Beverly Hills City Council, at its Oct. 28 Study Session, approved permit requests from Dick Clark Productions in preparation for the 83rd Golden Globe Awards ceremony scheduled for Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Patty Betancourt, filming and special events division coordinator, presented the requests from Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Those requests include covering of the arm and pole of the traffic signal, which includes the red-light cameras, at Wilshire Boulevard and Whittier Drive (eastbound) from Jan. 2 at 6 a.m. until Jan. 13 at 6 a.m.; the installation of a temporary traffic signal during that time frame should the request to cover the existing arm and pole be approved; the shutting off of the red-light cameras at Wilshire Boulevard and Whittier Drive (westbound) for 24 hours beginning on Jan. 11 at 6 a.m.; and work outside the current permitted construction hours for One Beverly Hills. Notifications about the ceremony will be sent to businesses and residents within a two-mile radius.
Public safety remains a top priority for City Council, said Mayor Sharona Nazarian. Staff indicated in its report that in addition to Beverly Hills emergency personnel, neighboring law enforcement agencies will be staffed at the event. Private security will be offered by DCP in the hotel, off-site parking lots and on the red carpet. BHPD and the Beverly Hills Fire Department will be the lead agencies for the duration of the event. There will be a Mobile Command Center at El Rodeo Elementary School.
This year, DCP will not request any fee waivers and will pay for all services—a change from previous years. Julie Wagner, CEO of the Conference & Visitors Bureau, said it will partner with DCP again. The cost of the partnership is $25,000, which gives the CVB access to the red carpet and several other events. Wagner explained that this access allows the CVB to create social media content.
Members of the council expressed their appreciation for the Golden Globes and the continued partnership and generally supported the requests, with some caveats.
Vice Mayor Craig Corman took issue with the $25,000 cost of access for the CVB, arguing that the city provides significant services that are part of the partnership. He explained that turning off the red-light cameras for 10 days would result in loss of revenue because of the lack of citations. Corman proposed that the CVB not be charged the $25,000 fee and, in return, the city would “forget about the red-light camera situation.” Friedman echoed Corman’s concerns about the loss of red-light camera revenue.
“I just think that it’s appropriate, given the fact we’re taking off the cameras and given the partnership that we’ve had for so many years that our marketing arm of the city is allowed access because the $25,000 you’re charging them is coming from the city, you know, because we help fund the CVB,” said Corman.
