October 2026 events calendar for Los Angeles

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 this time around as the cultural event expands from the Historic Core to Grand Avenue. Head to the museum for a free exhibition tour at 5pm.

Wake up, grab a brush and put a little make-up, then head to Beyond the Streets gallery on La Brea for this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it exhibition devoted to the 25th anniversary of System of a Down’s seminal Toxicity, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 back in 2001. Step into the minds of the Glendale-based rockers at this immersive look at the world of the album—complete with artifacts and ephemera from the band, plus exclusive merch—on display for only six days. 

Broadway star and Wicked Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo is trading Oz for the Hollywood Bowl for one night of music, big vocals and, presumably, enough goosebumps to justify the parking nightmare there. The Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award winner behind Elphaba’s soaring “Defying Gravity” takes the stage for her new live show, Let Me Sing to You—a chance to hear the performer’s remarkable voice live. Expect a showcase for Erivo’s considerable range, from theatrical showstoppers to more intimate musical moments. If you’ve been waiting for an excuse to hear one of today's most formidable voices in person, consider this your cue.

Every spring and fall since 1973, artists have descended upon Beverly Gardens Park to showcase their work to browsers and buyers at this arts festival (once called the Affaire in the Gardens). This year will feature 250 artists exhibiting paintings, sculptures, watercolors, photography and much more. Set on four blocks along the grassy stretch of 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.

See what’s cutting-edge in the world of horror with a bloody-good selection of indie flicks invading the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres this October. The frightful film festival—which has been hailed as one of the top five film fests in the country by The New York Times—is back for its 26th edition with a killer lineup of premieres, short films, animation and more. 

This traveling horror-themed Halloween cocktail pop-up stops at Melrose Umbrella Co. again this October. The women-owned concept—created by industry veterans Erin Hayes and Kelsey Ramage—is taking over the Beverly Grove bar, serving up expertly mixed cocktails amid metal music and spooky decor (including the famous 12-foot-tall skeleton from Home Depot). Drink highlights include the Bone Temple, made with Teremana Blanco Tequila, and Abyssa’s Obsession, made with pumpkin-infused Kraken Black and Gold Spiced Rums—plus fun glassware you can purchase for yourself. Spirit-free options are also available. And if you can’t get enough Black Lagoon, there’s another SoCal outpost at Midnight Oil in Long Beach.

One of the city’s best—and most delicious—fundraising events is back with bites from the best restaurants in L.A. Chef Suzanne Goin, business partner Caroline Styne and chef David Lentz host the afternoon cookout that brings in top chefs from across the country to UCLA’s Royce Quad to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, which helps to fight childhood cancer. This year’s returning chefs include Providence’s Michael Cimarusti; Mozza’s Nancy Silverton; Bestia and Bavel’s Ori Menashe; Jon and Vinny’s Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo; Jitlada’s “Jazz” Singsanong; and Petit Trois’s Ludo Lefebvre, among others. You can find the full list of participating chefs, restaurants, bars, wineries and breweries here (try not to drool, we dare you).

See a simulcast of LA Opera’s brand-new production of one of the most iconic operas of all time, Carmen, on the Santa Monica Pier with the sound of breaking waves in the background. The production will also be shown across town at Opera in the Park—held at Steinmetz Park in Hacienda Heights. This yearly live broadcast extends the opera outside of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, making it free and accessible to all and pairing it with arts and crafts, performances by local musicians, free balloon art, and food from local vendors for the perfect combination of culture and community.

Go on, eat your art out. Echo Park’s trendiest ice cream shop, Fluffy McCloud’s, is serving up a conceptual art exhibition that’s as temporary as it gets. “Of This Marvellous Void,” a collaboration between Culture Slop founder Andrew McClintock and ice cream maker Nick Fisher, invites six contemporary artists to translate their practices into limited-batch, organic ice cream flavors. Inspired by Yves Klein’s legendary 1958 exhibition “The Void,” the show treats each scoop as an artwork that disappears with every bite. Participating artists include Mario Ayala, Matt McCormick, Mia Scarpa and Carley Gmitro, Amelia Lockwood, Mieke Marple and ProblemChild Advisory. The exhibition opens with a Sunday-afternoon reception, but there’s one catch: The show ends when the ice cream is gone. Come hungry, and don’t wait too long to contemplate your cone. An after-party at El Prado kicks off at 7pm.

Step inside a historic—and haunted—Glendale theater to find a supernatural shindig full of magic, spirits and mystery. Don your best Oktoberfest-inspired attire and set out on a spooky journey with themed drinks in hand (not included in the ticket price). Formerly known as House of Spirits, Haunted Soiree is an adults-only, two-hour immersive experience that allows you to roam around an eccentric festival of drinks, music, masks, ghost stories and games. This year’s edition—based on a true crime story from 1928—is full of German-American folk magic.

Dwell’s popular home tours, which grant architecture and design lovers exclusive access to some of the most innovative residences in the country, are back. This time around, the itinerary consists of private tours of three architecturally significant homes that have been featured in Dwell magazine—two in Silver Lake, and one in Palms. Check-in for the tour will take place at the Hollyhock House, where you can mingle over coffee and check out the famed Frank Lloyd Wright–designed home.

