San Francisco Symphony

The concert itself was wonderful; the music was beautiful - even with the added sirens and car horns audible from the Embarcadero. People arriving up to half an hour late and tromping up the steel bleachers was NOT so great. Why bother to go to an event if you can't arrive on time?

Great event with beautiful music, wonderful young violinist, lovely views of Telegraph Hill. The Embarcadero area is busy; need to walk for parking and lines were long getting to our seats. Walk ways in the venue are a bit noisy for good listening,

Best part piece after intermission. Pieces before intermission did not always do a full orchestra its due. Conductor spoke to audience early on, then there was no communication. He took bow after bow, yet not even one encore piece. Disappointing that audience sparse; and that it applauded in between movements. Last time had tickets for this orchestra, it went on strike and the performance was cancelled..

San Francisco Symphony, Fireworks and Shoreline Amphitheatre were five stars. Parking and logistics leaving Shoreline were the worst I ever experienced at an event. It took 1 hour and five minutes to get out of the venue. **1 star**. We will never go back to a Shoreline event simply due to the parking situation.

This event is really fun and the fireworks were great. The 3 star rating is related to the abysmal parking situation. It took us an hour to leave the parking lot! Shoreline really needs to address this issue or we won't be back.

Music, seats and fireworks were awesome. Getting out of the parking lot took 2 hours- not as much fun.

I enjoyed the symphony and the different singers. I love the idea of the theme which was memories of music hits through the decades. I enjoyed the mixer of singers with the symphony which made it more memorable and entertaining rather than just the symphony playing songs. Please have singers every year. The fireworks were wonderful with a long finale that is it what I look forward to, in the end! Happy Birthday America!

"Mom, these are the best fireworks ever! I've never seen them so close up!" I have two boys 11 and 14 years old and if you have teenagers you know how hard it can be to meet their expectations. This should leave them with a smile. In addition, my sons were truly amazed and moved by the singer that appeared with the SF Symphony. I was on a momma high when we left the amplitheatre. This was a family outing the kids would not soon forget. A warning to those who want to fully enjoy the symphany...buy tickets for the seats. The grass is for the family friendly! One downfall, and it's a big one, be prepared to wait a LONG time to exit the parking lot. We couldn't believe how poorly orchestrated the exit was. We waited 90 minutes before we even started our car to leave and it was still a slow process getting to the freeway.

We have been to this event every year for the past 5 years. Every year we love the fire works. The music selection was sometimes good and other time poor. This year, the music selection was fantastic. We loved to hear vocal performance as well. Continue to be inventive in music selection. Thank you. Marty

A wonderful symphony concert and spectacular fireworks, but the 80 minute wait to exit the parking lot could be a deal breaker.

it was a thrill AND a joy to attend!!! hope to do it again next year!

It is great to hear world class musicians on a more "pops" type program, although one could hardly call Bernstein "Pops". I loved the selections and variety. Then to watch a great fireworks show with the Symphony playing, does not get any better. July 4th is my Mom's birthday (also) and she had a blast.

The symphony was wonderful. The musical selections were spot-on for the audience, and were beautifully performed. We had lawn seats, so we couldn't see much until the second half (once it got dark, we could see what was projected onto the big screens), but the sound quality was still very good. My only complaints have to do with the venue itself. I called in advance to find out what we could bring in (specifically asking about coolers) and was told that usually they do not permit them, but that for this event they were bending those rules. Still all the usual - no aluminum, no glass, no alcohol. But between our parking place and the front gates, we were told in quite authoritarian terms by no less than 7 Shoreline employees that we would not be allowed through the gates with it and would just have to walk all the way back to our car to drop it back off. I even stopped halfway to the gates to call the Shoreline business office again, repeating my question and telling them that we were being told conflicting information by the guys outside. They said to just come to the business office (which is between the two front gates) and they'd take care of it. Sure enough, they did let us in with it, but the lack of communication to the people working security was startling. Also, their process of getting cars out of the parking lots was atrocious. Rather than letting people leave as they reached their cars, which would have resulted in a steady (if heavy) flow of cars, they refused to allow ANYone to leave one parking lot until EVERYone from the preceding lot had left. As a result, we sat perfectly still for over an hour in our car waiting for The Powers That Be to permit the car at the front of the line to actually leave our lot. That's a horrendous waste of lots of people's time to start with. But with children in the car who were already going to be getting to bed late, it was completely unacceptable. This is a lovely event and a wonderful, family-friendly way to celebrate Independence Day, but I do not think we will be coming back if it is held at Shoreline Amphitheatre again. The hassles simply outweighed the benefits for us. Perhaps if we didn't have kids, and it were just a group of adults, it would be different. We could just choose to stay in the lawn area for an extra hour afterwards prior to even starting to head toward our car in the first place. But with kids, there are too many easier celebration options available.

