NEWS
Rady Shell at Jacobs Park on Aug. 6, 2021.
Gary Payne/Courtesy of San Diego SymphonyA permanent outdoor venue has been a long-time dream for the San Diego Symphony. In summers past, it would take several weeks to build a temporary stage at the top of the season and another two weeks to take it down. But this weekend, the symphony christened its new year-round structure, The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, with three performances, concluding on Sunday with a show by Gladys Knight.
“About 15 years ago, the Orchestra settled here at Embarcadero Marina Park South and it was a temporary venue with no sides, just kind of blowing in the breeze,” says San Diego Symphony CEO Martha A. Gilmer from a venue table overlooking the water. “We wanted it to be a beautiful place for the orchestra to hear themselves and be able to achieve really high-level performances that then can be brought to the audience. Our primary concern was sound.”
The Rady Shell is the centerpiece of the 3.7-acre Jacobs Park, a public space that overlooks the marina and provides a 360-degree view of downtown San Diego. The performance shell features concentric, widening, oval rings as its canopy -- a structure that reaches a height of 57 feet and a width of 92 feet at the front of the stage. For opening weekend, the shell hung over the first few rows of patrons who showed up for concerts from Rafael Payare conducting the San Diego Symphony on Aug. 6, the Symphony's “The Best of Broadway” showcase on Aug. 7 and seven-time Grammy winner Knight, who closed out the series on Aug. 8.
The symphony will work with the Port of San Diego to program 110 days throughout the year. The remainder of the time, the space will continue to function as a public park with revamped basketball courts and exercise areas.
“This is a very unique partnership with the Port. Eighty-five percent of the time this is a public park. People can come and walk around. They can sit and listen to rehearsals. They can watch art being made,” says Gilmer. “Then 15% of the time, we occupy it. Keeping that balance was critical. I think the Port saw this as a real opportunity for activating our coastline and bringing people to the bay that haven’t been down here before.”
For Knight’s performance, the venue was outfitted to welcome 3,500 guests – both seated and spread out on the lawn. The audience, however, extended to passersby who pulled up outside the park gates with blankets and lawn chairs and even the occasional pet. On the water, boats anchored themselves around the shell to take in the show.
The Rady Shell can be configured for up to 10,000 guests and features a nearly 13,000-square-foot open-air dining plaza that can also be utilized for pre-event functions. Gilmer says the Symphony hopes to use the park’s various spaces for free entertainment for locals, multi-stage festivals and more.
“We just want to make sure that art is accessible,” says Gilmer. “As I say, the creative is not exclusive. It is inclusive. That’s really a very important part of the mission.”
The Rady Shell’s upcoming schedule includes Nas with The San Diego Symphony, comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, Smokey Robinson, Brian Wilson, Gary Clark Jr. and plenty of performances from the Orchestra. The Orchestra will also perform alongside popular films like The Goonies and Rocketman.
“I think artists are going to absolutely want to make sure this is part of their tours going forward, because it is a brand-new, state-of-the-art venue,” says Gilmer. “When you’re standing on that stage and you’re looking at this view it is an inspiring place to be.”
BLACKPINK’s Jennie is set to return with another solo release.
The 30 year old singer has confirmed that her digital solo EP, Fallen Angel, will arrive on August 28. The project will include three songs, FALLEN ANGEL, HEAVEN and Less Than a Lover.
The announcement was shared through the social media accounts of Odd Atelier, Jennie’s own company, where the new project was described as “A gift from JENNIE, with love”.
Jennie also confirmed that fans will be able to watch the music video for the EP’s title track on the same day the project comes out.
The upcoming release arrives only a few months after BLACKPINK dropped their highly awaited mini album Deadline in February.
The K pop group, made up of Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé, concluded their Deadline world tour on January 26, 2026, with their final show taking place at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong.
The group first introduced the project with the lead single JUMP in July 2025. The five track release was later completed with GO, Me and my, Champion, and Fxxxboy.
YG Entertainment previously shared its thoughts on Deadline, saying: “Even amid the intense schedule of a large-scale world tour, the members devoted significant time and effort to perfecting this album. We are confident it is a body of work that encapsulates both the individual musical capabilities of the four members and their synergy as a team. We ask for your continued support as BLACKPINK once again leaves a meaningful mark on the global music industry.”
The four members continued developing their individual careers after BLACKPINK released their 2022 album Born Pink.
Lisa had earlier given fans a glimpse into the group’s plans, revealing that the members had recently returned to the studio to work on music for another album.
Speaking with Variety, she said: “Actually, we were in the studio a few days ago.
"We’re all so super excited to get back together and go on tour. We really miss the Blinks. We can’t wait to see them."
Each member has also built a strong presence through their solo work.
Rosé released her solo album Rosie, which included her Grammy nominated collaboration with Bruno Mars, APT..
Lisa later unveiled her first full length album, Alter Ego, while also stepping into acting with a role on HBO's The White Lotus, which was filmed in Thailand. Jennie launched her first solo album, Ruby, last year, while Jisoo released her EP Amortage, giving each member another opportunity to showcase her own musical style.
