November 2025 events calendar for Los Angeles

The Godmother of Punk—and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, author and artist—is back again. Smith has taken to the L.A. stage in recent years in a variety of venues, from a lecture at the Getty to an intimate evening at the Teragram Ballroom. This time around, she and her band are performing her debut album, Horses—which Rolling Stone has deemed one of the 50 best albums of all time—in its entirety at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Accompanying her are original band members Lenny Kaye and Jay Dee Daugherty, as well as guitarist Jackson Smith and her longtime bassist, Tony Shanahan. 

Face your fears and head to the Natural History Museum’s Spider Pavilion, where you can observe several hundred orbweaver spiders in a living exhibit just outside of the museum. Scared the spiders might be hard to spot in the wild? Fret not. In previous iterations, we’ve spotted ones about the size of an adult’s palm. Gulp. (But don’t worry: The scariest ones are in enclosed habitats.) 

Located just blocks from the ocean, Ice in downtown Santa Monica brings a bit of winter to the comfortable coastal city. The 8,000-square-foot outdoor rink runs daily from November to mid-January on the corner of Fifth Street and Arizona Avenue (less than a 10-minute walk from the E Line). Tickets for an hourlong slot ($24) include skate rentals, and you can book private parties and fire pits if you’re looking for something a bit more premium. Look out for cozy treats for sale, plus special events like classical Sunday afternoons and a sparkly shindig for Taylor Swift’s birthday (Dec 13).

Josh Homme and his thrillingly intense band stir up their irresistibly sexy mixture of desert rock, blues, stoner metal and grunge. QoTSA’s limited-run Catacombs Tour, featuring all-new arrangements of the band’s songs, includes a stop at the Dolby Theatre, home of the Oscars. Paris Jackson will open. Tickets are pricier than you might expect, though: Though officially the show is sold out, resale tickets in the very top balcony start at $300.

Beverly Hills and the Rodeo Drive Committee host this free community event to kick off the city’s holiday season. This year’s Enchanted Holiday Dreams theme takes inspiration from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. Watch as the famed palm-tree-dotted shopping street comes alive with twinkling lights, then stroll amid the glow and enjoy live music and entertainment, street performers, festive decor, wine gardens, food trucks and an appearance by Santa Claus. A fireworks show will complete the festivities.

It feels like Oktoberfest all year round at Silver Lake’s long-running Red Lion Tavern, but it’s especially festive in the fall, when it celebrates the Bavarian tradition on weekends through mid-November. Order the Oktoberfest platter—an epic array of pretzels, brats, schnitzel and sides—alongside a four-liter boot of beer, or a collector’s stein designed by the local Bad Bean Studio. Check the bar’s Instagram for programming updates.

Nope, that’s not some sort of catastrophic explosion in the center of the city—that sound’s just the arrival of Christmas at the Grove. Brace yourself: L.A.’s shopping mall metropolis lights up its Christmas tree with a dazzling drone show, snowfall and a slew of special guests, including Santa himself (may we humbly suggest that you ask Santa this year for a prime spot in that mammoth parking garage). Lance Bass hosts this year’s show, with performances by Nick Carter, Dasha, Natalie Jane, Loud Luxury, Kevin Woo, Straight No Chaser. Stick around for the fireworks finale (and we’ll reiterate that, yep, anxious Angelenos, those are indeed fireworks that you’re hearing on November 17).

Did last year’s Coachella catapult Sabrina Carpenter into the spotlight? Or was the onetime Disney Channel personality already on the precipice of pop superstardom? Ponder that as you wait in the ticketing queue for the “Espresso” singer and now-Grammy winner’s six shows at the Crypto.com Arena, a reprise of last year’s “Short N’ Sweet Tour.” Ravyn Lenae and Amber Mark join as supporting acts. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 7, at 10am.