The musical presentations were quite good. The fireworks were great. The venue isn't very nice. Too commercial, too many restrictions, parking terrible and for $10.00, you should be able to exit more quickly.

The symphony was in fine form. The songs of the decades theme worked well. The soloists were superb.

The SF Symphony was great and provided the type of music you would expect for a 4th of July Fireworks! The singers were amazing. However the Fireworks themselves could have been better. It was no better than if we watched it for free at home with trees blocking the view of the fireworks. This would have been a fantastic fireworks show if Shoreline could launch the fireworks higher before they exploded. From the seating sections the camera/light towers plus those two giant black sun blocks between the towers blocked the fireworks for us. It is almost as if they designed the fireworks for the lawn section and not the seated section, yet the seated sections cost so much more.

This is a two-part event, and I had different reactions to each: a hum-drum symphony concert and a fabulous fireworks show. The symphony "pops" program was poorly selected, a mish-mash of tired cinema and Broadway tunes which, although well played, weren't amplified sufficiently to be hold the attention of the audience. The fireworks show, however, was thrilling - close up, beautiful, and accompanied by stirring patriotic music pumped up to a great volume! Also, a word of praise for the Shoreline staff. We attended with an 85 year-old relative who has some trouble walking. Staff brought him a wheelchair, took him to his seat, and did the same thing to take him back to the car - all with the greatest goodwill and kindness.

Amazing music, amazing fireworks. The people and traffic flow were well handled.

The best firework show I have every seen!! Amazing!! The SF Symphony performance was beautiful!!! combined with the firework finale it was without doubt the best firework show I have EVER seen.

The SF Symphony under MTT turned in a thoroughly enjoyable performance Saturday at Flint Center in Cupertino--and what a boon for residents of Silicon Valley that we don't have to drive all the way to SF to hear them. I loved the talk preceding the show--lively, entertaining, and educational for those of us who always evaded those music theory and history classes. The soloists for the Berg suite and the Beethoven violin concerto both turned in impressive performances. The Wagner and the Beethoven both have to be considered "warhorses," but hearing them live brings them to life as no recording can.

I loved this music for families with young kids so much! However, I think the Flint Center is not a good place for symphony any more.

The performers were all fantastic, but during the finale, I was disappointed by the use of a pre-recorded chorus. The speakers had a distracting amount of background noise for the last few movements.

Big music that makes you feel like your right in the middle of a Star Wars movie... it was wonderful.

I would highly recommend the SF Symphony's playing of the Planets, not only because it is one of my favorite classical works, but because they performed enthusiastically with precision, professionalism, passion. humor and flawlessly. The lead violinist was superb and he made his instrument do things that was truly amazing and that stirred the spirit. It was most difficult for me to sit still during the performance because the music so moved me. When that happens, it's great! Life is too short, therefore if you get the chance, experience this performance; you will not be disappointed.

Brilliant performance under the batton of Charles Dutoit. Charles knows Holst. The Flint center venue is great, smaller than Davis Hall but more intimate.

The program was lively. We loved the added performance of the allegro chorus. There was a well chosen variety of pieces. George Benjamin was a great conductor. We liked the sounds of the clip clops, sounded like there were horses in some of the pieces. The best part of the night was the finale of the final Mendelssohn composition, the orchestra and audience came alive. Thank you so much for a lovely evening.

overall is very good, enjoyed very much, only thing is that we audiance were clapping so long and so warm, the conductor did not come back for a couple of additonal music

This was my first experience of the S.F. Symphony. After losing my favorite smooth jazz station here in the Silicon Valley, I discovered KDFC. It was a smooth transition. I immediately went back in time to the Hollywood Bowl. It was there that I introduced my 10-year-old son to classical music, complete with fireworks and a simulated battle between the French and the British. It was there that I experienced Michael Tilson Thomas when he was much, much younger! Vadim Repin was out of this world -- really! How was he able to play that violin as if two people were performing? And he was also able to show us his comic/fun side. Wow! Thank you so much, Flint Center, for making this experience available to those of us living in the Silicon Valley.