The Bloc is celebrating Halloween early with a free, family-friendly evening of trick-or-treating, face painting, photo ops and a pumpkin patch. Kids can get creative with crafts and collect candy before cozying up for an outdoor screening of Nightmare Before Christmas. You’ll find all the fun on the Downtown shopping center’s plaza level. Members of the free-to-join Bloc Rewards app can grab a complimentary pumpkin from the patch, while supplies last.

Artist and composer Emmit Fenn turns an Arts District soundstage into a multisensory music experience during this limited-run performance. The phone-free, roughly two-hour event progresses across three environments: a snowy field where you can enjoy tea, the main music space where synchronized lights appear to float atop a darkened pool of water and a post-show gallery with behind-the-scenes imagery.

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 all the way through mid-November. Order the Oktoberfest platter—an epic array of pretzels, brats, schnitzel and sides—alongside a four-liter boot of beer. You’ll also find live music and stein-holding contests on select nights. Check the bar’s Instagram for programming updates.

South Coast Botanic Garden’s adorable dog-walking hours jump from a once-a-month treat to an every-weekend affair just during the month of October at Dogtoberfest. In addition to dog-friendly walking paths, the garden throws a bunch of Oktoberfest-style activities into the mix. For the humans, you’ll find beer stations along a Pup Crawl throughout the garden, as well as on the main lawn. That’s where you’ll find the bulk of the programming, too, including live music from Die Sauerkrauts, plus stein-holding, pretzel-tossing and yodeling contests. For the pups, expect training obstacles along the garden pathway and races on the lawn. As for the beer aspect, a VIP ticket gets you a flight of beer (or root beer) samples, a full-size beer, a pretzel necklace and a few other small perks. New this year is the dog VIP ticket, which comes with a free “dog beer” tasting (who knew that existed?), a treat, a photo of your pet and access to the VIP Top Dog Zone, complete with splash pads and doggie pools.

Want to feel better about your own love life? This long-running storytelling series—billed as “a more salacious version of the Moth”—finds locals taking the stage to spin stories of bad dates into comedy gold, sharing their most hilarious and unhinged hookups with the audience. The show is returning for a Friday-night show at the Three Clubs.

Plenty of Angelenos take their dogs to street fairs, but what about an event specifically for your furry friend? Enter the Day of the Dog, a free fest that claims to be North America’s largest pet festival. Located on Main Street in Santa Monica (between Ocean Park Boulevard and Strand Avenue), the event features dozens of pet-centric vendors and lots of dog-friendly attractions, including races, a pool party and a Halloween costume contest, plus photo ops and yoga with pups. This year, Day of the Dog coincides with the larger Main Street Block Party, which offers live music, a beer garden, a car show, kids’ activities and even free mini cupcakes—and dog treats.

Just because summer’s behind us doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy a barbecue feast. The Beverly Hills Autumn BBQ—co-hosted by the Maybourne Beverly Hills, Spago and the City of Beverly Hills—returns this month to the Maybourne and the adjacent Beverly Cañon Gardens. This open-air event features meaty dishes from top chefs including Wolfgang Puck, Nancy Silverton, Damon Gordon, Eric Werner and Daniel Castillo, alongside drinks from Florería Atlántico, Dante Beverly Hills and Employees Only NYC; live paper-cut art by Marco Gallotta; and a silent auction featuring luxury goods including Ferragamo bags. It’s all to benefit No Kid Hungry. Tickets are definitely pricey ($350), but hey, it’s for a great cause, and you’ll definitely be fed well. 

One of L.A.’s best free live-music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its 35-year 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 and into the fall. We’re betting it’ll be even more popular than usual this year, with the new David Geffen Galleries in the background.

American Contemporary Ballet opens its 15th season with a program of four works that explore relationships through ballet’s most intimate dance. The program consists of George Balanchine’s Sonatine, Rubies and Episodes, plus the premiere of a new ballet by ACB founder Lincoln Jones—all performed to live music. You’ll find the hour-and-a-half show at the Bank of America Plaza in DTLA. Stick around afterward for a reception with the dancers and musicians.

Walk in James Dean’s footsteps as the Griffith Observatory hosts two special screenings of Rebel Without a Cause—right where key scenes from the movie were filmed. The observatory hosted two sold-out screenings of the film last year in honor of its 70th anniversary, so it’s bringing the popular event back this October. Watch it in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater, snap pictures at themed photo ops, and enjoy free parking and after-hours access to the observatory, which is typically closed on Mondays.

Held over two weekends (Oct 10–11, 17–18), this Oktoberfest celebration combines Santa Anita’s famous horse races with the best of the Bavarian fall festival, including stein-holding and costume contests, a corn hole competition, keg rolling, pretzels—and beer of course. Each general admission ticket includes a mini tasting stein and eight three-ounce beer tastings, as well as a $5 betting voucher, a tip sheet and access to open grandstand seating at the race track. A pricier VIP group ticket (with a three-person minimum) secures you picnic table seating and a $20 food voucher. 

Head to Gloria Molina Grand Park for a two-week display of 19 altars created by professional artists and community organizations. This year, in light of the recent ICE raids, the ofrendas will not only honor deceased loved ones but also L.A.’s immigrant communities. The displays officially kick off on October 25, during Grand Ave Arts: All Access, complemented by an afternoon of face painting, printmaking and sugar-skull crafting, plus live mariachi music (11am–4pm). On November 2, the event closes with the illuminating Noche de los Muertos, which will feature an Aztec ceremonial dance, local artisans selling goods at a mercado, and activities including lantern-making. Latin Grammy nominee Lupita Infante will wrap up the celebration with a candlelight set (3–7pm). All of the festivities are free.

