04-03-2025
San Diego's historic Starlight Bowl one step closer to being ‘saved'
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The city of San Diego has officially selected a group to start negotiations on revitalizing the historic Starlight Bowl amphitheater in Balboa Park.
The Starlight Bowl went dark in 2011 after the operator filed for bankruptcy. Now, more than a decade later, efforts to breathe life back into the open-air venue are moving forward.
Last year, Mayor Todd Gloria announced the city would be taking proposals to renovate the Starlight Bowl and the Village Grill, a takeaway-style eatery also in Balboa Park which has been left vacant since 2017.
After years of discussions, the nonprofit Save Starlight, which has led efforts to bring the 3,600-seat venue back to life, said it has been chosen by the city as the preferred party for lease negotiations regarding the amphitheater.
In an appearance on Good Morning San Diego in the KUSI studio Monday, Carleton Overstreet Jr. said he couldn't believe the news.
'We're eager to begin this process. As a board and a community, we've been waiting for this moment for years,' Overstreet said.
Overstreet described the organization's vision for the 90-year-old venue as an 'inclusive event space that promotes culture and art that represents San Diego and the global diaspora.' He added the Starlight Bowl will be an entertainment hub for local musicians, community organizations, school graduations and musicals.
The Starlight Bowl was built in 1935 by the Ford Motor Company as a showcase for its vehicles. In the years that followed, the stage was graced by the performances of big names such as Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, Carlos Santana, Diana Ross, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones and more.
'That historic gem, the Starlight Bowl, will no longer be an eyesore,' Overstreet said. 'For all our community stakeholders that wrote in letters of support, which were included in our 170-page RFP application, thank you. We did this.'
Now the next step is for Save Starlight to enter lease negotiations with the city.
Watch the full interview with Carleton Overstreet Jr. above.
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