Summer concerts in L.A., including free shows

Not to be confused with a similarly named fest at L.A. State Historic Park a few years ago, this Skyline comes from mega promoter Insomniac. For the fifth edition of the fest, held now next to the Sixth Street Viaduct at Ace Mission Studios, you’ll find Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, Chris Stussy, I Hate Models, Joseph Capriati, VTSS and many more on the house and techno-heavy lineup that celebrates the city’s underground scene.

This springtime spinoff in Insomniac’s Wonderland series adds a whimsical, carnival-like atmosphere to the house, techno, dubstep, trance and bass-heavy festival. Go down the rabbit hole in San Bernardino with multiple themed stages, where the likes of Tiësto, Zedd, GRiZ, SLANDER, Steve Angello, Diesel and more will perform.

Nearly 125,000 music lovers make a pilgrimage to the Empire Polo Club during each identical weekend of Coachella, whether bound for campgrounds or shuttling over from golf resorts and midcentury modern homes. Though its bespoke dining experiences and hotel party scene may try to steal headlines, Coachella remains about the relaxed desert air euphoria of a well-curated music festival. Coachella’s all-embracing three-day lineup consistently crafts the pool of performers from which all other summer music festivals borrow. This year’s headliners lead a stacked lineup: Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Karol G and Anyma, plus the XX, the Strokes, Addison Rae, Young Thug, BIGBANG and more.

RECOMMENDED: See our complete Coachella coverage

Strap on your cowboy hat and make the pilgrimage to country music’s biggest jamboree, taking up residence at Coachella’s digs, the Empire Polo Club. Stagecoach is coming back for a three-day fest; expect the usual mix of contemporary and classic country. Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson and Post Malone headline, with additional sets on the lineup from Bailey Zimmerman, Red Clay Strays, Riley Green, Journey, Brooks & Dunn, Hootie & the Blowfish, Diplo, Pitbull and Ludacris, among others.

This laid-back, Gen X-ish music fest will once again take over the Redondo Beach coastline for three days in May. Duran Duran, the Chainsmokers, the Offspring, Slightly Stoopid and James Taylor and His All-Star Band headline the 2026 edition, with additional sets from My Morning Jacket, Sheryl Crow, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Grouplove, Peach Pit and more.

Make your way to the desert for the Joshua Tree Music Festival, a gathering of like-minded indie musicians who will be rocking out to a dance-world-electro-funk’n groove. The biannual festival is a four-day party with over 30 bands in a unique lineup of artists who aren’t necessarily household names. There’s free water to all patrons, minimal service charges on tickets and yoga classes aplenty.

On the outskirts of town at the Motor Speedway, Electric Daisy Carnival is pure, condensed Vegas. There is a VIP Ferris wheel. Helicopters shuttle in high rollers. The massive crowd is soaked in ecstasy and spray tan. Every millionaire DJ that plays the laser-riddled nightclubs on the Strip is here. EDC introduced EDM as a Day-Glo spectacle for the masses in America, and its lineups in recent years have certainly lived up to the hype (this year’s is still to come, but Tiësto, REZZ, Alison Wonderland and Kaskade topped last year’s lineup). Once you let the neon and bass wash over you, it is the time of your life.

After years on the Central Coast, the annual event has more recently made a move significantly closer to L.A., at Bakersfield’s Buena Vista Aquatic Recreational Area. Sure, it’s still a bit of a trek, but where else can you find a sustainable, vegetarian festival dedicated to equal parts music, food, art, yoga and wellness? Expect to do some serious soul-searching during this five-day retreat, all while immersing yourself in everything from a speaker series to an old timey trading post. Empire of the Sun, Mau P, Sara Landry, Zeds Dead, Chase & Status, Mochakk, Barry Can’t Swim and Tinashe top the 2026 lineup.

This weekend-long concert will once again return to West Hollywood Park as part of WeHo Pride; though this year’s lineup is still to come, Lizzo, Remi Wolf, Kim Petras, Honey Dijon and Paris Hilton topped the 2025 edition. If the ticket prices have you down, don’t worry: Friday night’s programming is usually free with an RSVP.

EDM juggernaut HARD Summer hopped around Southern California for a while, but now it’s settled back in town—and for 2026 again heads to the grounds of Hollywood Park, next to SoFi Stadium. No matter the location, its dedication to bringing the biggest names in the hip-hop and electronic scene has stayed the course. This year’s lineup is still to come, but the 2025 edition included Dom Dolla, Feid, Gesaffelstein, Kaytranada, Sean Paul, Juvenile & the 400 Degreez Band, Four Tet, Floating Points, Sara Landry and Nico Moreno.