Home of the Los Angeles County Fair, the Fairplex turns into a German wonderland for Oktoberfest every Friday and Saturday from October 2 to 17, complete with Bavarian music, beer, games and plenty of chicken dancing. Sink your teeth into bratwurst, knockwurst, pretzels and potato pancakes while knocking back authentic German suds at this 21-plus event with DJs, oompah outfits, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, Selena and Journey cover bands. 

The Outsiders graduates from required reading to a Tony–winning musical, which got its start in San Diego before taking Broadway by storm (read Time Out theater critic Adam Feldman’s full review here). Now the production is stopping at the Hollywood Pantages as part of its national tour, and settling the decades-old feud between Greasers and Socs.

Hollywood loves scientific nonsense (remember when Mark Wahlberg played a scientist in a Transformers movie?), but the Natural History Museum is ready to separate the cinematic magic from the actual science. Movies Under the Microscope brings a pair of ’80s sci-fi favorites to the big screen, complete with expert-led discussions examining what these cult classics got right, hilariously wrong or somewhere in the radioactive middle. On October 16, see Joe Dante’s 1985 adventure movie Explorers, about three kids who build a homemade spaceship. Then on October 22, see Real Genius, the Val Kilmer comedy about teenage physics prodigies and a very dangerous laser. Each screening includes a pre-show reception with an all-vinyl ’80s DJ set, vintage collectibles and pop-ups, followed by a conversation with scientists and pop-culture experts. 

Right in time for Halloween season, the Academy Museum seeks to answer the question “Why do horror films matter so deeply to so many?” in this immersive look at the genre whose cultural cachet is always increasing. Knowingly employing horror tropes and exploring the lasting appeal of scary movies, the show will be divided into six subcategories of horror—gothic, psychological, science, slasher, religion and ghosts. Expect re-creations of iconic settings where visitors will encounter creatures, monsters and objects from their favorite horror flicks and, in typical Academy fashion, a behind-the-scenes look at the storytelling and production processes of films from the original Frankenstein to The Shining to Get Out.

Head to the mountains for the annual Oktoberfest at Big Bear Lake, where you’ll be able to clink steins every weekend from September to early November. Beer will be flowing, knockwursts will be cooked up, and dirndls will be worn. The entertainment lineup includes numerous bands—many straight from Germany—and other performances, and one lucky damsel will be named the Oktoberfest Queen when she wins the stein-carrying contest. Others can test their skills with free log-sawing, stein-holding and chugging competitions.

Stones Throw Records turns 30 years young this year, and to celebrate the local label is hosting a three-day outdoor fest in Highland Park. Automatic, Los Retros, Mild High Club, DâM-FunK, Egyptian Lover, J Rocc, John Carroll Kirby and founder Peanut Butter Wolf top the lineup, with special guest appearances from Sudan Archives, Aloe Blacc, Eric Andre and Kyle Mooney.

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. Highlights from the upcoming months include evenings with Michael Douglas (Oct 10), David Byrne (Oct 13), Andy Serkis (Nov 6) and Andy Richter (Nov 19).

Universal Studios Hollywood has been transformed into Halloween central for Horror Nights. This year, walk through haunted houses dedicated to Stranger Things 5, Hellraiser, Evil Dead Burn and Ozzy Osbourne. Also making its debut is a Sinners attraction, where guests will be transported back to Club Juke in 1930s Mississippi and have to survive the night while dodging vampires Remmick, Bert and Joan—as well as the warring Smoke and Stack. Over on the Studio Tour—ahem, Terror Tram—you can expect to encounter Art the Clown dressed as Santa Claus. Halloween Horror Nights will run on select evenings through November 1. 

Stroll through a mile-long trail filled with all things pumpkins, including an illuminated forest of jack-o’-lanterns, during Descanso Gardens’ annual Carved. For four weeks this fall, the family-friendly event will line a loop of the botanical garden with thousands of professionally carved pumpkins. For the 2026 edition, the popular neon-hued Rhizome light sculpture is moving into the Oak Grove, and the labyrinth will feature immersive new sculptures. Also new this year is a pricey “anytime” ticket you can use on any day of the run—though we recommend picking a day and time and saving $30.

Whether they’re a psyop or not, Brooklyn rockers Geese—not to be confused with Connecticut rockers Goose—have never been hotter. Led by frontman Cameron Winter, the band has been around since 2016, but their most recent album, Getting Killed, was named the best album of 2025 by Stereogum and The New Yorker. Now they’re stopping in L.A. for two nights at Hollywood Forever Cemetery—one of the very best places in the city to see live music. 

Partake in an educational yet festive Halloween-themed night at the Huntington. The 21-plus event is celebrating its 10th thrilling year in the gardens. See a aerial and acrobatic sci-fi-themed performance by CirqueSanity; step inside Nikola Tesla’s laboratory; enjoy a mix of magic, mind-reading and comedy; learn the “out of this world” history of Joshua Tree’s Integratron; listen to scary stories in the woods; test your knowledge at twilight trivia; and more. Admission includes two drink tickets (food from local vendors is available for purchase). Act fast, though: Tickets for the event typically sell out early.

