Set Sail for Pirates of the Caribbean Live at The Rady Shell
The San Diego Symphony Orchestra is bringing Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl to the big screen while performing Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer’s score live, right there on the bay.
It’s a chance to revisit a movie you’ve probably seen a dozen times and hear it in a completely new way. Add in a waterfront setting under the stars, and it’s easy to see why this kind of film-and-orchestra pairing keeps selling out.
Zimmer’s Score Takes Center Stage
Conducted by Larry Loh, this is one of the most recognizable film scores of the 2000s, played live while the movie unfolds above you.
Oscar and Grammy-winning composer Hans Zimmer and his production team have scored every Pirates of the Caribbean film since, but it’s this original score that set the bar, raising the stakes on thematic complexity with its swashbuckling orchestral sound and those unmistakable horns carrying the melody.
Hearing it live changes the whole experience, even if you’ve seen the movie a dozen times. There’s something about a full orchestra hitting those horn lines in real time that a home speaker system just can’t replicate.
The Adventure on Screen
In case you need a refresher (though let’s be honest, you probably don’t): Captain Jack Sparrow’s easygoing pirate life gets flipped upside down when his nemesis, Captain Barbossa, steals his ship, the Black Pearl, and kidnaps the Governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swann.
Her childhood friend Will Turner teams up with Jack for a rescue mission, and things get wild fast once they discover Barbossa’s crew has been cursed into the undead.
The film stars Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Jonathan Pryce, Keira Knightley, and Jack Davenport, and yes, it’s just as fun on the big screen as you remember.
See you there!
Swashbuckling adventure, a legendary score, and a live orchestra under the stars. This is one movie night worth leaving the couch for.
📆 Friday, August 28, 2026 | 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
📍 222 Marina Park Way, San Diego
🎟️ Lock in your spot here
ℹ️ Get more details here
See you there, San Diego!