See what’s cutting-edge in the city’s vibrant performing arts scene at REDCAT’s 22nd annual festival, where it turns its theater into a creative artistic laboratory for Los Angeles artists à la its namesake institution, CalArts. Each of the three weekends boasts unique, daring and distinctive performances of new original works for the stage—from dance, theater and music to multimedia performance art. If you can’t make it to the fest in person, the performances will also be livestreamed.

Robert Therrien’s Under the Table has long been one of the most popular pieces in the Broad’s collection (you know the one—the giant table and chairs that you ask your friend to snap a photo of as you stand underneath). Well now the museum is hosting the largest-ever solo exhibition of the artist’s work, displaying more than 120 pieces, including many that have never been shown in museums before. Expect more huge housewares and striking works, plus some intimate drawings and surprises from the late L.A.-based artist. The specially ticketed show will fill the first-floor galleries through April 5, 2026.

Drift into the Convention Center for the 10-day L.A. Auto Show, featuring cars that would even make Bond drool. With world and North American debuts from a slate of manufacturers, rev up for the machines of the future. If you’re a car nerd, get behind the wheel to test drive one of the cherry rides (including an outdoor EV track); see custom, exotic and luxury vehicles in the Showcase Hall; tackle an obstacle course in a Ford Bronco or Jeep; and head underground for a cinematic experience at LumiVerse. Wish you had a pup to ride shotgun? You can even adopt a pet on-site.

The multicity Jackalope art fair is back in Old Pasadena this month, featuring over 200 local artisans selling their high-quality, handcrafted goods at Central Park. You’ll find everything from luxe candles and cactus-inspired lamps to plant-based skin care and homemade treats—all perfect for gifting—as well as family-friendly activities. And unlike some artisan markets, Jackalope offers free admission.

Formerly called “Black Bar Social,” this series in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is part happy hour, part conversation. Explore a range of “reality-bending projects” at a speakeasy of sorts, recalling the salons of yesteryear. This year’s “Connection Through Movement” theme focuses on the intersection of performance and technology via exciting new digital work. 

Commuting through Union Station around the holidays? Make sure to take a detour into the station’s newly restored South Patio for the train station’s 10th annual tree lighting on November 20, with a musical performance by the Beverly Belles. You can also enjoy caroling, snowfall and arts and crafts—with a side of milk and cookies. Little ones can pose for photos with Santa. The holiday décor will stay up through Christmas.

Every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Great Los Angeles Walk debunks all of those cliches about nobody walking in L.A. Hundreds of walkers start the free urban hike on one side of the city and, about half a day later, end up at the other. You can hop on or off the walk whenever you’d like, and though no reservations are required, RSVPs are appreciated. This year marks the 20th anniversary edition of the walk, which will return to its very first route, along Wilshire Boulevard. Exact route details are TBA, so stay tuned.

You’ll want to sleep with the lights on after seeing this terrifying theatrical take on the hit Parnormal Activity movie franchise at the Ahmanson Theatre. The R-rated play is making its world premiere, featuring a new story and illusions by the Tony-winning designer who dreamed up the impressive special effects in Harry Potter & the Cursed Child.

LA Compost’s annual autumnal event gives “smashing pumpkins” a whole new—and very literal—meaning. Now that Halloween is over, you likely have at least one pumpkin rotting on your doorstep. Did you know that trashing it and sending it to the landfill releases methane, which contributes to global warming? Instead of adding your jack-o’-lantern to the 1.3 billion pounds of yearly pumpkin waste, bring it (as long as its free of paint, glitter or anything else nonorganic) to one of these composting parties to help nourish the earth. Check here for the different locations and to sign up.

For the Record, a live production company known for transforming the soundtracks of favorite filmmakers into immersive musicals, is back with its most impressive display yet: CineVita, the world’s largest Spiegeltent, is FTR’s new home in Hollywood Park, next to SoFi Stadium. After its opening in February, it’s bringing back Tarantino Live, which celebrates 30 years of Pulp Fiction and re-creates memorable musical moments from the director’s films including Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained.

