The best concerts in L.A. this August

Treat your ears to a vibrant concert on a spring or summer night this year by attending MUSE/IQUE’s annual program. This monthly series of performances, held at cultural venues across L.A., features a mix of performances inspired by music movements and public figures, including tributes to Ray Charles, immigrant film composers, the Memphis sound, Etta James and more. The best way to attend is to become a MUSE/IQUE member; you could make a $75 donation to the performing arts nonprofit for a single event (with the exception of September’s free open house), but if you’re interested in more than just one, it’s cheaper per event to become a full-fledged member.

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. You’ll need to be able to climb 53 steps to reach the dome, and children under 12 aren’t permitted. 

Hilltop sunset views and rising bands combine to make this Getty tradition a worthy destination for Angelenos on both sides of the 405. This year’s lineup of free Saturday-night shows includes SML (May 31), Madi Diaz (July 12), Empress Of (July 26) and Emile Mosseri (Aug 23). Tip: Avoid the traffic and the crowds and arrive early, preferably after 3pm when the parking price drops to $15 (though it’s actually free if you wait until the show starts, after 6pm). You’ll get to visit the exhibits, which stay open until 8pm on Saturdays, and beat the dinner rush.

Everyone’s favorite NPR member station has a hand in a slew of summer concert slates at public plazas and beloved museums, and this summer’s schedule is reliably packed. Familiar KCRW DJs and local buzz bands will be providing free, open-air tunes on select nights from June through September at Union Station, CAAM, Descanso Gardens, Bowers Museum, Wende Museum, the Autry, Benny Boy Brewing, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, California Plaza and—our favorite—the party-till-midnight bashes at Chinatown Central Plaza. The details slightly differ at each spot, but you can typically expect a bunch of food trucks, beer gardens and after-hours museum admission. This year, there’s even a kid-oriented installment at the Kidspace Children’s Museum, where DJ Lance Rock of Yo Gabba Gabba is the special guest. Regardless of the location, you really can’t go wrong with any evening spent at Summer Nights. (Note: The kickoff June 7 event at Benny Boy Brewing and Aug. 29’s Descanso Gardens event are only for KCRW members).

This epic (and free) outdoor concert series 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. Saturday nights from June 14 through August 23 you’ll find free concerts (though you should RSVP ahead of time to reserve a spot)—highlights this year include a 30-year anniversary show by Grand Performances mainstay Ozomatli and tributes to John Coltrane and Dr. Dre. And on Friday nights, you’ll find a mix of poetry, film and classical music during Fridays in the Amphitheater. 

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.

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.

Jared Leto and brother Shannon Leto’s music project 30 Seconds to Mars was a rock-radio staple in the early aughts, but you can be forgiven if you’ve forgotten about them in the meantime as Jared focused on his film career. The band actually released a 2023 album and toured last year without stopping in L.A., but the siblings are rectifying that this year with a one-night-only hometown show at Kia Forum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of A Beautiful Lie (that’s the album with singles “The Kill” and “From Yesterday”), which they’ll play in full for the first time onstage, joined by special guests. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 18, at 10am.

Turn-of-the-millennium hip-hop hits Intuit Dome for the “Where the Party At” tour. Nelly leads a lineup that also includes Ja Rule, Eve, Chingy and Jermaine Dupri.

At the fine age of 65, “Weird Al” Yankovic proves he’s still the weirdest kid on the block—and he wears the crown proudly. Spitting comedic lyrics to the music industry’s biggest hits (think “Happy” by Pharrell Williams and “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons), this longhaired singer-songwriter knows how to dish out a parody. From tearing up the accordion to creating and singing laugh-out-loud lyrics, the man has talent—so much so that A-list celebs can’t help but give a standing ovation.