The best upcoming concerts in L.A.

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 Weezer to Oasis cover bands) and local contemporary acts on Saturdays.

The Original Farmers Market is host to a plethora of fun, family-friendly outdoor events, and its Thursday-night concerts during its Summer Music Series are some of its best. Take a load off near the end of the work week and stop by the Market Plaza from 7 to 9pm to hear a genre-spanning mix of live music, from Hawaiian radio to Sinatra–style swing to Texas blues.

One of L.A.’s best free live-music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its 35-year 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. We’re betting it’ll be even more popular than usual this year, with the new David Geffen Galleries in the background.

This epic (and free) outdoor concert series—now in its 40th season—features live performances by artists from around the world at the totally overhauled California Plaza stage in DTLA, where the shallow water separating the stage from the audience has been replaced by a proper event lawn. Don’t miss a diverse and highly intriguing mix of bands, DJ sets and dance parties on Saturday nights (and a few Friday Nights) from June 6 through August 22. Highlights this year include a season kickoff with Grupo Soñador and Wachiwara, tributes to Stevie Wonder, Ritchie Valens and Roy Ayers, and an edition of KCRW Summer Nights headlined by Mariachi El Bronx and the Tijuana Panthers. Just be sure to RSVP ahead of time to reserve a spot.

Listen to classical and jazz in a dome more than a mile above L.A. during this mountaintop concert series curated by artistic director Cécilia Tsan. The Mount Wilson Observatory is once again 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 $65 (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: You’ll need to be able to climb 53 steps to reach the dome, and children under 12 aren’t permitted. 

See a free salsa concert on one Friday each month during this summer series at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. This year’s lineup includes El Presidente de la Salsa, La Verdad, Rush Hour Orquesta and Conjunto Oye—all featuring Super DJ Robby. Each night kicks off with a free salsa dance class at 6pm, courtesy of Dancing 101 with Roberto. Bring chairs, blankets and your dancing shoes.

As the official last concert of Gustavo Dudamel’s tenure at the LA Phil, he’s organized this star-studded benefit to support relief from the recent earthquakes in his home country of Venezuela. Beck, Eduardo Betancourt, Meme del Real of Cafe Tacvba, Jorge Glem, Natalia Lafourcade, Lasso, MoisesTorrealba, GIVĒON and Carlos Vives will join the LA Phil and members of Youth Orchestra Los Angeles for the epic sendoff. Tickets start at just $15.

Kudos to Olivia Rodrigo for curating what just might be the best festival lineup of the entire year: An era-spanning array of legends and up-and-comers will assemble in Orange County for the women-fronted Daisy Chain Fields festival. Rodrigo leads a Lilith Fair–like lineup, set for two stages at Irvine’s Great Park on August 29, that includes Bikini Kill, Chappell Roan, Doechi, Garbage, Katseye, Mitski, Santigold and the Breeders, with special guest billing for Karen O, Sarah McLachlan and Stevie Nicks, as well as space for a newer generation of artists, including Die Spitz, Eli, Not for Radio, Quiet Light and Rachel Chinouriri. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, June 24 at 10am and start at $250. Net proceeds benefit nonprofits advocating for women and girls, including Baby2Baby, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, the Center for Reproductive Rights, FreeFrom, Jhpiego, Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Institute for Reproductive Health, the National Women’s Law Center and Planned Parenthood.

A free, all-ages music and comedy festival that celebrates L.A.’s vibrant Eastside—what’s not to like? Now in its 16th year, Echo Park Rising is expanding to two days for the first time since the pandemic—all the better to fit in hundreds of performances from handpicked local up-and-coming bands and comedians, art installations, family-friendly activities and more. Spanning Echo Park venues including the Echo, Echoplex, Stories Books & Cafe, the Semi-Tropic, P.F. Candle Co. and Lowboy, this is always a neighborhood affair not to be missed. Stay tuned for this year’s lineup announcement.

BTS, the first K-pop boy band sensation to make a splash in America, is embarking on a massive world tour after a four-year hiatus. Lucky for us Angelenos, the Bangtan Boys are stopping by SoFi Stadium for four nights.