The best upcoming concerts in L.A.

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.

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.

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.

Treat your ears to a vibrant concert on a spring or summer night by attending MUSE/IQUE’s annual program. This concert series, held at cultural venues across L.A., features a mix of performances inspired by music movements and public figures, including tributes to Quincy Jones, Joni Mitchell, the world of Oz, the Harlem Renaissance, the American Sound and more. You can make a $75 donation to the performing arts nonprofit for a single event, or become a MUSE/IQUE member if you’re interested in multiple programs. Up next is a look at the music of the American West at the Huntington and Skirball.

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.

“You know where you are? You’re in the jungle, baby.” So squeals Axl Rose these days, with a little less sex appeal but still a spark of that Sunset Strip chaos. The band’s blistering, if often uneven and overlong, nearly three-hour sets have all of the marks of an old school stadium tour: costume changes, super sexy backup dancers, a stage-chewing Slash and a pyro-filled finale during “Paradise City.” Ice Cube is joining the lineup for this show at the Rose Bowl, where GNR will return after over 30 years.

When he’s not busy penning songs with Taylor Swift, playing guitar in Fun or racking up Grammys, you can catch Antonoff fronting his ’80s-inspired indie pop moniker, Bleachers. Catch them at the Troubadour for five nights of intimate shows.

Kaskade sends his beachfront festival back to SoCal with sets from Cassian, Matroda, BUNT., D.O.D, Me N Ü, Lavern, Bobby Harvey and Esse at Huntington State Beach.

Santa Monica’s Americana in the Park again sees the city teaming up with the much-loved local McCabe’s Guitar Shop and KCRW for a free concert that explores the spectrum of Americana music, from traditional roots and blues to jazz and folk. This year, local musicians including Albert Lee, Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca, Abby Posner & the Big Fall and Jason Luckett will all play the Sunday-afternoon showcase at Gandara Park (right next to Bergamot Station and the E Line). And, as with any respectable L.A. event, the Bob Baker Marionette Theater will also make an appearance. You can bring a picnic, and local food trucks will also be on hand, as well as a pop-up McCabe’s.