Memorial Day events in Los Angeles for 2025

One of L.A.’s best free live-music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its three-decade run at the museum. Seating for the program is available in the museum’s plaza on a first-come, first-served basis, though you’re welcome to picnic on the grass, too (you won’t really be able to see the show, but you’ll still hear it). You’ll find the series on Friday evenings in LACMA’s welcome plaza (just behind Urban Light) throughout the summer.

What do you do when you “pop out” at the Forum with a show so widely-watched and well-received that it decisively ends hip-hop’s most memorable recent beef? Why you take a victory lap, of course. Compton’s own unparalleled lyricist Kendrick Lamar returns to town for these shows at SoFi Stadium, part of the “Grand National Tour” that he’ll share with R&B superstar SZA.

L.A. has changed immeasurably since 1921, when this event was first staged as an agricultural fair. However, the perennially popular event still has farm-friendly appeal (livestock beauty contests, local produce) alongside the more modern acrobats, wine tastings, exhibitions, thrill rides and concerts—plus, of course, plenty of deep-fried food.

Roam the stalls at this Memorial Day arts festival, sample the food and listen to the music—and then take a dip in the nearby Pacific. A few logistical changes for the last few fests have streamlined the layout: You’ll still find on-the-street stalls and sidewalk vendors along Hermosa and Pier Avenues, but there’s now live music at the beach (one of five stages throughout the fest), and there’s a proper carnival (with a wine garden) inland at Pier and Monterey Boulevard.

Make your Memorial Day weekend a little bit country at Hollywood’s cowboy-chic rooftop bar as it relaunches its Wild West pool party and trading post series just in time for summer. Starting Sunday, May 25, you’ll find a weekly pop-up of local vendors, a cowboy cookout, cocktails, music from country DJ Short Shorts and a live Fleetwood Mac tribute, so bring your boots and party till the sun sets over the city. There’s no cover, but if you’re coming with a group and want to splash out for a cabana reservation (starting at $900), you can do that here.

West Hollywood celebrates the artistic contributions of the LGBTQ+ community at this annual festival, where queer artists showcase their stories and talents. The precursor to WeHo Pride Weekend takes place over three days chock-full of comedy shows, choir performances, literary readings and art-making workshops at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza. Highlights include the West Coast Premiere reading of Ramoon Maharaj's sweet lorraine, about the friendship between James Baldwin and Lorraine Hansberry (Fri 8pm, RSVP here); trans masc comedy show Big Dad Energy (Fri 6:30pm, RSVP here); and custom poetry both Friday and Sunday. What’s more, all the events are free. You can check out the full lineup of programming here.

Level 8’s lively rooftop bar, Golden Hour, is celebrating Memorial Day all weekend long with four different events offering poolside DJ sets and curated cocktails from day to night. First up is the very first pool party of the season from Dim Mak Afloat, featuring sets from Topanga Hills Mafia, Zachary Freemont and more (Sat 2pm, tickets here). Then Chicago-based DJ Nick Varell is up at 8pm (RSVP here). On Sunday, Flamingosis takes over the space from 2 to 8pm (tickets here), and on Monday, We2Bomb’s SPLASH Summer Kickoff Pool Party will close out the holiday weekend with even more DJs and pool time (Mon 2pm, tickets here).

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. John Summit, Khruangbin, Jamie xx, Four Tet and Subtronics top the 2025 lineup.

Everybody likes a good theme party, and this Memorial Day weekend, Main Street in Santa Monica is giving the people what they want. In an effort not only to entertain Westsiders but to support the area’s community programming, much of Main Street will transform into essentially an interactive Monopoly board game, allotting attendees “MAINopoly dollars” to be exchanged for food tastings across the street’s finest establishments. Trade a couple fake bucks for dishes from spots like Ashland Hill, Holey Grail Donuts, Jameson’s Pub, the Victorian and Sunny Blye, or add on a couple of drinks in the “Go to Jail” VIP lounge and beer garden. Dressing up is encouraged, so polish up that Monopology moncole.