Held in the so-called Alps of Southern California, Lake Arrowhead’s all-ages Oktoberfest runs every weekend from September 20 to October 26 this year, hosting live German American oompah bands, stein-holding and dance contests, children’s games and a daily sausage toss. Although there’s no entry fee, attendees are advised to book picnic (for up to eight people, $100–$150 on Saturdays, $50–$100 on Sundays) or pub tables (for up to four, $50–$100 on Saturdays, $25–$50 on Sundays) to secure seats closer to the stage. This year, the event is being held in a new venue, the picturesque Waterfront Park.

Charli XCX is the kind of artist that could only exist in today’s increasingly fragmented world of streaming platforms, fluid genre classifications and poptimism. Listen to the buoyant beats and catchy refrains of her records and it’s clear that Charli is a pop star. See her at the Forum in support of her new album, Music, Fashion, Film.

This Highland Park biergarten is hosting its second annual Oktoberfest shindig, transforming the space into a Bavarian beer hall. The sister to Wirtshaus and Rasselbock already serves standout sausages and schnitzel year-round (including veggie options), but every Friday and Saturday through Halloween, you can also enjoy food and drink specials, live music, stein-holding contests and more.

The Los Angeles Conservancy’s popular summer series is popping up for its second fall edition, bringing two Halloween screenings to the historic Million Dollar Theater in DTLA. Catch a matinee of classic comedy mystery Clue at 1pm, followed by the iconic Stanley Kubrick adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining at 7pm. A pair of pre-movie tours of the venue are sold out, but you can still admire the theater’s architecture while you wait for the feature presentation.

We’re pretty spoiled when it comes to live scores in Los Angeles, whether it’s orchestra-backed screenings at the Hollywood Bowl or ensemble-accompanied showings at iconic movie palaces. Time to add another very cool entry to that second category: Wordless Music, Sister Midnight and KCRW will host a series of live scores of A24 films at the architecturally-stunning United Theater on Broadway in Downtown L.A. The lineup continues this month with horror flick Heriditary (Oct 23).

The only thing better than a haunted attraction is a haunted attraction on a giant boat—which has its own haunted history. You’ll find all the usual horrors here—think fog, mazes and countless monsters roaming around. What sets Dark Harbor apart is its use of its surroundings; the dark, cramped confines of the Queen Mary are already pretty spooky even without monsters—just be prepared to climb a lot of skinny staircases. For its 13th anniversary, the event dives further into the ocean liner’s lore with reimagined mazes set both on shore and in the ship’s swimming pool and corridors. New this year is the “Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact” maze, as well as carnival rides Alien Abduction and blacklight bumper cars. When you tire of the terror, sip spirits at secret speakeasies or catch spooky live entertainment.

It’s hard to imagine a lovelier setting than the Huntington’s rose garden in bloom. Add in live music provided by the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, and there’s no better place to spend a Monday afternoon. Wander among the blooms while solo and duo performers share their strings skills on violin, cello and guitar. Admission is included with your $29 Huntington ticket.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery claims to host the largest Day of the Dead celebration in California, and we wouldn’t doubt it: Each year, the cemetery grounds are covered with altars to the dead created by community artists, dance rituals, arts and crafts projects, amazing costumes and food vendors (and crowds) aplenty. This year, expect a live music lineup led by DannyLux, Trish Toledo, East L.A.’s Tropa Magica and San Diego’s Los Shadows, as well as a trio of DJs. The 2026 edition will swap time-limited sessions for entry windows, with three admission times available to book (noon–4pm, 4–7pm, 7–11pm). As far as when to attend, the glowing, flickering altars look absolutely incredible after dark—though that’s also when the crowds tend to be the thickest.

“Weird” Al Yankovic’s 1989 feature film, UHF, is getting the live score treatment at the Greek Theatre on Halloween night. A screening of the movie—a chaotic comedy co-starring the parodist, Fran Drescher and Michael Richards—will be accompanied by an orchestra led by the original composer. Afterward, Yankovic and some surprise guests will come out for a live Q&A. It’s not a Halloween movie, per se, but expect to see fans dressed in Hawaiian shirts and curly wigs.

We challenge you to come up with a more beautiful trick-or-treating destination than the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. At this annual family-friendly Halloween event, costumed kids and their families can stroll the gardens, collecting nature-based treats (not candy) while learning fun facts about plants along the way. Expect some spooky natural history, too: Discovery tables along the route will offer encounters with hissing cockroaches, earthworms, spiders, snakes, bones and skulls and more. You can choose the half-hour entry slot that works best for you between 4 and 7pm, and all guests are required to bring a flashlight. 

Like a Halloween version of its Yuletide Cinemaland series, Street Food Cinema will turn Heritage Square Museum into a spooky, cinematic playground. On the movie side, you can catch a different double feature each night (picks include Obsession, Sinners and Jennifer’s Body, among others) while embarking on Victorian home tours and adult trick-or-treating and perusing food trucks, a bar and market vendors. 

The beloved Bob Baker Marionette Theater is staging free, family-friendly performances at Barnsdall Art Park on the west lawn outside the Hollyhock House on select Sunday mornings. Spread out a blanket and enjoy a 30-minute “Fiesta” puppet show at 9:30am or 11am, followed by free art activities for all.

