Frequently Asked Questions

St. James by-the-Sea is in the heart of downtown La Jolla, so parking can be difficult if there are other events happening on the same night. Street parking around the church is free on Sundays and after 6:00PM weeknights and Saturdays. There are a handful of paid spaces on 800 Silverado St., a short block away from St. James, and there are additional paid lots on Fay Ave. We recommend arriving early or using ridesharing services.

All Souls’ Episcopal Church has limited parking accessible from Chatsworth Blvd. Street parking is always free and there are many streets near the church where you can park.

St. Paul’s Cathedral is located across the street from Balboa Park on Sixth Ave. Street parking around the church is free on Sundays, and free after 6:00PM weeknights and Saturdays. There are a few FREE parking spaces in the garage under 525 Olive on levels B1 and B2. Please note that the Olive St. vehicle gate closes at 10pm. If you plan on having dinner following one of our concerts, please be sure to move your vehicle out of the parking garage BEFORE 10PM. Also note that there is no pedestrian access to the garage from Olive Street: you must enter through the Church campus.

You can purchase individual tickets to all concerts online through our website or by phone at (619) 291-8246. When you buy your tickets online, you have the option to pick up physical tickets at Will Call right before the concert for an additional charge, or to receive e-tickets via email at no charge. E-tickets have the same QR code that is on physical tickets. The option to pick up your tickets at Will Call will not be offered starting 24 hours before each concert. 

Student and Military tickets ($10) are only available by phone or at the door. Rush tickets ($10) are only available at the door and are subject to availability.

Tickets are nonrefundable unless there is a cancellation. In that case, we will issue a full refund, or offer the option to convert all or part of the original purchase price into a donation.

If you have tickets for a performance that you cannot attend, we ask that you to consider gifting these tickets to a friend to help us increase our reach! We will always accept your ticket donations, of course, if you let us know at least 48 hours in advance.

Ticket sales are a very important source of revenue for us. Having a predictable source of income is crucial to our financial health in these uncertain times. We appreciate your understanding and support.

Students and active-duty military can purchase tickets to any Main Season concert for $10. For group discounts, please contact us at sdems@sdems.org. We also offer $10 rush tickets at the door before every Main Season concert (subject to availability).

If you purchase a full subscription you will receive a 10% discount over single ticket prices. We do not offer partial subscriptions.

Solo Series concerts have a low general admission price, so $10 rush tickets or any other discounts are not available for these performances.

If you want to attend our performances but are unable to afford the ticket price, please contact us.

Yes. Returning subscribers will have the option to retain their seats or upgrade based on availability if they return their subscription request no later than September 1 each year. SDEMS seasons generally start in October/November of each year

We do not have a dress code. You may dress up or dress down as you wish! Concerts normally run from 1.5 to 2 hours, so we recommend your wear something comfortable.

Yes. Our three venues are ADA compliant. If you require assistance or have questions about the facilities, please email or call us.

We are often in need of ushers to help us scan tickets, hand out programs, and guide our patrons to their assigned seats. Ushers can sit and enjoy our concerts for free after all concert tasks are done! Ushers are called at 6:30PM for 7:30PM concerts, and are released after the concert is over. The commitment is flexible, but we do give priority to returning volunteers. Please email our volunteer coordinator, Brad Rice, at sdems@sdems.org, call us at (619) 291-8246, or contact us through social media (Instagram and Facebook) if you have questions.

We are always looking for volunteers to join our Board of Directors. The time commitment for Directors is a minimum of one 2-year term, with three to four board meetings per season (in person, hybrid, or virtual). There is no minimum financial contribution to join the Board, but an annual contribution of any size is required. Concert attendance is not required but highly encouraged. For inquiries about membership, please contact president Pamela at pamela@sdems.org.

While we have a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram, the best way to stay up-to-date with concerts, free and donor-exclusive events, master classes, and other community happenings is by signing up to our mailing list.

We keep the emails informative and limited to upcoming events only. We do not send weekly emails and will not clutter your inbox. We endeavor to send no more than two emails per concert to share details about the performers, programs, and any other crucial information.

We cannot add you to our mailing list without your permission, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Please use this mailing list sign-up to add your name to the list! If you include your mailing address, you will automatically receive a print copy of the season brochure that is mailed out each summer.