August 2026 events calendar for Los Angeles

The La La Land concert of our dreams? A re-creation of the “Another Day of Sun” opener on the 105 and 110 connector. But we’ll take “City of Stars” just down the hill from Griffith Observatory as a close second. Composer Justin Hurwitz himself will conduct his Oscar-winning score backed by an orchestra and jazz ensemble at the Greek Theatre this August. The screening-slash-concert, which premiered at the Hollywood Bowl back in 2017, has now become a returning tradition—formerly at L.A. State Historic Park via Street Food Cinema.

Masterpiece isn't a word to be casually tossed around, but it’s hard not to ascribe it to musician turned artist Christian Marclay’s 24-hour video, in which thousands of short film clips are strung together to form a seamless, big-screen collage charting the passage of each minute of the day in real time. After 15 years away, The Clock is going back on display on the first floor of the BCAM building, and to bookend the exhibit, the museum is hosting two specially ticketed 24-hour screenings on July 25 and August 22 starting at 7pm (welcome news for L.A. night owls). Otherwise, the work will be on display during regular museum hours and is included with admission.

Nearly three decades in and a few personnel shake-ups later, Ben Gibbard and Co. still craft some of the finest melancholy, emotional pop songs. Catch Death Cab for Cutie in support of their latest, I Built You A Tower, during a pair of shows at the Greek.

The Skirball puts on its annual series of free summer concerts, highlighting artists from L.A. and beyond. Guests can arrive early and visit the museum’s galleries for free, grab a seat for the show in the beautiful central courtyard, and dine and dance under the stars. The concerts are free—no reservations are needed, but entry is first-come, first-served—and parking is $20. This summer’s lineup celebrates America250 with a lineup dedicated to the uniquely American genre of jazz, wrapping up this month with Annie and the Caldwells with the Campbell Brothers (Aug 6).

Grab your Dr. Jekyll potions, your wooden stakes and practice your best slasher-film screams because one of the country’s biggest horror conventions is back. 

Ghouls, goblins, the undead and fans of the macabre will descend on the Long Beach Convention Center’s Midsummer Scream to see some of the biggest names in the genre lead panels, sign autographs and pose for pictures—all in between shopping the best horror merch in town and taking in the grade-A blood-curdling cosplay, of course. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Scream, so stars including Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard and David Arquette will be on hand all weekend for autographs.

In addition, there’ll be hundreds of vendors on-site with spooky trinkets, antiques and collectors items, in case you’re looking to keep the gruesome vibes going long after the weekend—because as any horror fan knows, the Halloween spirit lasts all year long.

The latest addition to the growing roster of free summer concert series is a heavy hitter. Twenty-seven parks will host 108 concerts all across L.A. county. The shows—held Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings throughout July and August—will reflect the culture and diversity of the communities where they’re held, from North to East to South L.A. County. You can find a full list of the parks here. As for the lineup, independent music festival NextFest L.A. is in charge of the programming, highlighting local artists from the city’s thriving music scene. You can find the schedule here—new lineups are announced at the start of each week.

America’s largest pro surfing competition attracts the world’s elite, who compete for big money while wowing thousands of beach boys and girls with their skill, grace and innovative board designs. Heating up the festivities are live bands, a sports expo and after-parties with the friendly locals—though the concerts are ticketed. Matt Costa, G. Love & Special Sauce kick things off on July 25, Real Estate and the Allah-Las (whose surf-rock vibes should perfectly match the setting) play on July 31, and Arcy Drive and Local Natives share the stage August 1.

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 includes Kali Uchis, DJ Snake, Tokischa, 2hollis, Zack Fox and many more.

An evolution of the long-running Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk, the newly dubbed DTLA Artnight finds dozens of Downtown businesses opening their doors to art lovers on the first Thursday of every month, when over 25 galleries will debut new exhibitions. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure kind of experience, but if you start at Emerging Gallery (125 E 4th St), you can pick up a map of all the participating spots. MOCA is even joining the fun as the cultural event expands from the Historic Core to Grand Avenue. Head to the museum for a free exhibition tour at 5pm.

Spend an evening with Hiccup and Toothless as the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra performs the film score live during a screening of How to Train Your Dragon—the 2010 animated original, not the recent live action remake.