Things to do in L.A. this weekend

Now that her astonishing Coachella set is behind us, Angelenos can partake in the mayhem too: Lady Gaga will bring her Mayhem Ball tour to the Forum this summer. Expect Mayhem’s dance-pop return to work its way into much of the set alongside plenty of old favorites.

It’s not just for big-budget action scenes: The L.A. River inspires and supports artistic creations of all sizes and scopes, and you can check a bunch of them out during this annual event from Friends of the L.A. River. Swing by L.A. State Historic Park for live music, performances by Aztec dance company Xipe Totec and eco-minded art activities, as well as food trucks and a marketplace with 40 booths from local vendors. Admission is free, but registration is required, so book your tickets online ahead of time. 

EDM juggernaut HARD Summer hopped around Southern California for a while, but now it’s settled back in town—and for 2025 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 includes Dom Dolla, Feid, Gesaffelstein, Kaytranada, Sean Paul, Juvenile & the 400 Degreez Band, Four Tet, Floating Points, Sara Landry and Nico Moreno.

If the word Hallyu means anything to you, then pencil this annual K-pop convention into your calendar this summer. For three days, the L.A. Convention Center hosts panels, workshops, signings and more, as well as Crypto.com Arena concerts on Saturday and Sunday stocked with Korean celebs and superstars.

Are we the only ones who can’t help but read this musical’s name to the tune of its title track’s chorus? Head to the Hollywood Bowl to see Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock-opera take on Jesus of Nazareth—with Cynthia Erivo as Jesus and Adam Lambert as Judas, plus Milo Manheim as Peter, Raúl Esparza as Pontius Pilate, Josh Gad as King Herod and Phillipa Soo as Mary Magdalene.

For the fourth annual installment of Live at the Music Center—a free summer concert under the stars—five-time Grammy winner esperanza spalding will bring her iconic bass-infused tunes and breathy vocals to the stage at Jerry Moss Plaza. Pack a picnic (sans alcohol), bring some chairs (no higher than 18 inches off the ground) and settle in for a night of spalding’s cool, jazzy sounds. No tickets are required, but RSVPing online is encouraged.

The Wende Museum in Culver City is hosting its inaugural Zine Fest this weekend—a free celebration of creativity and independent publishing. Shop work from over 40 L.A. artists, try your hand at zine-making and figure-drawing at workshops, browse a pop-up library and check out the museum’s collection of Cold War-era underground “samizdat” publications—a reminder of the important role self-publishing has always played in resistance.

Looking for a purr-fect way to spend the weekend? You’re in luck: The self-dubbed Comic-Con for cat people is celebrating its 10th anniversary at the Pasadena Convention Center with two days of workshops, panels, a presentation by the Natural History Museum, and meet and greets with famous felines. Plus, shop at 150 different booths selling cute goodies for cats and cat lovers alike. You can even leave with your own new furry friend from the CatCon Adoption Village. Saturday tickets are sold out, but there are still some available for Sunday.

Take a break from watching cat videos on your phone and head to Eagle Rock to watch them
on the big screen surrounded by like-minded feline fans. The CatVideoFest, held over eight days at Vidiots, will screen a 70-minute compilation that’s sure to be the cat’s meow—catch it in the main theater this weekend, then in the MUBI Microcinema during the week. Even better? Ticket proceeds go to local cat charities and shelters, so you’ll be doing your four-legged friends a favor. 

As sunset continues to stick toward the later end of the evening, the Huntington is taking advantage of the extra daylight with this coveted after-hours series. Formerly open just for members, Twilight Garden Strolls is now open to the public, too, and will extend the San Marino garden’s hours until 8pm on select evenings in the summer. The 1919 Cafe will be open until 7:30pm (hot food stations close at 7pm), so you can even have dinner on the patio. Just a heads-up that you’ll need a timed ticket that’s separate from regular morning or afternoon admission.