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.

Masked outlaw-country crooner Orville Peck rides into the region for his annual rodeo in Pioneertown, with additional sets from Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Joy Oladokun, Allison Russell, the Deslondes, Emily Rose and the Rounders, Palmyra and Valley James.

Think men could do a bit of a better job listening when it comes to dating? This Bachelorette-style game show runs with that conceit as its one rule: The four men competing for a date can’t speak. Instead, they’ll nod and doodle while host Allison Goldberg searches their phones and dials their moms. You can usually find Love Isn’t Blind staged monthly (and you can even apply to participate in it).

L.A. doesn’t typically seem like much of a winter wonderland, until, that is, you create an ice skating rink right in the midst of Downtown skyscrapers. Come glide around and pretend there’s snow on the ground at Pershing Square’s outdoor holiday skating rink. Skate rentals are included in admission, though lockers and skating aids costs a few dollars extra.

RECOMMENDED: The best places to go ice skating in Los Angeles

Can’t resist a fresh plate of oysters? Neither can owner of the Oyster Gourmet and shellfish master Christophe Happillon, who’s once again curating a mouth-watering tasting at Grand Central Market’s DTLA Oyster Festival. Slurp your way through briny, fresh varieties sourced from along the West Coast, from California to Alaska, meet the farmers, score plenty of oysters, try special oyster-themed dishes from market vendors, and sip on French wine from 11am to 6pm each day.

It’s always Christmas at this charmingly kitsch amusement park outside of Lake Arrowhead. But it’s extra Christmassy toward the end of the year at Santa’s Village—especially if you’re lucky enough to get some fresh mountain snowfall. Swing by from November 13 to January 4 for lighting displays, a train ride, a magical nighttime walk through the forest, seasonal snacks, breakfast with Santa and tea with Mrs. Claus (those require a separate ticket) and ice skating.

Celebrate Thanksgiving morning at this family-friendly event along Downtown’s Spring Street, a morning chock-full of races, games and activities centered around Los Angeles City Hall (check in at Grand Park across the street). Preemptively work off calories from your upcoming feast in either the 5K or the 10K run/walk. There’s also a 1/4-mile “Widdle Wobble” for kids and a 1K Dog Jog where your four-legged friends can join in. Turkey Day costumes are encouraged. Each year, the race benefits the Midnight Mission.

The beloved Bob Baker Marionette Theater is back with its annual holiday production, which dates back to 1969. This year, the puppet-filled play is returning to the Sierra Madre Playhouse. From just after Thanksgiving through the beginning of the year, you can see the charming take on the classic ballet, with its large-scale marionettes and intricate sets, on most weekends and, closer to Christmas, select weekdays. 

Like an Angelyne billboard on Sunset Boulevard, the Hollywood Christmas Parade is an essential part of L.A. kitsch. The nine-decade-old parade will feature floats, balloons, marching bands, equestrians and celebrities (of a sort) as they ride in a U-shaped route that begins at Hollywood and Orange and ends up at Sunset and Orange. Reserved grandstand seats can be purchased, with proceeds going to Toys for Tots, but free curbside seating is also available.

Stroll across the grounds of King Gillette Ranch as the Santa Monica Mountains hideaway is illuminated during Holiday Road, which returns with a nearly mile-long walking trail. The event, which comes from the same team as Night of the Jack, includes thousands of lights, festive decor like a small Christmas village, larger-than-life holiday displays and lit-up archways. Look out for Santa and Mrs. Claus, and fill up at food trucks and a holiday bar while you’re there. Prices start at $29 and go up depending on the day and time you visit.

This Christmas-themed Costa Mesa event has been turning Orange County into a veritable winter wonderland for 11 years now. Expect a Forest of Lights walk-through, snow play, ice tubing and photo ops, visits with Santa and a new falling snow area and themed entertainment zones with live music. Upgrade your experience with carnival rides, ice skating, bounce houses, “polar putt-putt” golf and fireside igloos. Hot cocoa and seasonal treats will help keep things cozy. 

