Free things to do in Los Angeles this month

Listening to live poetry in the Getty Center’s Central Garden—can you think of a more idyllic way to spend an afternoon? For the next three Wednesdays, the museum is hosting a series of live readings inspired by the special exhibition What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women, 1843–1999, currently on view in the Getty’s pop-up reading room. The first installment on April 16 features L.A.-based DJ-slash-poet Mia Moretti, followed by Camae Ayewa with Veronica C. Ratliff on violin on April 23 and Solange Aguilar on April 30. Make a free reservation, bring a blanket, settle in and take in the inspiring points of view (and city views!).

One of L.A.’s best free live-music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its three-decade 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.

The Music Center’s longstanding Very Special Arts Festival is expanding with this half-day fest at Jerry Moss Plaza, where art and science will unite with dozens of educational, hands-on activities. Open to Angelenos of all ages and abilities, the free, family-friendly event will offer dance performances, Taiko drumming lessons, art-making workshops with an educational angle and more. Afterward, you can head across the street to Gloria Molina Grand Park for more art, music, dance, food at the also-free Arts Fest by LAUSD (9am–4pm).

Wally Amos, founder of Famous Amos cookies—the vending-machine favorite of sweet tooths everywhere—was also famous for his block parties in the 1970s and ’80s. To honor him and celebrate 50 years of the brand, Famous Amos is throwing a free block party at 6800 Hollywood Blvd, outside El Capitan Theatre, with music, dancing, art and plenty of cookies. See artist OG Slick paint a mural live, listen to live music and DJ sets, watch break dancers and double-dutch jumpers do their thing, strap on some skates at a pop-up roller rink and walk through a showcase of lowriders while you nibble on cookies.

Explore the history of early Los Angeles life with free admission to six museums in Northeast L.A. and Pasadena. The annual Museums of the Arroyo Day is the perfect opportunity to brush up on historical architecture—the Gamble House, Heritage Square and the Lummis Home—and relics from L.A.’s past—the L.A. Police Museum and Pasadena Museum of History and South Pasadena Historical Museum. In addition to free entry, you’ll find shuttle service between all six museums (though visiting three stops at most is recommended for the best experience). Some of the sites are bike- and A Line-friendly as well. 

LA Opera is hosting a free early Cinco de Mayo celebration of Latino artistry and culture at the Music Center’s Jerry Moss Plaza. Immediately after the opera’s matinee performance of Ainadamar, all are welcome to enjoy musical performances by all-female mariachi ensembles Las Colibrí and Mariachi Divas, flamenca dancers Jessica Perez and Jasmine Elis San Nicholas, and LA Opera Connects’ Zarzuela Project. Meanwhile, local artisans—from booksellers to painters—will be selling goods at an outdoor mercado. For refreshments, tacos, buñuelos and signature cocktails will be on offer.

The Venice Artwalk returns for its 46th year to benefit the Venice Family Clinic with an auction and a free opportunity to glimpse the Venice and wider L.A. art scene. From May 9 to 18, pop into 910 Abbot Kinney to see (and potentially bid on) pieces from Ed Ruscha, Larry Bell, Ed Moses, Sayre Gomez and more. This year, the event will also turn its attention to L.A.’s post-wildfire landscape, with sections dedicated to artists who lost their homes or studios in the Palisades and Eaton Fires, as well as a celebration of Altadena’s legacy of Black artists.

The Broad’s upcoming special exhibition makes its way to Downtown L.A. from the 2024 Venice Biennale, where Jeffrey Gibson became the first Indigenous artist to represent the United States with a solo exhibition. Known for his signature use of geometric patterns, patterned text, vibrant color, glass beads and found objects, the Colorado-born artist explores his Indigenous identity and pays tribute to histories of resistance in thought-provoking and optimistic ways. The first-floor galleries will be transformed into a kaleidoscopic environment with 10 paintings, seven sculptures, eight flags, three murals and one video installation by Gibson. Expect an accompanying slate of performances, talks and workshops.

Form a gallery in the sky made entirely of kites during this community festival from L.A.-based arts and culture nonprofit Clockshop. Held in honor of the communities surrounding Los Angeles State Historic Park, this fifth-annual free fest features flying demonstrations, art workshops and musical performances.

Every spring and fall since 1973, artists have descended upon the Beverly Gardens Park to showcase their work to browsers and buyers at this festival (once called the Affaire in the Gardens). This year will feature 235 artists exhibiting paintings, sculptures, watercolors, photography and much more. Set on four blocks along the grassy Santa Monica Boulevard between Rodeo and Rexford Drives, the event will include something for everyone, with free kids’ activities, food trucks, and beer and wine gardens with live music.