Stop by Culver City’s Platform Park on weekend evenings for some of L.A.’s only Cambodian barbecue, plus other rotating food pop-ups, along with a live DJ spinning tunes and drinks from Chinatown’s Melody Lounge. 

Just when you thought Shakespeare was sounding a little, well, dated, enter the Actors’ Gang. Each summer, the Culver City theater spins a different play from the Bard into a high-energy, family-friendly and free-to-attend production, often wrapped in an irreverent theme (think everything from Toy Story to Power Rangers). This time around, All’s Well That Ends Well gets an hour-long outer-space-meets-wild-west adaptation dubbed Roswell That Ends Well. You’ll find the play the first four weekends in August at Culver City’s Media Park.

We’ve seen plenty of hotels host poolside screenings, but this limited-time collab between Disney+ and booking platform Swimply is turning otherwise private, backyard pools into themed screenings—that you can attend for free. Look out for Alien in Northeast L.A., Honey, I Shrunk the Kids in La Habra and Camp Rock in the Valley. Note that space for each event is limited.

Catch family-friendly performers during this annual summertime concert series in the Getty’s beautiful Central Garden, where kids can dance and sing along to the likes of 123 Andrés, Kymberly Stewart and Divinity Roxx. Picnics and blankets are welcome—lawn chairs, glass and alcohol are not. All the concerts are free, and you won’t need a ticket, though you will need a timed museum reservation.

America’s largest pro surfing competition attracts the world’s elite, who compete for big money while wowing thousands of beach boys and girls with their skill, grace and innovative board designs. Heating up the festivities are live bands, a sports expo and after-parties with the friendly locals.

The summer edition of Dine L.A. is back from July 25 to August 8, with hundreds of restaurants participating in the two-week blitz of bang-for-your-buck set menus. Scattered among the prix-fixe tradition’s dizzying full list of menus are some of L.A.’s best restaurants offering their signature fare at a more budget-friendly price point. Before you make a reservation, check out our list of the best lunch and dinner deals the event has to offer.

Now one of L.A.’s most treasured summer traditions, Barnsdall Park’s wine tastings regularly attract sell-out crowds. Perched atop Olive Hill on the west lawn of the historic Hollyhock House (which you can tour during the evening for an additional $36), the Barnsdall Friday fund raisers include fine selections of boutique wines provided by Silverlake Wine with a spectacular sunset and 360-degree views of the city. Bring along a blanket and a picnic basket, or just nosh on the variety of food trucks parked up there. Though there used to be lots of kids running around, the event lawn is now 21-and-up—perfect for a date night. Proceeds support the park’s art programs and historic renovations.

Watch a slate of classics from the past couple of decades on one of the prettiest rooftops—now called Oasis—in Hollywood at this outdoor screenings series. All movies are piped in over sets of provided wireless headphones. Before showtime, make sure to hit up the bar or the on-site kitchen.

Mix fried food, carnival attractions and the occasional rodeo or demolition derby, and you’ve got the OC Fair. What started as a quaint fair in 1889 has since grown into a nearly monthlong fest in the middle of summer. It also boasts a lineup of alfresco live music that’s more impressive than most fairs’—this year you can catch the Psychedelic Furs with Rooney, Fitz and the Tantrums with Aloe Blacc, Beck with the Pacific Symphony and Molly Lewis, X and Ludacris, among others. See the full lineup here. 

About a month and a half before the start of the NFL season, you can see the Chargers take the field at their training facility in El Segundo—and for free, no less. For four weeks in July and August, the team holds practices at the Bolt that are open to the public, with covered bleacher seating behind the north end zone. Admission is limited to 1,500 fans per session; tickets are available the Monday prior to each practice week (so sessions from July 21 to 26, for example, are available to book on July 14). Look out for a handful of themed days, including a family day, a celebration of women in sports and a happy hour with some Chargers legends—just note that select days are exclusive to season ticket holders.