With At the Drive-In back on ice (potentially forever), Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez are hard at work on their other project, post-hardcore kids-turned-Mahavishnu Orchestra-styled prog rockers the Mars Volta. The duo is touring behind their new album—the jazz- and electronica-influenced Lucro Sucio; Los Ojos del Vacio—including a stop at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. 

L.A.’s star-studded lecture series returns—both virtually and in person—with a lineup of writers, artists, performers, scientists and business leaders who will graciously blow your mind. For both online and IRL events, you’ll often have the option of purchasing a signed copy of the speaker’s book, as well. October highlights include talks with Werner Herzog, Tim Curry, Judd Apatow and Marc Maron.

The L.A. Zoo is staying open after dark most nights through January during this delightful take on its light-up holiday tradition. Once again, the “Animals Aglow”–themed event will go all in on oversized animal-shaped lanterns, and—based on last year’s edition—the result is a colorful, charming trail that celebrates the zoo’s natural inhabitants. Plentiful and vibrant, these lantern versions of wildlife, birds, butterflies and insects come to life with playful movements and animation. New lanterns and light displays this year spotlight the animals of Southeast Asia and Africa. You can also relax on illuminated swings, dance inside a shell of kaleidoscopic mirrors and more. 

Summer screening series Cinespia is swapping Hollywood Forever Cemetery for Downtown’s Palace Theatre this month for a special screening of The First Wives Club. Wear white and bring a white rose to pay tribute to star Diane Keaton, who shines in this ode to “friendship, freedom, and the fine art of getting even.” You can also dance to DJ sets and snap a free pic in the BFF Portrait Studio.

Riverside’s stunningly beautiful Mission Inn is bathed in over 10 million twinkly lights during the annual Festival of Lights, which has lit up the city for 33 years now. The free, six-week-long holiday tradition runs from late November to early January and typically features more than 400 festive, animated figures. Having been voted the “Best Public Lights Display” by USA Today, the festival attracts over 500,000 visitors each year. The spectacle will kick off with a Switch On Ceremony on November 22, followed by live music from Matt Mauser and the Tijuana Dogs, and there’ll be holiday-themed kiddie rides outside the hotel all season long.

With its tongue exercise of a title, the Tyler, the Creator–curated hip-hop fest returns to Dodger Stadium for two days of live tunes, carnival rides, games, food trucks and more. The lineup for the 11th edition of the carnival includes A$AP Rocky, Childish Gambino, Doechii, T-Pain, Don Toliver, Earl Sweatshirt and more, plus a performance from Tyler himself. Tickets for the festival sold out even before the lineup announement, but you can join the waitlist here in case more become available.

Street Food Cinema has put together a series of outdoor holiday screenings in the closest thing to a Dickensian town square in L.A.: Heritage Square. In between Victorian home tours, piano sing-alongs, strolls through a light tunnel and sips on hot chocolate and mulled wine, you can catch screenings—many of them double features—of flicks like Elf, Home Alone, A Christmas Story, The Muppet Christmas Carol and more. Just make sure to bundle up in your best Christmas sweater.

Billed as a “pre-meal celebration of turkeys,” the Gentle Barn’s Thanksgiving-morning event lets you cuddle turkeys, feed them treats and appreciate them for the intelligent and majestic fowl that they are. (This event will likely appeal more to the “animals are friends, not food” set, otherwise you might feel a little guilty sitting down to your Turkey Day feast after your farm visit.)

Explore the Autry into the evening at the Griffith Park museum’s Thursday-night series that spotlights the city’s emerging and established artists, musicians, poets and writers. Programming ranges from free salsa lessons to DJ sets to old-timey radio plays. The museum galleries stay open late, too, plus drinks and food trucks are also on offer. There’s one late-night event this month: Fall Music Nights with Dom Flemons on November 20.

