Each year, since 1959, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors funds the production of a free holiday celebration at The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Dec. 24.

The show, which is curated and produced by The Music Center under the direction of its arts division, TMC Arts, features community and professional arts ensembles and companies that represent the diverse cultures and traditions of the county.

The program is broadcast live on local public television, rebroadcast on Dec. 25 and also shown via livestream and on social channels.

Thousands attend the program in person and hundreds of thousands of Southern California households tune into the live broadcast.

This year, the 65th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 24, 3-6 p.m. at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Both the event and parking are free to the public.

Who is eligible to apply for the Holiday Celebration?

Artists and groups must be based in Los Angeles County and be able to provide proof if requested. Artists and groups must fit one of the appropriate performance categories: Music, Dance, Choral, Musical Theatre, Circus Arts and/or Vocal Arts.

Performance must be suitable for an all-ages crowd. Individual artists applying alone and the group leader must be over the age of 18. All accepted performers must be fully vaccinated as required by The Music Center policy.

Applications will be reviewed and selected based on the following selection criteria:

Artistic excellence as demonstrated by Work Sample. Suitability for the Holiday Celebration.

Suitability to the programming of a multi-cultural, multi-denominational program; quality of performance scaled for a large-sized venue; and appropriateness for an all-ages crowd. Artists and groups are welcome to present secular content.

Artists and groups that have not performed in the past at the Holiday Celebration are strongly encouraged to apply. All applications are evaluated based on ability to meet the two criteria.

Application Requirements:

You must complete all required fields to the best of your ability. Applicants will be reviewed and selected based only on the material provided. All applicants are required to submit supporting documentation. Supporting material must be uploaded digitally. Hard copies of documents/photos, CDs or DVDs will not be accepted.

Work Sample – All applicants must submit one (1) video-only work sample to be considered for the program. This sample must be:

A live performance. A maximum length of three (3) minutes. Recorded within the past three (3) years. Unedited. No montages or excerpts.

You may submit a video performance of your proposed Holiday Celebration performance, though that is not required. We ultimately want to see a video that demonstrates your best work. All performance samples should be of the highest quality possible. This video submission is the most important part of the application.

Photo – Please submit one photo of yourself or your group. This photo must be: Taken within the past 12 months. High resolution and in focus (300dpi). An original digital photo. Copies of printed images, still images from videos and screenshots are not acceptable.

Expectations if selected:

If selected for the Holiday Celebration, performers will be:

Assigned performance times ranging from 3-6 minutes in length. Willing to adapt their performance length to suit the time constraints of a live broadcast. Required to attend and participate in a one-hour rehearsal on Dec. 7. Assigned a mandatory spacing rehearsal or soundcheck time. The spacing rehearsal will be on Dec. 22 and the soundcheck will be on Dec. 23 or the morning of the show. Specific timeslots will be assigned closer to the dates mentioned. Potentially featured in a mini-documentary film leading up to the production. Encouraged to support The Music Center’s social media engagement.

If selected, individual artists or group leaders are responsible for: Communicating with The Music Center staff in a timely manner. Completing all required financial and production-related documents by November 1, 2024. Distributing parent tickets for performers who are under the age of eighteen (18). Tickets will be provided by The Music Center. Ensuring every member of the group completes a media release by Nov. 1.

Visit http://rrcc.lacounty.gov/OnlineDistrictmapApp/ to locate which the County Supervisorial District you or your group is based.

Click on the first drop down list and select “District Map Look Up by Address.” Enter the address in the format required to locate your County Supervisorial District number. If you are unable to access the website, call (213) 972-3099. Please be sure to enter a street address and not a P.O. Box. We are unable to verify the district without a street address.

As a group, we also ask that you estimate the County Supervisorial District in which the majority of your members reside and the County Supervisorial District in which your group most often performs. If your group performs in more than one district of Los Angeles County, check mark each district in the application. Visit the link below for a County district map:

http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/lac/1043452_BasicColorMap.pdf.

Applications are due by Aug. 13 at 11:59 p.m.

To apply visit https://holidaycelebration.smapply.io/