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NEW JACOBS MUSIC CENTER FAQ

Some Frequently Asked Questions about the renovated Jacobs Music Center.

(For all Ticket-related questions, please see the Ticket FAQs Page!)

SOME CONCERT PACKAGE QUESTIONS

As a returning subscriber, you will have right of first refusal for your current season seats. If you wish to upgrade seats or change series, you will be seated with priority, ahead of any new subscribers. (Moving to a new series, though, does not guarantee you will get your same seats.)

Friday: there are two packages - a 5-concert evening package (7:30pm) and a 3-concert matinee package (11am).

Saturday: there are six packages, all evenings - Saturday A (our maximum series, with 17 concert), Saturday B and C (our half-packages, which divide the A series roughly in half), and Saturday D, E and F (our mini-packages, which divide the A serious roughly into thirds).

Sunday: there are three packages, all 2pm matinees - Sunday A (the full Sunday slate of 14 concerts), and Sunday B & C (which divide the A series exactly in half.)

All of the above are fixed-seat packages and have renewable seats and upgrade priority.

CYO: Choose Your Own concerts - minimum four concerts, any mix of days, but lower seating priority and not renewable.

Getting to Jacobs Music Center

The two main homes of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra are the Jacobs Music Center at Seventh & B Street, NE corner, in the Core District of Downtown San Diego and The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park in the Marina District of Downtown San Diego.

View a map and directions here. There are dining recommendations around Jacobs Music Center available here.

There are five parking structures within a few blocks of Jacobs Music Center, all a short walking distance from the hall. Parking can be pre-purchased before each concert.

  • 750 B St / Symphony Towers
  • 701 B St / Bank of America bldg.
  • 600 B St / WeWork bldg.
  • 401 B St / Wells Fargo Plaza bldg.
  • 1350 6th Ave / 6th and A garage

There is also a valet parking service provided by ProPark on B Street between 8th and 7th Avenues. More information here.

Metered street parking near the Jacobs Music Center is available Mon-Sat, but charges only until 8pm; on Sunday, all metered parking is FREE all day downtown.

We encourage ride share, walking and other forms of transportation. Please always have a designated driver.

More information can be found here.

Yes. Valet parking, provided by ProPark, is available for all Friday and Saturday evening Jacobs Masterworks concerts. Valet parking is located on 750 B Street in front of Symphony Towers. The valet service is in operation until 11p on show nights. Keys to any cars not retrieved by closing will be left at the Lincoln Security desk on B Street for drivers to pick up their own vehicles from the garage.

Sunday valet parking is available in front of the Marriott Vacation Club Pulse on A Street, north side of the Jacobs Music Center. (Patrons who do this may then take the elevator up to the 12th floor, cross the sky lobby bar, then take the south elevators down to the Towers Lobby - no stairs or hills to climb!)

The Symphony does host our own VIP valet service on 7th Ave, but only major donors have access to this service, monitored by list. (Please contact Institutional Advancement for details.)

Please allow yourself additional time to park when driving.

There is a Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) trolley stop just a few blocks from Jacobs Music Center. The Fifth Avenue stop (C Street between Sixth and Fifth) serves both the Blue Line and the Orange Line. Also, there are MTS bus lines that serve nearby Broadway, Fifth Avenue and Fourth Avenue. Adjacent stations are several walking blocks away from Jacobs Music Center.

Latecomers to concerts will be seated at an appropriate pause in the concert as determined by the house manager. Should special circumstances exist or arise, please contact the nearest usher for assistance. Concert attendees of Friday 7:30pm concerts are especially encouraged to leave home early in case of lingering rush-hour traffic.

At The Concert

You can purchase cocktails, wine, beer, bistro boxes, sandwiches, wraps and desserts before the performance and at intermission in both the upper and lower lobbies. Knead Artisan Bakery is also open in the Box Office Lobby off B Street before concerts and through intermission. Beverages with lids purchased at concessions or Knead ARE allowed in, however, food is NOT allowed in the hall. Outside food and beverages are not allowed in Jacobs Music Center.

Please follow these guidelines when bringing beverages into the venue:

  • Beverages must have lids to be allowed into the theatre. Lids must remain on cups at all times.
  • Only cups purchased from concession inside the lobbies and at Knead are permitted in the theatre. 
  • Please utilize the cup holders at each seat.
  • To avoid noise, ice is not permitted. Cocktails will be strained into a cup without ice.
  • Reusable water bottles are not permitted, however, complimentary water is available at the lobby bars.
  • Beverages are not permitted in the Choral Terrace due to its proximity to the stage.
  • Food is available for purchase and may be enjoyed in the lobbies but is not permitted in the theatre.