The pleasure of having the San Francisco Symphony in the South Bay is seeing MTT. He appeared to be in his normal excellent form but left after his performance due to a battle with tendonitis, sorry for him and for us. That said, Ilya Yakushev was remarkable and rewarded with several standing ovations - he reciprocated with an encore, much to our pleasure. The strains of the economy were evident, many seats unsold, even on an opening night...

The SF Symphony and soloist Nicola Benedetti did a fine job that evening. However, the venue was not ideal for a classical concert. Too many people came in late, and continuous motion throughout the concert was noisy and distracting. It was not easy to listen to the concert from the bleachers as a result. Maybe this is common in a rock concert, but a classical concert is different, and the audience should have known better.

SF Symphony was great, but the America's Cup Pavilion was no good. First of all, the entrance was in complete disarray. Staff did not know what they were doing and were disorganized. It took 15 minutes just to get into our seats. Also many of the seats are situated way too far from the stage. Lastly it was extremely cold. No fault of the venue, but I'm just saying... We had to leave a little after intermission because of weather.

A grand evening with an amazing setting and splendid violin soloist. Yet, so many in the audience seemed to be unsure of where they were--talking on cell phones, texting, treating the venue like a giant food court, waltzing to their seats loaded with food and wine in the middle of the performance. Wooden walkways provided constant creaking noise throughout the concert,

Good music, great violin soloist, but check the forecast twice before attending this or any other kind of event in this venue. Used to the summer temps along the Bay, but adding a significant wind chill factor made this a head for the door at intermission kind of event of hundreds of us.

The acoustics was very bad,external noise interferes with the music.

Sound acceptable but much too much activity while the performance was in progress. Great solo by the violinist. Left at intermission because it was just too cold outside that night.

In 2012, we were anticipating a wonderful July 4th concert with patriotic music performed by the San Francisco Symphony! What a disappointment!!! We were unimpressed with the San Francisco Symphony. Choice of music celebrating the Olympics was out of touch with an Independence Day celebration. The conductor was monotonous and unappealing. The humorous "skit" was akin over-the-top musician geeky. The fireworks were ok, but short-lived & accompanied by non-patriotic music again. Then we spent 2 hours trying to get out of the parking lot. If you plan to go in 2013, check with the symphony first to see if the program will properly celebrate the day. Good luck!

Unfortunately the Shoreline Amphitheater was not a good venue to fully participate in this event. Parking, vendors, fireworks that were difficult to view, and getting out of the general public parking was an awful experience. Arriving to park one hour early got us to our reserved seats in section 203 one piece prior to the intermission. It took 30 minutes to get coffee, continually being told that as we were 5th in line it would only be a moment more. At some point it became a challenge to actually get the coffee. Upon leaving the concert/fireworks it took one hour to get to the main street. The symphony piece we saw most of just before intermission was a parody of a radio talk show describing musician miscues as sporting penalties. Very distracting and the humor was not appreciated by many in our area who were expecting patriotic pieces. The fireworks and orchestra were not coordinated as expected. Queen was a poor choice of music to perform. We had looked forward to a wonderful experience and did not have it. We WILL try another venue and hope to see the SF Symphony in a more stereotypical performance in the near future.

Enjoyed the music and fireworks. I love the Symphony! Getting out of the parking lot took 2 hours!! crazy insane! I would seriously consider before I attended and event at this venue again.

Concert was great. The traffic the detours and the traffic control was the worst of any concert I have attended

The SF Symphony was amazing. They played classical, contemporary, R&B, and threw in some comedy. The fireworks were the best I've seen in a long time! Even though I won nothing in the raffle, I loved the idea.

The performance was a blast and topped off the holiday with a beautiful fireworks display. Can't wait for next year!

As always the symphony was terrific and they put on quite a fireworks show. However, a really great evening was ruined by the absolute worst traffic management I have ever seen. Took over an hour and a half to get from the parking lot to HWY 101. Completely moronic. Last time we are ever going to Shoreline for a show.

