July 2026 events calendar for Los Angeles

Why not pair your World Cup watch party with some world-class art and one-of-a-kind views? The Getty will be screening pretty much every match that occurs during the museum’s operating hours (including some extended Friday evenings) throughout the run of the World Cup. You can catch them on TV at the Trellis Bar & Lounge (when you get off the tram, to the right of the entry stairs) and the Garden Terrace Café (the expansive patio between the museum courtyard and gardens). As usual, you’ll need a free timed ticket to the museum, but as a World Cup bonus, the usually-paid parking will be free after 5pm from June 11 to July 19.

Now one of L.A.’s most treasured summer traditions, Barnsdall Park’s wine tastings regularly attract sell-out crowds. Perched atop Olive Hill on the west lawn of the historic Hollyhock House (which you can tour during the evening for an additional $37), the Barnsdall Friday fundraisers include fine selections of boutique wines provided by Silverlake Wine set against a spectacular sunset, DJ sets and 360-degree views of the city. Bring along a blanket and a picnic basket, or just nosh on food from the variety of trucks parked up there. Though there used to be lots of kids running around, the event lawn is now 21-and-up—perfect for a date night. Proceeds support the park’s art programs and historic renovations—an especially crucial cause now, as the park is once again facing proposed budget cuts from the city.

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 will be providing free, open-air tunes on select nights from June through September at Maydan Market, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, La Brea Tar Pits, CAAM, ASU FIDM Museum, the Kidspace Children’s Museum, Hauser & Wirth, MOLAA, California Plaza, LACMA, Wende Museum, Union Station, downtown Long Beach, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Bowers Museum, the Autry and the NoHo Arts District. (Missing from the lineup this year and last are 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. Regardless of the location, you really can’t go wrong with any evening spent at Summer Nights. (Note: The kickoff June 1 event at Maydan Market and Aug. 8’s LACMA event are only for KCRW members.)

The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned for another season of screenings to LEVEL in Downtown L.A. Known for excellent film choices and a steady supply of snacks and booze, Rooftop Cinema Club is your snazzy, comfortable and less stressful alternative to other outdoor movie screenings. You don’t even need to bring your own camping chair—Rooftop Cinema Club provides you with your very own comfy lawn chair (with optional blankets for purchase to up the coziness). And instead of listening to the movie over loudspeakers, you’ll get a set of wireless headphones so you never have to miss a word. Find the full schedule on their site, or in our outdoor movie calendar.

The MLS season may be taking an extended break for the World Cup, but L.A.’s original club is still getting in on the football frenzy. The L.A. Galaxy will host a marathon of watch parties across the South Bay and Long Beach, including all of the group stage matches in downtown Long Beach (along Pine Avenue and, on select days, in Lincoln Park), a drone show–accompanied screening event on the Fourth of July outside of Dignity Health Sports Park and late-stage watch parties south of the Hermosa Beach Pier. All events will feature live match broadcasts, but select ones will sport youth clinics, giveaways and appearances from L.A. Galaxy players.

The next best thing to watching the World Cup in person just might be watching the matches in “Shared Reality” a mere one-minute drive away at Cosm Los Angeles. In fact, you might feel even closer to the action while sitting pitchside inside Cosm’s 87-foot LED Dome, which is amazingly immersive whether you’re watching sports or a movie. If Dome tickets are out of your price range, you can also catch the action on screens in the hall or opt for general admission standing-room tickets. 

This epic (and free) outdoor concert series—now in its 40th season—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 on Saturday nights (and a few Friday Nights) from June 6 through August 22. Highlights this year include a season kickoff with Grupo Soñador and Wachiwara, tributes to Stevie Wonder, Ritchie Valens and Roy Ayers, and an edition of KCRW Summer Nights headlined by Mariachi El Bronx and the Tijuana Panthers. Just be sure to RSVP ahead of time to reserve a spot.

It’s official: Los Angeles has soccer (football?) fever. The city is hosting eight FIFA World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium between June 12 and July 10. Don’t have the cash to score tickets? You’re in luck. While it won’t be quite the same as having a seat right on the pitch, there will be a rotating slate of fan zones across L.A. County, with official watch parties held from Venice to Downtown L.A. to Burbank to Pomona. Some of these events are free, while others are charging a nominal fee. In any case, you’ll get to enjoy live match viewing and immersive fan experiences closer to home and still be part of the global moment. One highlight from the lineup: “The Heart of the City” Fan Zone at Union Station from June 25 to 28, which will offer four days of free, all-ages programming at the transit hub, screening the matches both in the historic Ticket Concourse and outside.

Each summer, Bard fanatics watch their favorite works come to life at the historic Old Zoo in Griffith Park. For 16 years running, Independent Shakespeare Co. has put on a series of lively productions each week, inviting audiences to take a seat on the grass (bring a picnic blanket) and enjoy performances like this season’s headliner, Shakespeare political thriller Coriolanus, which will be followed by the self-explanatory The Comedy of Errors. With construction of a permanent stage still in process on the main lawn, this summer’s shows will again be held in the dell at the top of the Old Zoo—meaning available space is smaller, and although performances are still free, reservations are required.

It isn’t summer in L.A. until the first cemetery screening brings hoards of movie-lovers to Hollywood Forever Cemetery, toting folding chairs, picnic blankets, snack spreads and lots of booze. Each year, Cinespia brings classic cult favorites to the hallowed resting place of such Hollywood greats as Rudolph Valentino and Bugsy Siegel. The series typically releases its slate one month at a time, with summertime screenings at the cemetery and a few off-site ones on either end (usually at L.A. State Historic Park). For each evening at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, pack a picnic (yes, booze is allowed), pose in the photo booth and enjoy DJ sets, dance parties and all sorts of other magical mischief that’d otherwise be strictly forbidden behind the cemetery gates. For 2026, Cinespia’s 25th(!) season in the cemetery, June includes Fast Times at Ridgemont High (June 6), The Matrix (June 13), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (June 20) and Legally Blonde (June 27); July kicks off with a pair of fireworks-accompanied screenings, Shrek (July 3) and Jurassic Park (July 4), followed by Pulp Fiction (July 11), Rosemary’s Baby (July 18) and Edward Scissorhands (July 25). In addition, Cinespia is teaming up with See’s Candies this year to sell specially branded candy boxes during screenings. The outdoor screenings are an L.A. rite of passage, a quintessential summer experience and one of the best film venues in the city. Just be sure to get your ticket early, arrive early, pee early… it’s a...