Popular Podcast ‘SmartLess’ Announces Live Taping at Hollywood Bowl

HOLLYWOOD, California — The podcast series “SmartLess” is set to make history with its first live recording at the iconic Hollywood Bowl on November 15. Hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes promised an unforgettable event that has already generated significant buzz.

Tickets for the highly anticipated show will go on sale on Friday at 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster. An exclusive presale for American Express cardholders begins today at the same time.

In a joint statement, the hosts expressed their excitement, saying, “We’re beyond honored, and honestly still a little confused, to be the first live podcast ever recorded at the Hollywood Bowl. The Beatles played here… and now, somehow, so are we. Sorry, history.”

While the Hollywood Bowl has a capacity of 17,500, it cannot break the Guinness World Record for the most tickets sold for a podcast. That record belongs to Canadian podcaster Mike Ward, whose “Mike Ward Sous Écoute” sold 20,986 tickets for a show in Montreal in July 2022.

However, “SmartLess,” which has produced over 270 episodes, has the potential to draw the largest crowd for a podcast in the U.S. Last year, the “New Heights” podcast by Jason and Travis Kelce looked set to break records until severe weather forced a venue change to Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, limiting attendance to 12,500.

Though the guests for the Hollywood Bowl show remain under wraps, fans speculate that one may be a musician, aligning with the podcast’s history of featuring such stars. Notable recent guests have included John Mayer, Ariana Grande, and Elton John. Since the beginning of 2025, guests have also included Julia Garner, John Lithgow, and Bill Gates.

Launched in July 2020, “SmartLess” is among the top five most listened-to podcasts each month and is produced by Michael Grant Terry and Rob Amjärv. SiriusXM acquired the podcast from Amazon in 2024.