Sure, you’ve seen the archival television clips of the Beatles’ famous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, but what about firsthand, long-lost photographs from that same time shot by one of the band members? This spring, Beverly Hills gallery Gagosian displays 36 recently rediscovered photographs of the Beatles, all captured by Paul McCartney. A mix of black-and-white and color prints, the McCartney photos were shot during peak of Beatlemania, from December 1963 to February 1964. Expect to see a mix of self-portraits of Paul and candid shots of John, George and Ringo—as well as hysterical fans waiting outside the windows of the band’s car.

The California Science Center is inviting kids to get in the game with a new 17,000-square-foot exhibition about the power of play and the human body in motion. Besides teaching about the science behind sports, it also offers interactive challenges and video coaching from a team of Los Angeles-based mentor athletes including dancer Debbie Allen, the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, Olympic medalist softball player Rachel Garcia and more. For the first time ever, the center has commissioned public art—all by local artists—to complement the exhibition, including a Dodgers mural by Gustavo Zermeño Jr. The free exhibition kicks off May 15 and will remain at the Science Center at least through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Need a little lunch break relaxation? Log off, grab a bite and head to Colburn School Plaza for one of these free concerts by the renowned school’s students, held Tuesdays at noon from April 15 to May 6. 

“Let’s hang out at the Pier” is something Santa Monica locals probably say next to never, but this monthly series is trying to change that. Every third Thursday from September to May, you’ll find everything from live music to storytelling to a classic car show on the Santa Monica Pier, all free to attend.

Tied to Earth Day, Friends of the L.A. River is pivoting its monthly cleanup into a bit of post-fire empowerment with this habitat resoration effort at the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Preserve. Volunteers will help remove invasive vegetation inside the San Fernando Valley park while learning about how they factor into flammability, as well as about the region’s watershed. Participation is free, but registration is required.

Roam the stalls at this Memorial Day arts festival, sample the food and listen to the music—and then take a dip in the nearby Pacific. A few logistical changes for the last few fests have streamlined the layout: You’ll still find on-the-street stalls and sidewalk vendors along Hermosa and Pier Avenues, but there’s now live music at the beach (one of five stages throughout the fest), and there’s a proper carnival (with a wine garden) inland at Pier and Monterey Boulevard.

CicLAvia, but make it Glendale—that’s the basic premise of Let’s Go Glendale, the newest open-streets experience to hit L.A. On the last day of May, South Glendale Avenue from Chevy Chase to Lexington Drives will be transformed into a car-free space welcoming all to walk, roll, shop and stroll past local businesses and eateries. The free event, presented by Metro, will also feature a curated schedule of live music and activities. Dogs, as long as they’re on a leash, are welcome too.

This weekend-long concert will once again return to West Hollywood Park as part of WeHo Pride, with Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Kim Petras, Honey Dijon and Paris Hilton atop this year’s lineup. If the ticket prices have you down, don’t worry: Friday night’s programming is usually free with an RSVP.

The desert-spanning biennial is back, with premieres of site-specific works from about a dozen artists. For its fifth iteration, Desert X will once again stage outdoor installations across about 40 miles of the Coachella Valley through May 11—making it the perfect pit stop if you’re making your way out to Coachella in April. This year’s works explore Indigenous futurism, activism and technology’s role in society, among other themes. Don’t miss Agnes Denes’s monumental The Living Pyramid.

The Los Angeles–based conceptual artist and now-retired CalArts educator is back with his first L.A. solo exhibition since 2019, debuting new works from his Numbers and Trees series. The colorful and complex works combine Plexiglas, watercolors and his signature numeric grid systems to depict the baobab trees Gaines photographed on a recent trip to Tanzania. The show opens February 19 with a conversation between the artist and LACMA’s Naima J. Keith, followed by an opening reception (6–8pm). The event is free, but reservations are recommended.

After its fall debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall as part of PST ART, artist Doug Aitken’s multimedia collab with the L.A. Phil and L.A. Master Chorale makes the jump to the Marciano Art Foundation. The free museum mounts the multi-channel video piece in its massive theater gallery, which you can see during routine opening hours (Tue–Sat 11am–6pm). But look out for separate reservations for weekly (typically on Saturdays) live performances organized by both musical ensembles.

The Skirball’s latest pop culture exhibition takes a deep dive into the six-decade career of legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby. You might know him as the co-creator of Captain America, Black Panther, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and some of the Marvel universe’s most cosmic characters. But did you know he was also a first-generation Jewish American born to immigrant parents, World War II veteran and family man who split his time between New York and Los Angeles? Learn about his life and see Kirby’s original comic illustrations, as well as other works—many on view for the first time. Tickets to the Skirball will cost you $18—except on Thursdays, when entry is free with a reservation.

This spectacular exhibition from the Icelandic–Danish artist brings a new series of optical installations to MOCA’s Little Tokyo location. You’ll need a timed ticket, which costs $18, to visit it on most days, but look for reservations on the first Friday of the month (5–8pm) for free admission.