August 2026 events calendar for Los Angeles

Every Sunday, you can find dozens of food vendors at this market at ROW DTLA, a Brooklyn import that boasts a mix of much-loved pop-ups and future foodie stars. Thirteen new vendors are joining the lineup this year: Feast on burgers and orange chicken sandwiches from Terrible Burger, Viennese street food from Franzl’s Franks, Neapolitan-meets-Persian pies from Mamani Pizza, plant-based corn dogs from Stick Talk and more. Wash it all down at the family-friendly beer garden. You’ll also find shopping stalls selling everything from framed vintage ads to jewelry made locally with ethically sourced gemstones. Entry and the first two hours of parking are free.

The inimitable artist, musician and activist—and John Lennon’s other half—is the subject of the Broad’s highly anticipated upcoming show, Ono’s first-ever solo museum exhibition in Southern California. Organized in collaboration with the Tate Modern in London, “Music of the Mind” will allow visitors to directly interact with works from the artist’s seven-decade long career. In conjunction with the show, the museum will transform the olive trees on the outdoor East West Bank Plaza into Wish Trees for Los Angeles, where visitors can tie their own wishes on the branches. Many of the works invite audience engagement, in fact, all working toward a common goal of peace and connection. Also on display will be Acorn Event (1968) and Bed Peace (1969) anti-war works of activism Ono and Lennon worked on together. Tickets for the special exhibition will be available in early 2026 at thebroad.org.

First up on the Academy Museum’s 2026 calendar is a deep dive into Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo. One of Hayao Miyazaki’s most beloved films, Ponyo was notable for its focus on hand-drawn animation, with not only the characters but the backgrounds drawn frame-by-frame rather than using animation cels or CGI. Last year, Studio Ghibli donated original production materials to the Academy Collection, so this show will highlight those items, including art boards, posters, a Studio Ghibli animation desk and original drawings—some of which will be displayed in North America for the very first time—pairing them with immersive and interactive elements like an animation table and a play environment for kids.

The Natural History Museum’s taxidermy dioramas turn a century old this year, and to celebrate the museum is reviving an entire hall of displays that’ve been dark for decades. Expect some fresh approaches to these assembled snapshots of the wilderness, including alebrijes made of recycled materials, a crystalline depiction of pollution and a tech-driven display of the L.A. River.

Perhaps the Los Angeles area’s most iconic flea market, this event around the exterior of the Rose Bowl is staggeringly colossal—but what else would you expect from a 90,000-seat stadium? The sheer size and scale of this flea market means that it encompasses multitudes: new and old, hand-crafted and salvaged, the cheap and the costly. On the second Sunday of each month, an odd mix of vendors populates the loop around the stadium: for every eye-catching artwork, there’s a ratty $5 T-shirt, and for each elegant craft there’s a competing “as seen on TV” demo. But you may have more luck in the rows and rows of old furniture, albums and vintage clothes and accessories that fill the adjacent parking lot. There are plenty of duds, to be sure, but come out early enough and you may go home with that perfect purchase. This destination flea market attracts bargain hunters, collectors, and antique aficionados from all over the county, so the organizers have instituted an extensive tiered entry/admission system, allowing professional and dedicated shoppers early access at a premium.

Right on the heels of the release of his new film, Mickey 17, director Bong Joon Ho steps into the spotlight at the Academy Museum’s latest “Director’s Spotlight” exhibition (past subjects have included Spike Lee and Agnès Varda). The first-ever museum show dedicated to the Oscar-winning South Korean filmmaker will trace Ho’s career, creative process and cinematic influences. See over 100 storyboards, research materials, posters, concept art, creature models, props and on-set photos from the director’s archive and personal collection. On opening day, March 23, catch screenings of Okja (2pm) and Parasite (7:30pm) in the David Geffen Theater—Ho himself will be there in person.

The Pacific Asia Museum’s galleries have been closed for months in preparation for this immersive new exhibition, which is taking over the entire museum and marks a new, artist-centered shift to its programming. The ambitious show will use the visual language of mythology to take visitors on an immersive journey through the immigrant experience, combining objects from USC PAM’s 5,000-year-spanning historical collection with new media technology and works by over 20 contemporary artists, led by L.A.-based Korean American muralist Dave Young Kim. Highlights include a wrap-around video installation in a reconstructed airplane cabin and an AI feature that puts visitors in the shoes of an immigrant. Along the way, mythical creatures—dragons, cranes, guardian spirits and shapeshifters—nod to intergenerational legacies.

Just in time for silver screen starlet Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday, the Academy Museum is presenting a centennial celebration dedicated to the woman and her work, offering “unique insight into her agency in becoming a Hollywood icon.” In addition to posters, portraits, letters and rarely seen personal items, highlights from the exhibition include two screen-worn costumes from Some Like It Hot and the rarely exhibited famous pink dress Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

EDM juggernaut HARD Summer hopped around Southern California for a while, but now it’s settled back in town—and for 2026 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 is still to come, but the 2025 edition included Dom Dolla, Feid, Gesaffelstein, Kaytranada, Sean Paul, Juvenile & the 400 Degreez Band, Four Tet, Floating Points, Sara Landry and Nico Moreno.