He’s why birds suddenly appear—oops, wrong Carpenter. This one may be why birds fall dead from the sky, as L.A. will see when the Academy Museum’s John Carpenter: Prince of Darkness series opens September 26, bringing the horror maestro’s pulsing synth scores, practical monsters and beautifully bleak worldview to the big screen through October 25. The retrospective includes The Thing, Halloween, They Live, Big Trouble in Little China, Christine, The Fog and Prince of Darkness in 35mm, among others. And Carpenter himself will make an appearance on four nights! Basically, consider this your excuse to spend a month being gloriously creeped out at the movies.

It’s an event, to say the least, when the world’s biggest cartoon band brings its chart-topping show to town. Murdoc & Co. are of course helmed by Damon Albarn and cult cartoon artist Jamie Hewlett, with a cast of impressive (as in, spit-out-your-drink-impressive) collaborators. Albarn and the Gorillaz live band just performed their new album, The Mountain, in full during two sold-out dates at the Palladium in February, but for those who couldn’t snag tickets to the intimate shows, not to worry: The band will be stopping at the Kia Forum in October as part of its arena tour, supported by Deltron 3030.

Want to peer through the eyepiece of Mt. Wilson’s historic telescopes? Your best and most economical bet just might be one of the Talks & Telescopes events. These monthly Saturday-night astronomy lectures are followed up with a few hours of stargazing on portable telescopes on the grounds, as well as the 60- and 100-inch telescopes, for only $50 (a fraction of the price of the observatory’s late-night stargazing sessions).

Walk across the grounds of the scenic King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas as the Santa Monica Mountains hideaway is illuminated with thousands of hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns. Night of the Jack returns with a reimagined mile-long trail this year, plus food trucks and a “Spookeasy,” too. For 2026, the family-friendly event is also introducing Jack’s Carnival, with around a dozen kid-friendly rides and games, plus new lantern art, photo ops, projection mapping and a new display in the illuminated field. Timed tickets are required each night. As is the case with all similar experiences, they’re not cheap and fluctuate ($34.50–$57) depending on the day of the week and time of night. 

Halloween time can be a bit scary for kids—we’ve all been there—so for a less frightening affair, head to the Original Farmers Market for its children-friendly Fall Festival: Carnival games, a petting zoo, crafts and a pumpkin patch (for a small fee) are all mainstays at this annual harvest fest. Come in costume, catch a musical performance and explore the always-delicious treats at the market.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this month, Grand Ave Arts: All Access finds more than a dozen institutions celebrating their Bunker Hill home with free performances, exhibitions and tours. Highlights of this year’s event on October 24 include graffiti artmaking workshops and a pop-up market at the Broad; a chance to try instruments at the Colburn School; a sugar skull workshop and the world’s biggest pop-up book at the Los Angeles Central Library; a monster-making puppetry workshop at MOCA; and the annual Day of the Dead celebration at Gloria Molina Grand Park. Officially joining the roster this time around is the world’s first museum of AI arts, DATALAND. Other participating institutions include REDCAT, the Music Center, Center Theatre Group, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Grand Performances and Metro.

Every weekend through October 24, this Venice gastropub is throwing a Bavarian celebration with lederhosen and finger-licking fare. Dive into a savory rattlesnake and rabbit hot link topped with onions and peppers, choose from a selection of German and Belgian beers on draft, and enjoy yodeling and live German music. The best part? Each ticket (with noon or 5pm start times on Saturdays and 2pm start times on Sundays) includes a Wurstküche beer stein, with the first fill-up included. Entry isn’t cheap ($72 and up), but the seatings regularly sell out.

This Denver-originated Halloween attraction returns to SoCal with over 10,000 thousand hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns lining a mile-long pathway at the beautiful South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes. This year’s event adds a whimsical circus scene, a Día de los Muertos tribute and an under-the-sea display. Pumpkin light shows, bounce pads, inflatables and festive food complete the family-friendly experience.

The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing are awakening the spirits in October with a slate of Halloween favorites at their DTLA rooftop. The festive flicks continue to pick up as Halloween approaches, with plenty of chances to see Hocus Pocus, Scream, Halloween and Practical Magic—plus newer picks like Obsession, Backrooms, Weapons and Sinners—among others. There are even mini marathons of spooky Supernatural and Twin Peaks episodes.

This is one of the largest Halloween street parties in the world, and there’s really no better place to be on October 31. Sure, the crowd is huge (like, half a million people huge) and a bit belligerent, but the amazing display of costumes and general merry-making spirit deem it at least a worthy stop, if not your main destination for the evening. There will be dancing, drinking and many impromptu costume contests. Even if you don’t plan on entering one, it’s best to still come dressed to the nines—no one likes a party pooper in jeans and a T-shirt. Find it along Santa Monica Boulevard, between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard. A DJ will be spinning from a stage at the intersection of Santa Monica and San Vicente Boulevard, and food trucks will be on hand.

See our guide to the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval.

When luxury hotels in L.A. host outdoor moving screenings, sometimes they lean a little too far into luxury. But the Regent Santa Monica Beach seems to have struck the perfect balance: a screening on a pool deck overlooking the ocean that costs $40 but comes with unlimited popcorn and soda plus a snack pack. Given the proximity to the Santa Monica Pier, they’ve opted for a Route 66 theme this summer, with cocktails and food for purchase plus a lineup of road trip films. Come Halloween time, though, the hotel is screening Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic.