If you’re a subscriber, you may book a reservation for a Prix Fixe meal at The University Club on the nights of a concert, located atop Symphony Towers, the same building as Jacobs Music Center. If you are not a subscriber and are interested in getting a meal before your show, you can check out our list of local restaurants.

Please note: Jacobs Music Center is a cash-free venue. All major credit cards are accepted.

Jacobs Masterworks concerts: Only children ages five years and older will be allowed into the concert hall. These children must have a ticket and be able to sit in an un-accompanied seat. Family Concerts: Children of any age are welcome to attend. Children ages two years and younger who are accompanied by an adult will be allowed into the concert hall for free. They must be held by an adult and may not occupy a seat. (Children ages three years and older must have a ticket and be able to sit in a seat.) Kids Concerts: Children of any age are welcome to attend, and tickets are required for everyone, including children ages two years and younger. All other concerts: Only children ages two years and older will be allowed into the concert hall; they must have a ticket and be able to sit in a seat. Please note: Jacobs Music Center rental events may have very different restrictions from Symphony events.

In the lower lobby, men’s and women’s restrooms are by the entrance to Aisle 4. In the upper lobby, the men’s restroom is on the left side of the bar, while the women’s is on the right side of the bar. There are ADA Accessible restrooms in both the lower and upper lobbies. There are ADA Accessible and all-gender restrooms located on either side of the Choral Terrace.

Yes. Each Jacobs Music Center restroom (2 upstairs, 2 downstairs) features a fold-down Koala diaper-changing station, always located in the large ADA stall.

The San Diego Symphony does not have a dress code for regular performances. Dress for performances usually varies from business casual to evening wear. (Note: Gala events may have a black tie/formal dress guideline, but this would not apply to the Gala concert itself). Also, as a courtesy to your fellow patrons, we ask that you be conservative with perfumes and scents, and not wear any hat or clothing that will be disrupting to your fellow concert attendees.

Performance times vary, but generally Jacobs Masterworks, Jazz and any Special Presentations will last somewhere between 1.5 to 2.5 hours, including intermission. Family Concerts generally last approximately 70 minutes, with no intermission. Symphony Kids concerts will last about 30 minutes with no intermission.

There is no coat-check at Jacobs Music Center, sorry.

You may call 619.615.3919 for all Jacobs Music Center Lost & Found inquiries. You may also check at the merchandise booth located in the Lower Lobby for any lost items. 

Please be aware that photography or video recording during the performances is not allowed. Photographs may be taken in the lobbies or in the hall prior to the concert, during intermission, during applause and after the concert. In consideration of others, please turn off all cell phones before the performance AND after intermission. Checking your cell phone during a performance is distracting to others!

Smoking and e-cigarettes AND vapes are not permitted inside Jacobs Music Center, its lobbies or the adjoining Symphony Towers lobby. All smoking and e-cigarette and vaping activity should be kept well away from all entrances.

There will be merchandise available for purchase in the Lower Lobby entrance to the Jacobs Music Center. Merchandise will only be available when the hall is open for performances.

The Jacobs Music Center has implemented metal detectors to enhance the safety and enjoyment of everyone. Security personnel will be posted throughout the venue, and Symphony Ambassadors will be available outside to assist with path of travel and any questions that may arise. Please note: security policies may be enhanced for certain rental events of the Jacobs Music Center.

ADA Questions

One of the primary goals in this renovation was to increase the accessibility and access into the building and the concert hall, and throughout the concert hall itself. For now, all persons restricted to wheelchair access should enter the Jacobs Music Center from B Street. A future renovation phase will more easily accommodate wheelchair entrance from Seventh Avenue.

Yes. There is an elevator (operated by ushers) that runs from the Lower Lobby of Jacobs Music Center (accessed from B Street) to the Upper Lobby (accessed from Seventh Avenue). Please note that the Mezzanine and Balcony sections are only accessible by using stairs.

There are ADA accessible ramps at both the B Street and 7th Avenue entrances. However, due to the steep slope of 7th Avenue, we encourage people with ADA needs to enter via the B Street entrance. From the Lower Lobby entrance on B Street, you can access Knead Bakery, the Ticket Office and Orchestra and Parterre seats. From the Upper Lobby entrance on 7th Avenue, you can access Grand Tier, Mezzanine and Balcony seats. There is an elevator from the Lower Lobby to the Upper Lobby.

Kulture City Sensory Inclusive Kits are available in the Lower Lobby at the Guest Experience Table.

If you have specific ADA requests, please contact Tickets@SanDiegoSymphony.org.

The Symphony owns a set of SoloTech ALD's (Assisted Listening Devices). You may ask any usher onsite to help you access this equipment for your enhanced concert enjoyment.

The San Diego Symphony Orchestra Association does not control and may not endorse the views, content or opinions expressed by artists and occupants at our venues.

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