Plan out your month with the city’s best concerts, culture and cuisine.
THINGS TO DO
Dec 1–10
Los Angeles Auto Show; Los Angeles Convention Center
Tokyo drift into the Convention Center for the 10-day L.A. Auto Show with cars that would even make Bond drool.
Dec 1–Feb 4
Museum of Failure; A+D Museum
Explore a hall of fame of the world’s worst inventions and now-defunct technology.
Dec 2
In L.A. to Stay Winter Gala; Bob Baker Marionette Theater
Attend this benefit at and for the Bob Baker Marionette Theater with vaudevillian performances and food from Jon and Vinny.
Dec 7–10, 14–17
29Rooms; ROW DTLA
Step into a whimsical assortment of Insta-friendly rooms and installations.
Dec 9
Marina Del Rey Boat Parade; Fisherman’s Village
Feel as though you’ve escaped to a small-town fishing village at this illuminated boat parade and fireworks show.
Dec 9, 10
PlayStation Experience; Anaheim Convention Center
Pick up a controller and strap on a VR headset at this all-things-PlayStation expo with hands-on panels and presentations.
Dec 24
L.A. County Holiday Celebration; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Gather up your friends and family to hear more than 20 choirs, music ensembles and dance troupes from all over the city.
Dec 31
N.Y.E.L.A.; Grand Park
Usher in 2018 with thousands of other Angelenos as a countdown clock is projected onto City Hall.
Dec 31
Prohibition NYE; Union Station
Travel back to the 1920s for this massive Prohibition era-themed NYE party, set in Downtown’s 1930s Art Deco marvel.
Find more things to do in our December 2017 events calendar.
FOOD & DRINK
Dec 1–31
Miracle on Santa Fe; Westbound
Bring on the kitsch and the boozy, festive drinks: Westbound’s over-the-top holiday bar pop-up is back. Come for the nog, stay for the visits from Santa.
Dec 2
“Hoppy Howlidays” Fundraiser; Yorkshire Square Brewery
Spend a Saturday surrounded by beer and pups, and the proceeds will even help benefit dogs by way of the Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation.
Dec 6
Hot Toddy Tasting at a 1,300-Pound Gingerbread Bar; JW Marriot at LA Live
Fancy a free hot toddy? What if we told you that you’d be sipping it at a 1,300-square-foot fully functioning cocktail bar made out of gingerbread?
Dec 6
Placentia Tamale Festival; Old Town Placentia
Think you love tamales? Then you should visit the hundreds of masa-based meals at the OC’s OG tamale festival, now in its 23rd year.
Dec 6–23
Roberta’s Pizza Pop-Up at Hayden; Hayden Wine Bar
Taste one of Brooklyn’s most beloved pizza spots when it pops up in Culver City.
Dec 12–20
Vodka & Latkes; Akasha
Celebrate Hanukkah most deliciously with a Festival-friendly menu featuring latkes, brisket and vodka-cocktail specials.
Dec 16
Santa Monica Pub Crawl; Various
Drink for those in need: The Santa Monica Pub Crawl benefits the Westside Food Bank, and allows you to have a merry good time around Santa Monica with great drink and food specials. (Santa hats encouraged.)
ARTS & CULTURE
Dec 1
Sleepless: The Music Center After Hours; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Spend a late night at the Music Center and watch as the beloved Downtown cultural space transforms into an interactive performance space.
Dec 3
A John Waters Christmas; Comedy Store
Have yourself a smut-filled Christmas as the acclaimed filmmaker leads this monologue-style comedy show.
Dec 10
Pee Cast Blast ’17; The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Spend an entire day at the Theatre at Ace Hotel as nearly all of podcasting’s funniest comedians come together for a “Monsters of Rock”-style event.
Dec 11
Dirty John Live; The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Listen to L.A. Times reporter Christopher Goffard dig into the story of Dirty John, the podcast and feature series about a true tale of love, deceit, denial and survival.
Dec 16
Bergamot Station Holiday Open House; Bergamot Station
Celebrate the holiday season with an art sale and open house at the 30 galleries in this Santa Monica arts complex.
Through Dec 17
Damaged - Shepard Fairey; 1650 Naud St
This massive solo exhibition assembles 200 politically charged, beautifully colored works from artist Shepard Fairey.
Through Dec 31
Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960–1985; Hammer Museum
Feminist and radical artists from Latin America and the U.S. get their due with this survey of more than 100 artists from 15 countries.
Through Jan 1
Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirrors; The Broad
Step inside artist Yayoi Kusama’s vibrant, kaleidoscopic world, featuring six infinity rooms and large-scale installations and artwork from 1950 to the present.
FILM
Dec 1–23
The Ultimate Holiday Movie Series presented by Rooftop Cinema Club and Time Out; The Rooftop at the Montalbán
Watch holiday classics on a Hollywood rooftop all month long.
Dec 4–19
The Contenders; Hammer Museum
See the 10 most influential films from this year, as chosen by the Museum of Modern Art, with direct and actor Q&As after movies like Mudbound, Get Out and The Florida Project.
Dec 17
Home Alone screening + pajama party; Los Angeles Theatre
See the ’90s classic in a historic Downtown theater at this Cinespia holiday screening.
MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE
Dec 9, 10
KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas; The Forum
Strike the electrified, amped-up harp and join the chorus with Muse, Queens of the Stone Age, Morrissey, the Killers, Weezer and more.
Dec 13, 14
Grizzly Bear; The Wiltern
The Brooklyn-now-L.A.-based indie rock band returns with more hauntingly beautiful melodies.