Listen to classical and jazz in a dome more than a mile above L.A. during this mountaintop concert series. The Mount Wilson Observatory is hosting monthly concerts this summer inside the dome of its 100-inch Hooker telescope, which was the largest telescope in the world for much of the first half of the 20th century. Tickets cost $60 (that also includes access to the exhibit at the observatory), and it’s highly recommended that you buy them in advance since seating is limited. Note that you’ll need to be able to climb 53 steps to reach the dome, and children under 12 aren’t permitted. 

Spend your day off partying by the pool in West Hollywood at this Memorial Day bash, which is billed as a “ritual of pleasure” set to “sexy house music.” Aside from surprise DJ sets, you’ll find drink specials, a photobooth, photo ops and even swimwear vendors, in case you forget your suit. 

Ovation Hollywood is going country during this Memorial Day weekend bash, with live music from Jason & Jules and beginner-friendly line dancing courtesy of Urban Bootscoot. Refuel with bites from Dave & Buster’s and cocktails from NEFT Vodka while you browse goods from local vendors (think permanent jewelry and trucker hats). If you’re looking for love, you can even do-si-do over to the Singles Station and live out your Farmer Wants a Wife dreams with matchmaking and a silent date auction. 

The historic Culver Hotel is launching weekly floral-forward garden parties, kicking off on Memorial Day weekend and running through Labor Day. At the furry-friend-friendly Saturday series, your pup can enjoy a “barcuterie” board of snacks while you sip summer spritzes, yuzu-spiked Arnold Palmers and punch. Meanwhile, canapés like coconut ceviche, avocado tartine and tuna on crispy rice will be presented in vintage birdcages. A live DJ will provide an ambient soundtrack, and a pop-up flower bar will be on hand offering bespoke bouquets.

Spend your Saturday afternoon doing good. Tied to Earth Day, Friends of the L.A. River is pivoting its monthly cleanup into a bit of post-fire empowerment with this habitat resoration effort at the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Preserve. Volunteers will help remove invasive vegetation inside the San Fernando Valley park while learning about how it factors into flammability, as well as about the region’s watershed. Participation is free, but registration is required.

If you loved Greta Gerwig’s Little Women (or even, gasp, Louisa May Alcott’s original), head to the Heritage Square Museum and step into the lives of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy in this immersive ballet—the spring installment of a seasonal trilogy. It’s a triumphant return for the ballet, after its props, merchandise, decorations and many costumes were destroyed by the recent Eaton Fire. Choose from five site-specific performances in the museum’s Victorian mansions over the course of the weekend. A goodie bag and complimentary spring beverages and desserts are included with admission.

The Broad’s upcoming special exhibition makes its way to Downtown L.A. from the 2024 Venice Biennale, where Jeffrey Gibson became the first Indigenous artist to represent the United States with a solo exhibition. Known for his signature use of geometric patterns, patterned text, vibrant color, glass beads and found objects, the Colorado-born artist explores his Indigenous identity and pays tribute to histories of resistance in thought-provoking and optimistic ways. The first-floor galleries will be transformed into a kaleidoscopic environment with 10 paintings, seven sculptures, eight flags, three murals and one video installation by Gibson. Expect an accompanying slate of performances, talks and workshops.

The California Science Center is inviting kids to get in the game with a new 17,000-square-foot exhibition about the power of play and the human body in motion. Besides teaching about the science behind sports, it also offers interactive challenges and video coaching from a team of Los Angeles-based mentor athletes including dancer Debbie Allen, the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, Olympic medalist softball player Rachel Garcia and more. For the first time ever, the center has commissioned public art—all by local artists—to complement the exhibition, including a Dodgers mural by Gustavo Zermeño Jr. The free exhibition kicks off May 15 and will remain at the Science Center at least through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.