-winning dancer (National Dance Prize 2018, Spain), Pericet’s polished technique and serene but serious presence captivates the audience from the very first moment she appears on the stage. For La Espina, Pericet embarks on a personal journey through dance, creating a world in which feminine and masculine, humor and drama appear in equal parts, and where the dark discovers the light.

SEPT 27 at 8:30PM
GAME THEORY: Modern Indie Game Music Live

Available on every modern gaming platform, indie games are truly the future of gaming. Presented by Musicians at Play Foundation, GAME THEORY will highlight the incredible music of today’s blockbuster games. Six video game composers take center stage for an evening of music from their most popular independent titles, as well as world premieres of all-new original compositions. The world-class musicians of the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra is conducted by composer and arranger Chad Seiter and will feature popular artists, bands, vocalists, instrumentalists and YouTube personalities.

SEPT 28 at 8PM
Jail Guitar Doors presents Rock Out 5!

Former MC5 guitarist and Jail Guitar Doors USA co-founder Wayne Kramer will once again take the stage in support of this nonprofit organization that uses music to help rehabilitate prisoners and youth offenders. This year’s concert will include friends from Wayne’s 50-year career who will drop in for a night of rock ‘n’ roll magic. All-star lineup to be announced.

OCT 11 at 8PM
Hassan Hajjaj: My Rock Stars Experimental – Live
presented with UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance
IGNITE @ the FORD!

This live performance installation by Hassan Hajjaj of My Rock Stars Experimental includes six performances by a diverse array of international musicians. Find out more about this event HERE – or scroll down to see its own feature.

OCT 12 at 8PM
Mixed Feelings: We Are KING

GRAMMY® Award-nominated We Are KING will make their Ford debut, performing a fusion of dream-pop and R&B. We Are KING gained commercial acclaim in 2016 with their debut album “We Are KING.” Their success attracted the attention and mentorship from Prince, along with the admiration of Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu and more.

OCT 19 & 20 at 8PM
Día de los Muertos Concert and Community Celebration
IGNITE @ the FORD!

The Ford Theatres is pleased to present a Día de los Muertos Concert and Community Celebration. Read more