It is so unfortunate that for as many years as Shoreline Amphitheatre has existed that they haven't figured out how to clear cars out efficiently. The show itself was great but spending OVER 2 HOURS in parking gridlock after the show ruined the whole experience for us. The next day we didn't talk to other people about how the SF Symphony performed or the awesome fireworks, we just told everyone about the ridiculous parking situation. We will never go to another show at this venue.

The symphony was wonderful, especially the songs they played during the fireworks, though I was surprised that there were no other performers like in 2009. It was well worth the price!

Awesome event - will be there next year for more fireworks and symphony!

Enjoyed the SF Symphony and fireworks display. Parking well directed as there were a lot of people assigned to keep cars moving into rows in the parking lots. However leaving was quite a different story - it was a free for all and the one or two people assigned to supposedly help get cars out of the lots just sat there - not sure why they were there. There was not organization in the lots to get people lined up in an organized manner. It took nearly TWO HOURS to get out of the parking lot and get up to the 101 onramp, a mere 7 blocks away. This experience spoiled the actual event and makes it doubtful I will ever attend another event at Shoreline again.

Fireworks set to music...cool. San Francisco symphony rocks. Best 4th ever. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Yes | No No | (Report as inappropriate) (Report as inappropriate) Share this review: 4 / 5 SF symphony and fireworks show were fabulous ! Shoreline Amphitheatre  @   -  Mountain View  @  , CA  @   -  Wed, Jul 4, 2012  @  Favorite moment: Favorite moment was watching the red, white, and blue fireworks!  @  Posted 07/08/2012 by SBCasa This Fan's Reviews The venue definitely was a perfect place to accomodate a large crowd. The musical selections were able to captivate both young and old. Everyone enjoyed the music and of course the highlight of the night were the fireworks! The fireworks display was certainly a reminder of a Disney extravaganza that brought a smile to everyone's face. I would definitely return next year. Next time, I would pay extra money for VIP or premium parking.

I had not attended this event in years but decided this year to attend. I was greatly disappointed by the selection of music. It was mostly short pieces that had little to do with one another (the Olympics theme was really a weak one). The PDQ Bach selection was a complete waste of everyone's time. I think I fell asleep for some of the selections in the second half. I regularly attend the SF Symphony at Davies and love it. This performance was not one to be loved. The fireworks were the highlight of the performance. The music went well with the fireworks. It is great to see, hear, and feel the fireworks

The lawn seating was great. The concert was excellent and the fireworks were awesome!!

The program of lighter works was perfect for the day, and the Symphony brought them fully to life. It was all about fun! The fireworks were beautiful and interesting too, and the musical accompaniment really enhanced the experience. The fireworks are shot from Shoreline park, to the North of the Amphitheater. So from much of section 103 you can't see them at all. That's not a big problem - you can move to get a better view. The very best fireworks viewing is from the lawn.

Once again, an excellent family outing. Safe, relaxing, enjoyable, and something we look forward to each year. Plenty for the kids to do while we sat on the lawn and relaxed. The program was okay. I have enjoyed others better with Lauren Bacall or George Taki giving an oration with the symphony in the background. This year's Conductor vs Symphony challenge was hard to follow and, frankly, a bit ridiculous. My one true complaint was the signage and parking staff. The family parked next to us had the same issue.......The VIP parking signage took us way out of our way, and over to the Disabled lot. Then the staff looked at us and spoke to us like we were complete idiots for being in the wrong area. We should have been following the hard to read Prefered Parking signs. We'll know better next year.

Great - excellent collection of tunes, nice fuireworks, too many people coming late - should restrict seat access during tune plays

We had great seats - about eight rows back in the middle, which provided a close-up view of the symphony. All in all, it was a wonderful way to celebrate the Fourth of July, which also happens to be my husband's birthday. The fireworks at the end were spectacular, made even better by the music of the symphony ... just when you thought it was over, there were more fireworks and music! The only downside to the evening was trying to get out of the parking lot after the show. It was complete gridlock for over an hour! When we finally were able to exit the parking lot, the traffic on the street was almost as bad, but at least it was moving! It just seems really ridiculous to have only one exit out of the parking lot - I don't know what would have happened had there been an emergency situation. I will probably attend this show again, but will not park in the regular lot. VIP parking was expensive, but probably worth it in hindsight.