Dec 14
Julien Baker; Palace Theatre
The Tennessee singer-songwriter balances her intimate, melancholy compositions with a sweet voice that sparkles with hope
Dec 16, 17
Rolling Loud; NOS Events Center
See Schoolboy Q and Future headline this two-day hip-hop fest in San Bernardino, with other sets from Migos, Lil Uzi Vert, Gucci Mane, Rae Sremmurd, Post Malone and more.
Dec 18
Lady Gaga; The Forum
Gaga wraps up her Joanne tour reprise with a knack for showmanship and spectacle.
Dec 21
JAY-Z; The Forum
Catch the veteran MC tear through two decades of hits on the closing night of his arena tour.
Dec 30, 31
Countdown; NOS Events Center
Ring in the New Year with Deadmau5, Diplo and Porter Robinson—and confetti, pyro and 30,000 of your closest friends
Dec 30
Misfits; The Forum
Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only reunite the horror-punk band’s “original” lineup.
Find more shows in our December 2017 concert calendar.
THEATER
Dec 7–10
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
See the holiday ballet come to live with classic choreography and live music.
Dec 8–Jan 21
Luzia; Dodger Stadium
For Cirque du Soleil’s latest spectacle, the French-Canadian circus troupe looks south to Mexico for inspiration.
Through Dec 10
Chasing Mem’ries: A Different Kind of Musical; Geffen Playhouse
Perhaps best described as a new musical with familiar tunes, this one tells the story of “a woman not ready to let go.”
Through Dec 16
deLEARious; Atwater Village Theatre
Neither King James I nor Shakespeare can focus in this silly but intelligent musical within a musical.
Through Dec 17
The Heart of Robin Hood; The Wallis
The classic tale receives a rogue Icelandic interpretation in this swashbuckling, acrobatic production.
Through Dec 17
The Man Who Came to Dinner; Actors Co-op
The old-time play by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman still seems fresh because all of us have had a houseguest who just won’t leave.
Through Dec 30
Hamilton; Pantages Theatre
Don’t miss Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop musical and Broadway’s hottest ticket during its L.A. run.
Through Dec 31
Something Rotten!; Ahmanson Theatre
Two brothers stuck in the shadow of the Bard set out to write the first musical.
Through Jan 7
Spamilton; Kirk Douglas Theatre
Musical-satire mastermind Gerard Alessandrini’s latest sendup follows Lin-Manuel Miranda (a character, not the actual actor) in a quest to save Broadway with his writing and a hip-hop musical.
SHOPPING & STYLE
Dec 1, 2
The Chronicles of L.A.; Location T.B.A.
Wander through a vintage Downtown hotel with pop-up shops and installations from over 60 makers.
Dec 2, 3
A Current Affair; Cooper Design Space
Shop more than 50 of the top vintage retailers, both local and national, at this stylish market.
Dec 2, 3
Grand Central Market Holiday Marketplace; Grand Central Market
Head to GCM for unique kitchen, pantry and tabletop finds from retail and culinary pop-ups , plus cookie decorating, love local music and tons of tasty eats.
Dec 2
Union Station Holiday Festival & Market; Union Station
Stroll through Union Station’s handsome south patio as this inaugural holiday market rolls into the historic train station.
Dec 2, 3
Unique LA Holiday Market; California Market Center
Rub elbows with local artisans at this high-end, handmade market.
Dec 9
Bitchcraft Winter Faire; Kinship Yoga
Check out this badass, scrappy little market featuring a mix of witchy, metal, punk, psych, western and hippie-inspired wares.
Dec 9, 10
Echo Park Craft Fair; Mack Sennett Studios
Peruse the high-end wares at the winter installment of L.A.’s most expertly curated craft fair.
Dec 9, 10
Renegade Craft Fair; L.A. State Historic Park
Stroll through one of the country’s top craft fairs.
HOLIDAY
Dec 1–30
Groundlings Holiday Show; Groundlings Theatre
The legendary comedy theater stages a festive, holiday-themed night of sketches and improv.
Dec 2, 3
Angel City Chorale Holiday Concert and Sing-Along; Immanuel Presbyterian Church
Warm up your vocal chords to sing along to (and listen to) Christmas and Hanukkah classics.
Dec 2, 3
Holiday Lamplight Celebration; Heritage Square Museum
You physically move through the performance at Heritage Square during these house-to-house vignettes of celebration, heartache and all things Christmas.
Dec 2
Los Angeles Harbor Holiday Afloat Parade; Port of L.A.
Sailboats and harbor craft of all kinds will light up the waterfront during this annual tradition.
Dec 10
Hanukkah Family Festival; Skirball Cultural Center
Celebrate Hanukkah with kid-friendly musical performances, crafts and activities.
Dec 13–Jan 7
Chill; Queen Mary
Cozy up to the Queen Mary for a waterfront winter wonderland featuring ice-skating, tubing, sculptures and all sorts of other holiday performances and surprises at the Art Deco ocean liner.
Dec 14–17
Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles Holiday Spectacular; Alex Theatre
The GMCLA brings holiday cheer in its annual holiday musical extravaganza while raising awareness for important LGBT issues.
Through Jan 7
Enchanted: Forest of Light; Descanso Gardens
Stroll through the La Cañada Flintridge botanical garden as a one-mile stretch of its hillside property is transformed into interactive, sparkly displays.
Through Jan 7
L.A. Zoo Lights; Los Angeles Zoo
Stroll through the Griffith Park zoo grounds as the festive tradition returns with more lights.
Through Jan 15
ICE at Santa Monica; Santa Monica
Bundle up and glide around an ice rink just blocks from the beach at the Santa Monica rink.
Through Jan 15
Holiday Ice Rink Pershing Square; Pershing Square
Skate around a warm-weather winter wonderland with the Downtown L.A. skyline as your backdrop at this seasonal ice rink.