Prog-rock around the Christmas tree this Thanksgiving weekend. Trans-Siberian Orchestra will be performing its “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO” show at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Expect rocking versions of your favorite carols—many of them instrumentals—as well as pyrotechnics and a laser light show that will ensure you leave the show feeling pumped about the holidays.

The American Contemporary Ballet returns this holiday season with its fantastical take on the tale from author E.T.A. Hoffmann. Experience the seasonal classic on a snow-shrouded stage set within an immersive space in DTLA’s Bank of America Plaza. The 75-minute production includes an ensemble of live musicians performing Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, as well as an artist reception following the show. The sweet-surprise-filled show sells out every year, so grab your tickets early.

Dealing with a difficult subject head-on, the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA’s new show, “Monuments”—co-presented by the museum and nonprofit the Brick (formerly LAXART)—juxtaposes both intact and vandalized Confederate monuments with contemporary artwork. The show looks at the recent wave of monument removals from a historic perspective and encourages discourse about challenging topics amid an ongoing national debate about the role of these statues and what they represent. Tickets for the special exhibition are $18, though if you book far enough ahead of time, you can take advantage of free admission on the first Friday of every month.

Don’t go in the water, but do go to the Academy Museum to see the largest exhibition ever dedicated to Steven Spielberg’s original summer blockbuster, Jaws—which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The museum was already home to the last surviving model shark from filming, but now you can go behind the scenes and see some 200 original objects from the film across multiple galleries. Some highlights: a re-creation of the Orca fishing boat, the dorsal fin used both in Jaws and its sequels, costumes worn by the central trio and a room full of vintage film posters and merch promoting the film. There are interactive elements, too: You can have your own Chief Brody dolly-zoom moment (and see the lens used to film the famous shot), play the iconic John Williams two-note score and control a replica of the mechanical shark.

Japan House Los Angeles is bringing an exhibition of shokuhin sampuru—hyper-realistic food replicas that have crossed over from marketing tool to art form (think Is It Cake? but cultural)—to Los Angeles for the first time. See mouthwatering faux food representing each of Japan’s 47 prefectures, from coffee house parfaits to izakaya skewers, as well as Chinese and Western cuisine, and try your own hand at food presentation by filling a bentō box yourself.

More than 50 works on display at the Autry showcase how indigenous artists have crafted visions of alternative futures in the face of enduring colonial trauma. The bottom-floor exhibition opens with a semicircle of high fashion, including remarkable crow attire from Cannupa Hanska Luger, which is paired with video footage from his accompanying performance piece. Star Wars plays a surprisingly large role in the vibrant show, including Andy Everson’s Northwest Coast-inspired take on stormtrooper helmets. The exhibition spills into the upstairs galleries, too, with a surreal spacescape from Wendy Red Star and a multimedia installation from Virgil Ortiz, who’s reimagined the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 through a Dune-meets-MCU film-like lens.

The Getty Villa reopens to the public five and a half months after its Palisades Fire closure with this international loan exhibition dedicated to the Greek Mycenaean civilization and the kingdom of Pylos, which Homer immortalized in the Iliad and Odyssey. It’s the first major museum show in North America devoted to the Late Bronze Age Mycenaeans. See treasures excavators unearthed from Messenia, the Palace of Nestor and burial sites including the tomb of the Griffin Warrior (1450 BCE)—think clay tablets, gold cups, ornate weapons and tiny signets and sealstones adorned with awe-inspiring amounts of detail. 

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.

On the 50th anniversary of the Norton Simon Museum, look back to when Simon took over management of the Pasadena Art Museum in 1975, then ahead to the museum’s exciting future at this retrospective exhibition. See rare photos from the museum’s archives, and learn about the history of its major acquisitions, exhibitions, building and gardens—which are currently undergoing a transformation.

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.

Thanksgiving in Los Angeles can be tough like an overcooked turkey—especially if you're without plans. Make sure that doesn't happen with our Thanksgiving guide.