Symphony was outstanding, fireworks were outstanding, but getting out of the parking lot was beyond ridiculous. You would think a place that has been hosting concerts for 30 years could figure out how to manage getting people out. Over and hour and a half just parked in parking lot with no movement. Almost makes it not worth going.

Saw this celebration several years ago featuring Etta James, and it was great. This year, the singer was good, but not as outstanding, and the program was fairly weak and not very cohesive. The pieces just went by with little interest. Mixing rock with symphony (as in the last couple of pieces) is always like oil and water and a waste of time (as it was here). The kids (3yo) paid little attention to any of it. I love the SFS, and see them regularly in Davies Hall; I understand the outdoor concert is far from the best way to appreciate them, but I only felt like they really got in the groove and sounded great in a couple of pieces (by the end of the first piece in the second half, then during the fireworks/encore in the Sousa). Fireworks were good, though seemed a little low, as they were half obscured by the (transparent, but darker) wind screens around the ampitheatre. Getting out of the parking lot and to the freeway, as usual for Shoreline, took forever.

It was disappointing to see the talented SFO dumbed down to play popular theme music. The olympics theme was dreadful. If I wanted to hear that music, I would watch an old football movie or watch the Mighty Ducks for much cheaper than $20+. Also, if this indeed is a children's event, then why is Rob Evans (sp*) parading around in tight leather pants with leather jacket to match? In summation, don't buy a ticket. Instead, bring an ipod with some headphones and stand in the hills nearby to watch the mediocre fireworks show.

excellent orchestra - repertoire varied and beautifully performed.

The SF Symphony Orchestra was as good as its reputation. Mixing in some humor and creativity made the event even more fun than anticipated. Thanks for a great show!

The music was great, but the session was very short. I would like to have heard more patriotic tunes. Possibly next year you can start an hour earlier. Also, the parking was a disaster. We were routed onto a dirt field, and the walk to the event was long. Also, we chose seats in section 103 to be close to the music and be able to see the fireworks. Yet...they shot the fireworks on our side of the tent. We needed to scramble out of our seats to the center aisle to see the fireworks. Then...some guard ran up the aisle yelling at people to get out of the aisle - poor planning people. Next time center the fireworks!!!

The symphony part was good, but don't expect amazing sound quality. The disappointing part was the fireworks. Fireworks by itself was good, however, big speakers on the posts inside the amphitheater were blocking the view. Also, the fireworks was mainly visible for people sitting in the eastern and some of the middle sections. Finally, driving in/out of the parking was a mess. If you plan to attend such event arrive one hour before event starts and leave one hour early.

The orchestra played well, and the 'sportscast' was cute, though the program was a bit cliché. The problem came with the fireworks - while the display was probably quite impressive, most of the audience in the seats could not see the whole display because of giant speakers/screens blocking the view. In fact, it turns out the most valuable 'seats' were on the lawn, since they allowed for a view of the concert (comparable to the less expensive seated areas) *and* an unobstructed view of the fireworks.

The San Francisco Symphony always do a great job for this event. The fireworks were wonderful as well (and did last about 15 minutes, not 15 seconds for those of you who visited San Diego :-). The update on PDQ Bach's Beethoven's Fifth was a lot of fun. Particularly the little joke where the radio station they used was KPDQ. I wonder how many people got that. I wish they'd do a little less John Williams and a little more classically oriented stuff, but I guess you expect that at a pops concert. One thing to beware of!!! The VIP ticket that gets you into the VIP bar only works for one person. You wouldn't think this since VIP parking is $40 and the VIP ticket with the bar (which includes parking) is $50, but that's how it works. Thanks so much to the kind manager who let us in anyway. LiveNation should change the way they market this.

Excellent music band and show with fireworks. But traffic needs improved. It takes too long to get out after show. Suggest to allocate some parking areas outside the park, so people can park outside and walk in.

My husband and I took our seven year old son to the concert and fireworks. The concert was an entertaining and universally accessible program of "Gold Medal" music inspired by the upcoming Olympics. My son was very excited to be able to pick out the theme from Harry Potter during the warm ups, and we all really enjoyed the PDQ Bach note by note sportscast. I will say the Symphony's rendition of Queen's "We Will Rock You/We are the Champions" should have been the end of the show, as the final piece, The Beatles "Twist and Shout" kind of bombed. The fireworks were an additional 3 pieces, including the theme from Star Wars and some patriotic pieces. The important thing to know is that getting out of an event at Shoreline takes for freakin' ever.