This Halloween mini-fest makes the jump from Union Station to the Arts District with a block-sized celebration centered around 613 Imperial Street. You’ll find two stages set across an indoor-outdoor space, including a live performance from electronic duo the Blaze, plus Claude VonStroke and an Arcade Fire DJ set. Organizers SBCLTR and Minimal Effort have added the latter to the lineup in the wake of the passing of Kavinsky, the French DJ and producer originally slated to play the event; THE MAZE will now honor him with a special installation and themed areas. Outside of the music, you can expect hidden pathways, roaming live performers and immersive environments.

The Academy Museum is hosting a day of spooky silver-screen experiences, looking at Halloween through a cinematic lens. This year’s event is all about vampires. Expect thrilling tours of the museum’s new “Horror Show” exhibition, appearances by Universal Studios monsters, a fake-blood workshop, special-effects makeup demos and a Killer Fitness performance and dance-along. There’s also a trio of separately ticketed fang-tastic screenings in the Ted Mann Theater: Hotel Transylvania (11am), Blade in 4K (2:30pm) and Horror of Dracula in 4K (7:30pm).

I’m not OK: After a few increasingly large local shows, and a huge summer show at Dodger Stadium, aughts pop-punk fixture My Chemical Romance will return to L.A. next October for five shows at the Hollywood Bowl. The concerts are part of a newly announced tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band’s much-loved rock-opera album The Black Parade, which the band will play in full, including hits like “Welcome to the Black Parade,” “I Don’t Love You” and “Famous Last Words.” 

What could be a better fit for Halloween than spooky films screened in a cemetery? Following its 25th season, Cinespia will return to Hollywood Forever Cemetery this October for Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, a 50th-anniversary screening of Carrie and Jennifer’s Body, leading up to John Carpenter’s The Thing on Halloween night itself. Enjoy spirited DJ sets before and after the movie, and be sure to strike a pose in the free themed photo booth each night.

Billing itself as “Orange County’s biggest party since 1977,” the Old World Oktoberfest promises enough beers, brats and bands to make you feel like you’re in Munich—albeit with better ocean views. Every Wednesday through Sunday between September 12 and November 8, this re-created Bavarian village will offer a sausage-filled menu, oompah and German bands, a biergarten, dancing and more. While Old World’s Oktoberfest is 21-plus with a cover charge on Friday and Saturday evenings, it’s open to families and revelers of all ages on Saturday afternoons and other nights. (Entry is free on Wednesday and Thursday nights, as well as Saturday afternoons, just book ahead online.)

Every October, Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group hosts a chilling series of vignettes that’s been named one of Yelp’s top 10 scariest haunts in the country. Armed with a shoddy flashlight to illuminate their path, guests navigate a labyrinth of terror both before and after watching a series of shocking scenes (over the course of roughly 40 minutes) that will unsettle even the most stoic of horror fans. The haunted house-slash-theater experience has been scaring audiences for over 20 years in its North Hollywood theater, and this year’s event is being touted as “bigger and badder than ever.”

Each year, the Walt Disney Concert Hall adds a little bit of Frank Gehry architecture and culture to Halloween. Organist Clark Wilson provides a live soundtrack to a classic silent film for an extra eerie feel. This year, take a seat for a matinee screening of the silent 1920 masterpiece Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, starring John Barrymore.

Almost a decade after the tour for his confessional hip-hop opus, 4:44, Jay-Z returns to the stage to prove that he can still “Run This Town.” Catch him at SoFi Stadium for this career-spanning 30th anniversary set.

See the marionette theater’s family-friendly take on Halloween during the two-month return of its Hallowe’en Spooktacular—a refurbished production of its long-running “boo-sical revue” where you can see over 100 silly and spooky puppets take the stage. A newer addition is the Día de los Muertos sequence that pays tribute to the holiday. Once October arrives, each show will include a costume parade, so dressing up is encouraged.

Encounter free-roaming monsters, stage shows and 10 terrifying mazes—this year’s new additions are “Inked,” which brings 1930s cartoon characters to life, and the excavation-themed “Unearthed”—as well as a menu of eerie eats and sinister sweets, five scare zones and the theme park’s thrill rides during Knott’s Scary Farm, SoCal’s original and longest-running Halloween theme park event. Also new this year are two shows: Voodoo: Bayou's Edge and Occultum, featuring magicians from the legendary Magic Castle.

“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. 

This interactive performance series constitutes a literary cathouse, with a lineup of L.A.’s most bewitching poets summoning demons during a spooky and sinful night at Sassafras. Head to the haunted speakeasy for “a Halloween celebration of beastly delights,” with erotic, haunting and provocative verses set to a soundtrack of live jazz. You can upgrade your experience with tokens that will give you access to one-on-one poetry readings behind closed curtains, tarot readings and typewriter poetry. Costumes, cocktail attire or themed eveningwear is encouraged.

The San Bernardino rave scene injects itself with a bit of Halloween flair at this annual music fest—this year dubbed Escape Psycho Circus. Insomniac Events—the group behind EDC and the Wonderland series—is setting up multiple stages at the NOS Events Center; headliners include Zedd, Ice Cube, Excision, Richie Hawtin, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Galantis, Steve Aoki, Benny Benassi, Alok and Morten. Explore the grounds to find mazes alongside ominous artwork and freak show performers.

