Hollywood Forever Cemetery

It isn’t summer in L.A. until the first cemetery screening brings hoards of movie-lovers to Hollywood Forever Cemetery, toting folding chairs, picnic blankets, snack spreads and lots of booze. Each year, Cinespia brings classic cult favorites to the hallowed resting place of such Hollywood greats as Rudolph Valentino and Bugsy Siegel. For each evening at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, pack a picnic (yes, booze is allowed), pose in the themed photo booth and enjoy DJ sets, dance parties and all sorts of other magical mischief that’d otherwise be strictly forbidden behind the cemetery gates. The series typically releases its slate one month at a time, with summertime screenings at the cemetery and a few off-site ones on either end (usually at L.A. State Historic Park and, sometimes, inside historic theaters during the off-season).  For 2026, Cinespia’s 25th(!) season in the cemetery, September wraps up the summer season with Josie and the Pussycats (Sept 5), The Sandlot (Sept 6) and Goodfellas (Sept 12), though you can expect an October return for Halloween with Corpse Bride (Oct 3), Carrie (Oct 10), Jennifer’s Body (Oct 30) and The Thing (Oct 31). In addition, Cinespia is teaming up with See’s Candies this year to sell specially branded candy boxes during screenings. The outdoor screenings are an L.A. rite of passage, a quintessential summer experience and one of the best film venues in the city. Just be sure to get your ticket early, arrive early, pee early… it’s a popular...

Millennial nostalgia shows no signs of slowing: Rilo Kiley is back together and wrapping up its reunion tour in only-in-L.A. fashion. Yep, L.A.’s own indie darlings, led by Jenny Lewis, are in the spotlight again after over a decade apart. The “Sometimes When You’re On You’re Really F**king On” tour kicked off in SoCal last year, and just ahead of Rilo Kiley’s Ohana Festival set this fall, they’ll play one final headlining show at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Beachwood Sparks opens.

Whether they’re a psyop or not, Brooklyn rockers Geese—not to be confused with Connecticut rockers Goose—have never been hotter. Led by frontman Cameron Winter, the band has been around since 2016, but their most recent album, Getting Killed, was named the best album of 2025 by Stereogum and The New Yorker. Now they’re stopping in L.A. for two nights at Hollywood Forever Cemetery—one of the very best places in the city to see live music. 

Hollywood Forever Cemetery claims to host the largest Day of the Dead celebration in California, and we wouldn’t doubt it: Each year, the cemetery grounds are covered with altars to the dead created by community artists, dance rituals, arts and crafts projects, amazing costumes and food vendors (and crowds) aplenty.  The display is sure to be spectacular, as always, though the programming changes a bit from year to year; while we still await this year’s full lineup, it’s worth noting that last year’s dropped musical performances in favor of showings of Disney’s Coco. The 2026 edition will drop time-limited sessions in favor of entry windows, with three admission times available to book (noon–4pm, 4–7pm, 7–11pm). Ticket prices differ depending on what time you arrive, though in all cases you’re welcome to stay until the midnight close. As far as when to attend, the glowing, flickering altars look absolutely incredible after dark—though that’s also when the crowds tend to be the thickest.