The SF Symphony rocked. Clever writing for the last act before the intermission. The fire works with the music was great. Unfortunately, I can't recommend my seat. It is smack in the middle of Section 202. The camera guy was obstructing but i knew this when I booked the ticket. He was positioned just so that he was blocking the conductor. That was OK. But when the firework started, it was exploding JUST behind the huge screen that is used for the lawn attendees. Some of the fireworks were exploding higher than the screen. So I was able to see some good ones. Overall, very cool event, and will go again next year. But will be a little more careful when picking seats.

There were great display of fireworks but music symphony wasn't up to the par! They played music which had nothing to do with the independence day and if that wasn't bad enough they had two TV clowns spoil Beethoven's symphony...very disappointing! :( The worst part was after the show we were stuck for more then an hour in traffic trying to get out of that place. Very poorly organized!!

The music was ok, but the selection was evidently for the Radio Disney crowd. The fireworks were behind and to the right of the seating area; thank goodness we were on the lawn, it would have been awkward to try and turn around and watch fireworks from the seats. The fireworks were nice ... but only 15 min. We tried to ride our bikes, but a flat meant I had to ride back and get the car ... followed by 40 min of trying to park ... and 90 min of sitting in the parking lot after the show trying to leave. The parking was horrendous, but was worse than usual due to 100s of additional people parking for fireworks. Overall, not worth it. I'd rather have found a place to sit and watch the fireworks and listened to better music on my phone.

The show was great ! I have never been so close to fireworks. My children were in awe. With that being said, it took us over 1 1/2 hours to leave the parking lot. That experience alone will stop us from attending this venue again.

Overpriced Underperforming orchestra Sports comedy is a joke Little short fireworks Poor operation Takes 50min to get out of parking

Fantastic music and fireworks! Took little longer to get out of the parking lot.

The show was SPECTACULAR! Traffic control after the show was despicable!! It took over 2 hours just to get out of the lot - improvement is desperately needed! A wonderful evening ended on a very sour note!!

We have been going to see the San Francisco Symphony at Shoreline Amphitheatre on July 4th for the past 5 years or so. They always put on a great show, enjoyable for all ages. Each year there's a theme and this year's was "Gold Medal Winners" in advance of the London Olympics. And the fireworks display afterwards is great, too!

The Independent day firework pairing with San Francisco Symphony couldn't ask for more. It was a prefect match. Me and my husband had a wonderful evening.

The performance by the San Francisco symphony was excellent again. The organization of the staff to accommodate such a group of people quickly, efficiently, not to mention Ina warm friendly manner never fails to astound me. Of course the fireworks were fab also.

I hadn't been to the 4th of July Concert at Shoreline in at least 10 years. The SF Symphony used to play beautiful classical and patriotic music. Maybe the only way they can sell tickets to this event is to play more popular music but I didn't like it. On the rock and roll pieces the electric guitars were so loud they drowned out the rest of the symphony. We won't go again without carefully reviewing the program before we buy tickets. The food at Shoreline is really terrible!!!!!

This is a wonderful annual tradition. The SF Symphony is fabulous and so are the fireworks. Expect a LONG wait to get out of the venue after the concert. We waited about an hour before our car even moved at all. Shoreline needs to make it much more obvious what is allowed and now allowed for picnicking. I brought a metal serving spoon, which was confiscated at the entrance. There was NO mention of this being disallowed on anything I could find on the web before the concert.

FABULOUS show!! The Symphony is always fantastic .. of course!! And it's always such a treat to see "real" fireworks!! They moved to launch location of the fireworks this year and they didn't get as high as usual and the fence was in the view .. I really hope they move it back next year!! We go early, and picnic on the lawn. Such a great time hanging with loved ones!! Would highly recommend this .. annually!!