Fresh off a wildly successful first edition of her Daisy Chain Fields music festival, Olivia Rodrigo is stepping into the spotlight at the Grammy Museum, where a new exhibition is devoted to the pop star. Running through February 22, 2027, “Olivia Rodrigo: the cure unraveled” will feature an exclusive look at the handcrafted hospital sets, costumes, props, stop-motion animatronics and original artwork from the singer’s music video for single “the cure,” off her new album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love. An expanded career-retrospective version will land later in this fall, so stay tuned.

Disney Hall’s annual silent-movie screening with live organ has been moved to a matinee slot this Halloween in favor of this Michael Giacchino doubleheader. See a sneak peek of the composer and director’s upcoming Sleepy Hollow spinoff, Headless, followed by 2022’s hourlong Werewolf by Night, set to a live score.

Pasadena’s own indie-folk queen Phoebe Bridgers plays a few homecoming shows at Intuit Dome. Like her preview event at Madison Square Garden, these Halloween-time dates on “The Lost Tour”—her final shows on the U.S. leg of the tour—are phone-free events; all phones, smart watches and accessories will need to be secured in Yondr pouches.

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—from tarantulas to wolf spiders—are in enclosed habitats.) 

Treat your ears to a vibrant concert on a spring or summer night by attending MUSE/IQUE’s annual program. This concert series, held at cultural venues across L.A., features a mix of performances inspired by music movements and public figures, including tributes to Quincy Jones, Joni Mitchell, the world of Oz, the Harlem Renaissance, the American Sound and more. You can make a $75 donation to the performing arts nonprofit for a single event, or become a MUSE/IQUE member if you’re interested in multiple programs. Up next is a look at the music of the American West at the Huntington and Skirball.

For dinner and a movie, all in one, just follow the food trucks. During the spring, summer and fall, Street Food Cinema throws together a series of outdoor parties that include screenings of some of our favorite movies, paired with an assortment of gourmet food trucks and even a live music performance from a cool local band. The screenings are held in venues across L.A. into October and alternate from week to week, so make sure to check the schedule. Some of the outdoor venues are dog-friendly, allowing you to bring your four-legged cinema lover along.

See more of this season’s outdoor movie screenings in L.A.

This Mexico City art car bound for Burning Man became an L.A. mainstay for its dance-centric pop-ups—and spawned a bona fide EDM institution in the process. The beloved car was destroyed in a fire in 2023, but a new iteration of the car, Mayan Warrior Galaxyer, debuted the following year. Each Halloween, local event collective Stranger Than presents the full art car experience, with an all-star lineup of artists and production at Gloria Molina Grand Park.

Perhaps the Los Angeles area’s most iconic flea market, this event around the exterior of the Rose Bowl is staggeringly colossal? 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.

“Somehow it’s a happier ending than I thought it would be—it felt so bleak,” Tacita Dean says of crafting this tribute to the then-fading format of analog film back in 2011. But here in the year of The Odyssey, Dean’s commission for the Tate Modern—restaged here at the Marciano Art Foundation’s cavernous theater gallery—feels like a triumphant touting of film’s resurgence: An 11-minute-long collage (all of the cutouts were achieved in camera) plays out on a vertically-oriented reel of 35mm film. The show coincides with Pierre Leguillon’s selection of old advertisements that feature prominent artists promoting commercial brands.

Admire suspended sheets of textiles—including the metallic ones that would be incorporated into the curtains at the new David Geffen Galleries—along with colorful sketches and a recreation of Tokyo store NUNO at LACMA’s showcase of pioneering textile designer Reiko Sudō.

The Skirball’s Jack Kirby exhibition may be over, but the museum has followed it up with this expansive look at how comics came to dominate pop culture. Many of the creators of the medium were immigrants and outsiders—including Jewish Americans—who poured their experiences with struggle, aspiration and reinvention into their work. From the Great Depression through Y2K, comics reflected the national moment and in the process actually helped shape American identity. On display, you’ll find original artwork and artifacts relating to beloved comic book characters, from superheroes like Superman and Black Panther to comedic classics like Little Lulu, Archie and Alfred E. Neuman. The exhibition does a great job of tracing the entire history of the medium in an accessible and engaging way, and should satisfy both comic book lovers and history buffs alike.

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 a look at the actress beyond her blond bombshell persona. In addition to posters, portraits, letters and rarely seen personal items—including decor from Monroe’s Brentwood home and the star’s makeup products—highlights from the exhibition include screen-worn costumes. Particularly noteworthy are the scandalous-at-the-time beaded dresses from Some Like It Hot and the rarely exhibited famous pink dress Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes—which is a show-stopper in a glitzy room of its own.

Tucked into the back corner of the galleries, you can watch a compilation of the star’s onscreen work in CinemaScope—including the iconic subway grate scene. As a whole, the show provides a thoughtful look at Norma Jeane Baker’s transformation into Marilyn Monroe, her trials and tribulations, and why her star will never fade.

Five photographers who pushed their medium in new directions in the second half of the 20th century present their unique takes on the city in this Getty Center show. Influenced by techniques including social documentary practices, staged scenes and fashion, the photographs of Laura Aguilar, Reynaldo Rivera, George Rodriguez, Patssi Valdez and Ricardo Valverde expanded Chicano and Chicana representation in Los Angeles.

