Although 2022 promises to start off on a muted note due to the omicron wave, Los Angeles and Beverly Hills still have high hopes that the year will mark a return to a so-called new normal. From a full weekend of art with Frieze Week, to the programming and parties around the Super Bowl, here are some of the marquee items to look forward to in 2022.
Even with Super Bowl Sunday set to take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Feb. 13, hotels and businesses in Beverly Hills are benefitting from the event, said Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Johnson.
“I know all the hotels are booked for the Super Bowl. Most are sold out,” Johnson told the Courier. This comes as a sorely needed balm to the city’s hospitality industry, which has been one of the sectors hit hardest by COVID-19, Johnson added.
Running from Feb. 17-20, Frieze Week and Frieze Sculpture Beverly Hills will bring over 100 art galleries from 17 countries to Beverly Hills, in addition to highlighting the city’s trove of outdoor public art. The headquarters of the event will be at 9900 Wilshire Blvd. directly across from the Beverly Hilton, the site of the future One Beverly Hills development. Organizers have estimated that the event will bring in tens of thousands of visitors from across the globe to Beverly Hills, although rising COVID-19 case numbers have made planners cautious.
Christine Messineo, Director of Frieze Los Angeles and Frieze New York, said in a statement that she looks forward to showcasing “the creative community” of the city.
“In Los Angeles, this takes many forms, both within the framework of the tent, with significant participation from Los Angeles galleries, as well as outside of the fair architecture,” she said. “This intention extends to our inaugural Frieze Sculpture Beverly Hills presentation, which will remain on public view in Beverly Gardens Park for three months, and our continued collaborations with not-for-profits, local institutions and artists throughout Frieze Week.”
The new year promises to have plenty of political activity as well. Vice Mayor Lili Bosse will take over as Mayor in April, replacing current Mayor Robert Wunderlich. Then, on June 7, polls will open for residents to cast their votes for three open City Council seats.
Many of the candidates vying for the seats plan to host public events as election day draws nearer. Wunderlich told the Courier that he will announce plans for “a campaign kick-off event and multiple coffees to meet with the residents of Beverly Hills” in the new year. Public Works Commissioner Sharona Nazarian, who announced her candidacy for City Council in August, told the Courier that she and other candidates are looking to hold a joint kickoff event in March, though a specific date has not yet been chosen.
“Beverly Hills candidates have traditionally coordinated the day candidates have their official campaign kickoff. It’s like an open house where the community members go from home to home to meet the candidates on the same day,” Nazarian told the Courier. “The time a candidate will speak at the podium is specified so no two candidates speak at the same time. It’s a courtesy and practice in civility that our city candidates have always followed, and I am excited to honor that tradition.”
In addition to the city election, June will also play host to the city’s summer Concerts on Canon and the hopeful return of the Rodeo Concours d’Elegance, the annual Father’s Day car show on June 19. The Concours d’Elegance was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, with a paired down version called the Tour d’Elegance held in 2021. While the pandemic makes certainty impossible, the city hopes that 2022 will allow for the return of crowds to Rodeo Drive to ogle dozens of classic and luxury automobiles