It's been about 15 years since I last went to see the Symphony at Shoreline. I was looking forward to taking my friends to something they have not been to before. We got there about 7 pm, found a place on the grass, and dug into our picnic dinner. Everyone was having fun, relaxed and enjoying their time. We enjoyed the concert - the sound back at the yard was pretty good. We could hear just fine. There were a couple of things I would like to recommend however, the people directing traffic need better training. Easily there could have been 2 lanes of traffic getting out of the parking log, leaving room for fire lane. It looked like someone took people out of the neighborhood and threw a vest on them and gave them a baton and said "good luck". I was surprised for how long Shoreline has been around they would be that disorganized...and it was the same way going in and coming out. The concert was nice. I did not enjoy the "commentator" skit. It was annoying from the back yard. They only have one screen set up back there in the middle of the yard. There should b screens on the left and right also. There should also be a family section of the yard. It was great until the out of control family sat down next to us with the SCREAMING 1 yr old and their out of control 3 yr old, who ran into everyone. Fireworks - GREAT Overall - symphony great, but would have liked to hear more of them and not that skit. It was too long and you couldn't hear the music of the "sports casters" which was a waste of what could have been a very nice song.

Awesome music and fireworks! Great staff! Thank you SF Symphony for a terrific Fourth of July!

The show was fine but leaving took two hours and was chaotic. Pretty much spoiled the evening

I liked the music but didn't like the sportscasters segment, where we couldn't hear the music because of the sportscasters. It was funny at first, but got old. Apart from that, I enjoyed the rest of the concert. Leaving the event was a nightmare because there was very little traffic control. It took us almost an hour to get out of the parking lot (lot A).

While the Fireworks and Music was great, the traffic afterwards around Shoreline was horrible. We spent almost 1h 30 minutes in stop and go traffic trying to leave the shoreline parkinglot. --> This spoiled the whole event. Would not go again. Or at least not by car, maybe by bike next time,

This is an incredible event. The SF Symphony played beautifly. It is still an outdoor laid back event. So expect noise from the crowd and late comers - which can be annoying. For a best view of the fireworks, chose seats in the mid section towards the right. People on the left had no visibility and ended up standing up. Parking was 45 minutes getting out. I knew this and I didn't mind. Next time i'll buy the VIP parking option.

Who put together this year's program? It was awful! There are three major things that were terrible about the 2012 program. First, for a 4th of July celebration, there was not a single patriotic song on the program. The only patriotic song played was during the fireworks. Second, someone had the "bright" idea of mixing a pretend sportscast with classical music. These demographics just don't go together. The pretend sportscast went on for so long, was so boring, annoying, and out of place. Please don't do this again! Last but not least, there was rock-and-roll at a classical music concert! If I wanted rock-and-roll, I'd go to a rock-and-roll concert! I was expecting a beautiful evening filled with peaceful, relaxing, patriotic, classical symphony. Boy, was I disappointed! The 2011 program was so much better. Please fire the person who put together the 2012 program and go back to the traditional program!!!!!! I'd only recommend this to a friend because the fireworks were spectacular and accompanied by the appropriate 4th of July music.

Most of the music played were not patriotic given it was for 4th of July celebration.

The main event was very enjoyable for our whole family. The music was excellent, and the fireworks show was fantastic. (We would have liked a little more variety of musical offerings as the program was rather heavily weighted on movie music - would have been nice to have some other traditional 4th of July classics like 1812 overture.) The only problem, which really impacted our overall feeling about this event, was that there was no management of the parking lot after the show. There was only 1 exit from the parking lot, and no one directing traffic from the parking lanes to this exit. It literally took us 1 hour to get from our parking space to leave the parking lot itself (about 500 feet). There was a lot of parking staff when we parked initially so it is a mystery why they had no one there after the show.

We have attended the SF Symphony/fireworks show many times, and this year it was just OK. It was disappointing that the program had very few of the classic pops type pieces like 1812 overture, and patriotic pieces. Instead they had an olympic theme with pieces that in some cases didn't seem to support that theme, like the Nimbus 2000 piece from Harry Potter. The fireworks were good but they seemed to go off at a lower altitude than usual and thus were harder to see. They were just barely over the top of the line of sight from the seats to the top of the screen at the back of the lawn area.

The music was nice and the fireworks were amazing and if you want to see a good fireworks show it would be the only reason is say go see the fireworks but I will not see the symphony again for lack of tribute to real heroes.. The one major thing I would have to say is all they did was pay tribute to the Olympics and athletes, the 4th of July is about freedom and the people that fight for our freedom. As an Iraq veteran I felt the showing that the san fransisco symphony was disresceptful to all veterans who have fought and died for the freedoms we have today ...olympians don't fight and die for our freedom and independence