Do you get a little thrill every time you go to the Beverly Hills Hotel? You have architect Paul R. Williams to thank, even if you might not know the name. This exhibition at the USC Fisher Museum of Art aims to fix that. “Paul R. Williams: An Architect Considered” specifically spotlights the visionary architect’s multifamily housing projects through original drawings, photographs and plans, juxtaposed with new commissions by contemporary artists and architects. The message is clear: Williams didn’t just shape Los Angeles; he imagined a more livable version of it, one gorgeous building at a time. Complementary Williams exhibitions at LACMA and the Getty Center will open later in the year.

It doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile—or if you’re more of a fan of the street racing and respect era or heists and hackers phase of Fast & Furious: There’s plenty of familiar motorized might to behold at this Petersen Automotive Museum exhibition honoring the high-adrenaline film franchise. You’ll find roughly 20 screen-used cars and production prototypes—including ones on loan from Vin Diesel’s private collection, as well as from the late Paul Walker—on display in the second floor of the Miracle Mile museum.

It’s a very Fast & Furious kind of year in L.A. between Universal Studios’ roller coaster and this 25th anniversary exhibition. While the Petersen’s exhibition is certainly encyclopedic (the selections here span the entirety of the franchise, with a particular focus on the first three films), it’s not overly academic: Brief labels will let you know the story behind the stunt car you’re staring at, but this is ultimately an opportunity to ogle American muscle cars and custom Japanese imports (as well as the franchise’s melodramatic quotes about family). Highlights on display include the 1993 Toyota Supra “Stunt #3” and 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) in the original film, Dominic Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) 1968 Dodge Charger R/T and 1993 Mazda RX-7, and Suki’s (Devon Aoki) very pink 2001 Honda S2000.

This show aims to give Black queer culture in California—particularly in Los Angeles—the credit it’s due as a part of the decades-long fight for LGBTQ+ rights and recognition. Through historical materials, photographs, film and vintage newspapers, the exhibition recovers a history that’s been largely excluded from the record, introducing visitors to sites, protagonists and allies who played a role in the fight for democracy and free expression. 

This L.A.-centric exhibition looks at the Declaration of Independence’s promise of life, liberty and happiness, and how that promise has been fulfilled—or not—throughout the city’s development. Told via the stories of diverse Angelenos alongside historical and contemporary objects, media and art, the show “invites you to step into a conversation that has been shaping Los Angeles for over two hundred years.” 

Ponyo loves Sosuke! And we love this exhibition at the Academy Museum dedicated to the wholesome Hayao Miyazaki film. Studio Ghibli donated more than 100 objects to the Academy Collection, and you’ll find everything from an animation desk to colorful art boards to dozens of frame-by-frame pencil drawings of the scene when Sosuke first finds Ponyo. Though you may recognize a couple of items from the museum’s debut Hayao Miyazaki retrospective, the vast majority of Ponyo pieces are new—and some have never been displayed in North America before. It’s also a colorful and super kid-friendly exhibition; you can watch clips of the gorgeously hand-drawn movie, re-create the wave-running scene and even make your own stop-motion animation. You’ll find it on the museum’s second floor, inside the first few galleries of the “Stories of Cinema’ space.

Borrowed from Woody Guthrie’s egalitarian folk anthem, the title of this exhibition at the Huntington offers a pretty literal teaser of what you can expect to see: lots of relics tied to land, specifically American land. But that lens provides an insightful and profound perspective on 250 years of ambition, achievement, struggle, exclusion and belonging in the United States.

There are some truly remarkable documents on display here: two annotated early printings of the Declaration of Independence; hand-drawn estate plans from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson; manuscripts and notes from Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes and Octavia E. Butler; and Guthrie’s original lyrics sheet for “This Land is Your Land,” paired with one of his acoustic guitars with a faded proclamation that “this machine kills fascists” scratched into the back.

The theme of land embraces botany, national park brochures and surveys of the Colorado River, but also considers the impacts of America’s territorial takeovers, spotlights artwork made along the Mexican border and tells the story of a Japanese family in Los Angeles forced out of their flower farm and into an internment camp during WWII. The most humbling piece on display just might be the one that first greets you: the cross section of an oak tree that stood on the grounds of the Huntington for 250 years.

The reopened Getty Villa will descend into the underworld with this exhibition, which looks at the ritual spells and religious writings ancient Egyptians employed to garner favor with Re and Osiris in the afterlife. See the Getty’s collection of rare Book of the Dead hieroglyphics-adorned and illustrated manuscripts, dating back to around 1000 BCE, which were last displayed in 2023. The show should dovetail nicely with the museum’s “Sculpted Portraits From Ancient Egypt,” which runs through January 2027.

Step into the story of a lovely lady in Studio City when the iconic Brady Bunch house—recently named a Historic-Cultural Monument by the city—opens its doors to the public for a fan’s fever dream. The home’s interiors have been renovated—thanks to HGTV’s A Very Brady Renovation—and meticulously decorated by the owner for a fully immersive experience. Walk up the carpeted staircase to check out the kids’ memorabilia-filled bedrooms; ogle the groovy green and orange kitchen; step into the wood-paneled study; snoop in Alice’s boudoir and more. The experience offers an interactive journey through TV history, and the intimate self-guided tours are limited to a handful of people at a time. Ticket proceeds benefit local dog rescue nonprofit Wags and Walks. The only caveat? They don’t come cheap—the $189 price tag will likely only attract avid Brady fans (though to be fair, the current price is $100 cheaper than the original ticket price of $290).