Get ready for your close-up and head to Silver Lake to check out the brand-new Photo Booth Museum, less a museum than a retro living room filled with four vintage film photo booths (plus the pink digital photo booth pictured here) restored by Bay Area-based company Photomatica. Strike a series of poses, wait a few minutes for them to develop, and leave with a handful of flattering black-and-white photos. You can even turn your favorite shot into a keychain for $10. Pair your photo shoot with a few scoops at Pazzo Gelato next door for a fun summer date night.

The Music Center offers a free, joyous mash-up of music and dancing all summer long, with different themes (salsa, Bollywood, cumbia and disco among them) and free dance lessons, plus live DJ sets so you can show off your new moves. Head to the Music Center’s Jerry Moss Plaza and join in the fun—no dance experience required.

A thundering herd of 100 life-sized elephants has taken over Beverly Hills as part of this free, public exhibition spanning four blocks of Beverly Gardens Park all month. The powerful art-meets-conservation display arrives in L.A. after a 5,000-mile journey across the U.S. that began on the East Coast. Each sculpture was made from invasive lantana by Indigenous artisans from India’s Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and modeled after real elephants. On July 20, the installation gets even more stylish with Wrapped in History, a textile takeover featuring 70 bespoke blankets created by global designers. And on August 1, stop by for a public farewell event called “Kiss Them Goodbye,” hosted by luxury beauty brand Chantecaille.

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.

Swing by Redondo Beach’s Fisherman’s Wharf on Thursday and Saturday evenings in the summer for a free series of concerts held on the west end of the pier. You can expect tribute shows on Thursdays (from the Eagles to Oasis cover bands) and local contemporary acts on Saturdays.

Walk through a pavilion of fluttering tropical butterflies you can’t normally glimpse in Southern California, and peep a chamber with pupae and caterpillars at South Coast Botanic Garden’s seasonal exhibition. For an extra $6, you can pick up a flower vial filled with nectar to attract and feed the butterflies yourself. Carve out some time to explore the gardens afterward.

Life imitates art, literally: Classic paintings, statues and murals take on a new dimension as real people dress and pose to re-create original masterpieces—a trick popularized by vaudeville artiste Lolita Perine at the first festival in 1932. A professional orchestra, a narrator, intricate sets and theatrical lighting help bring the works to life at the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach. This year’s theme, “Gold Coast: Treasures of California,” breathes life into the state’s history be re-creating both monuments and masterpieces from museums including the Getty, LACMA and Norton Simon Museum.

For more than 50 years, this venue has drawn theatre aficionados to its storied, open-air stage for engaging productions in a magical setting. The 299-seat amphitheater in Topanga Canyon hosts audiences of all ages for plays from a wide range of genres, from Shakespearean classics to folk tales. This season, whose theme is “A Season of Resilience,” catch highlights such as William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as a Malibu-themed retelling of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull and Strife by Nobel Prize-winning writer and activist John Galsworthy.

After popping up at D23 and Long Beach shopping center 2nd & PCH, themed mini-golf experience Pixar Putt has landed at its most logical home: the Pixar Place Hotel, close to California Adventure and its Pixar Pier. Putt your way through 18 themed holes and step into the stories of Pixar favorites including Toy Story, The Incredibles, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Coco, A Bug’s Life, Wall-E and Inside Out.

Melrose Rooftop Theatre is on hiatus until the fall, but in the meantime the event deck on the E.P. & L.P. rooftop is hosting this open-air roller rink. The rooftop rink is a 21+ affair, serving up cocktails, appetizers and some of the best views in the city. Tickets are available in one-hour time slots and include skate rentals and a drink—a VIP option with a plate of nachos is also available, as is a pricier date night package, which comes with a three-course meal from E.P & L.P.

The Getty Villa reopens to the public five and a half months after its Palisades Fire closure with this international loan exhibition dedicated to the Greek Mycenaean civilization and the kingdom of Pylos, which Homer immortalized in the Iliad and Odyssey. It’s the first major museum show in North America devoted to the Late Bronze Age Mycenaeans. See treasures excavators unearthed from Messenia, the Palace of Nestor and burial sites including the tomb of the Griffin Warrior (1450 BCE)—think clay tablets, gold cups, ornate weapons and tiny signets and sealstones adorned with awe-inspiring amounts of detail. 

The Getty Center’s new featured exhibition explores the transformative role photography has played in the history of the LGBTQ+ community as a tool for exploring gender, sexuality and self-expression since the mid-1800s. See examples of the homosocial, homoerotic and homosexual imagery that helped shape the world’s awareness of queer life. During your visit, be sure to check out the accompanying exhibition “$3 Bill: Evidence of Queer Lives,” a look at the contributions of LGBTQ+ artists in the last century, in the museum’s Research Institute Galleries. 

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 Skirball’s latest pop culture exhibition takes a deep dive into the six-decade career of legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby. You might know him as the co-creator of Captain America, Black Panther, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and some of the Marvel universe’s most cosmic characters. But did you know he was also a first-generation Jewish American born to immigrant parents, World War II veteran and family man who split his time between New York and Los Angeles? Learn about his life and see Kirby’s original comic illustrations, as well as other works—many on view for the first time.

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.

Right on the heels of the release of his new film, Mickey 17, director Bong Joon Ho steps into the spotlight at the Academy Museum’s new exhibition. The first-ever museum show dedicated to the Oscar-winning South Korean filmmaker will trace Ho’s career, creative process and cinematic influences. See over 100 storyboards, posters, concept art, creature models, props and on-set photos from the director’s archive and personal collection. On Sundays, the museum’s on-site restaurant, Fanny’s, is offering an accompanying Korean Sunday Supper series with dishes like bibimbap and galbi jjim. You can reserve a spot here.

Nature lovers, rejoice! Spend a day at the Natural History Museum’s Butterfly Pavilion, which will be open through August 24 and be home to up to 30 butterfly and moth species, as well as an assortment of California plants. The seasonal outdoor exhibit allows for adults and children alike to witness nature up close—we’re talking walking amid hundreds of butterflies and having them land on your arms or shoulders. Tip: The prime time for these unique butterfly flight experiences is typically between 10am and 11am each morning.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House—centerpiece of Barnsdall Art Park and Los Angeles’ only UNESCO World Heritage Site—just might be the most stunning backdrop for an art exhibition. And, in this case, the home is the subject itself, too. L.A.-based photographer Ireland captured the intricate details of the Hollyhock House in 21 photographs on display throughout the onetime residence.

See over 50 garments from Diane von Furstenberg, best known for her iconic wrap dress, during this career-spanning exhibition at the Skirball. Alongside artwork and fabric swatches, the show will also focus on her philanthropic work as well as how her life was shaped as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor.

On the 50th anniversary of the Norton Simon Museum, look back to when Simon took over management of the Pasadena Art Museum in 1975, then ahead to the museum’s exciting future at this retrospective exhibition. See rare photos from the museum’s archives, and learn about the history of its major acquisitions, exhibitions, building and gardens—which are currently undergoing a transformation.

The Natural History Museum’s taxidermy dioramas turn a century old this year, and to celebrate the museum is reviving an entire hall of displays that’ve been dark for decades. Expect some fresh approaches to these assembled snapshots of the wilderness, including alebrijes made of recycled materials, a crystalline depiction of pollution and a tech-driven display of the L.A. River.

Study the technical and cultural background of colorful clay vessels, textiles, bark-paper pages and sculptures in the Indigenous Americas—and how their significance has been downplayed among colonialist histories—at this LACMA exhibition. 

More than 50 works on display at the Autry showcase how Indigenous artists have crafted visions of alternative futures in the face of enduring colonial trauma, with surreal spacescapes from Wendy Red Star, pop culture commentaries by Andy Everson and a site-specific space odyssey created by Virgil Ortiz.