Things to do in L.A. this weekend: June 5–7

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totally overhauled California Plaza stage in DTLA, where the shallow water separating the stage from the audience has been replaced by a proper event lawn.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.

Art, dance, poetry, fashion and engineering merge at the American Indian Arts Festival, a weekend-long event at the Autry that’s now in its 35th year. The fest brings together dozens of Native American artists and tribes for the annual showcase, where you can buy one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, pottery, sculpture, basketry and beadwork. Highlights of the weekend include spoken-word poetry in the museum galleries, contemporary hoop and powwow performances, a meet-and-greet with an Indigenous Star Wars droid and a block-printing lab. While you’re there, be sure to check out the excellent exhibition “Future Imaginaries: Indigenous Art, Fashion, Technology” before it closes June 21.

The annual Mariachi USA once again returns to the Hollywood Bowl for a nearly five-hour extravaganza of mariachi master groups from Mexico, L.A. and around the world. The bands will be complemented by a company of kaleidoscopically dressed dancers and a finale of fireworks. Bring your Malagueña-loving compadres and a picnic; the doors open at 4:30pm (and there’s a pre-party in the Bowl’s plaza that starts at noon), giving you every reason to make this an all-day event. Just make sure to nab your tickets quick—they’re selling faster than a plate of homemade tamales.

The L.A. Conservancy offers a delightful summer time machine in the form of classic films, screened inside Downtown’s grand old movie palaces throughout the month of June. This year’s film lineup includes The Rink and Modern Times plus Rebel Without a Cause at the Orpheum on June 6; Mary Poppins (the sing-along version) and L.A. Confidential at the Los Angeles Theatre on June 13; and 9 to 5 and North by Northwest at the Million Dollar Theater on June 20. Most screenings include a special introduction and a post-film Q&A, and there are also ticket bundles that add in a proper theater tour.

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.

This week marks Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday. Did you know the starlet was a regular at the Formosa Cafe? Back in Hollywood’s golden age, she’d sit at the bar, drinking Piper-Heidsieck champagne cocktails. Now the champers brand and Chinese restaurant are teaming up for a weeklong celebration of their famous onetime customer with five nights of programming. On Monday night, there will be a tribute concert (8pm); on Tuesday, a short film screening on the rooftop and Marilyn trivia (8pm); on Wednesday, “old Hollywood close-up magic and Marilyn-inspired mentalism” (8pm); a free rooftop screening of The Seven Year Itch on Friday (8pm); and, finally, a costume contest on Sunday (9pm). Sidle up to the bar and order house-made potato chips and dip (a nod to Seven Year Itch) and wave to the life-size Marilyn mannequin sitting at her favorite booth.

Dodger blue joins the colors of the rainbow at the stadium’s annual Pride Night, a partnership with LA Pride. Expect a pregame party in the right field pavilion, an exclusive jersey (included with ticket purchase) and a celebrity opening pitch to kick off the game against fellow Angelenos the Angels. Cue the kiss cam.

’Tis the season for a bunch of fun TV-themed events designed to woo Emmy voters. And we get to enjoy the spoils. Case in point: this pop-up immersive museum that lets you step into the world of Prime Video’s The Boys. Revisit moments from all five seasons of the satirical superhero series—which just wrapped in May—at the Hollywood Legion Post 43 Theater. See original Supes costumes and setpieces, discover Easter eggs and artifacts, and shop exclusive merch amid fellow fans.

LA Pride may have moved out of West Hollywood, but that hasn’t stopped the city from holding its own colorful Pride celebration. While WeHo Pride technically kicks off each year on May 22, Harvey Milk Day, the bulk of events will take place June 5 through 7 in and around West Hollywood Park.

WeHo Pride features an all-weekend music fest dubbed OUTLOUD that will feature performances from the Pussycat Dolls, JADE, Ava Max, Ashlee Simpson, Confidence Man, Blue Man Group and more. That follows a free night of music on Friday, where Ava Max, Jess Glynne, Maude Latour, Cakes da Killa and Darumas will perform, in addition to a Drag King Showcase. Registration is still required for entry and gets booked up right away, but you can join the waitlist here.

The weekend’s musical lineup coincides with the free WeHo Pride Street Fair along Santa Monica Boulevard, between Hancock and La Peer, on Saturday and Sunday (noon–10pm). There, you catch (free!) live performances by Meg Stalter (of Too Much and Hacks fame), as well as Willa Ford, Cailin Russo, Say Now and Elio, on a pair of stages. In addition, you’ll find the Women’s Freedom Festival (noon) and Dyke March (6pm) on Saturday, June 6.

Then, on Sunday, June 7, WeHo Pride will hold a parade that starts at Santa Monica Boulevard and Crescent Heights Boulevard at noon and heads west on Santa Monica to San Vicente Boulevard. 

This weekend-long concert will once again return to West Hollywood Park as part of WeHo Pride; the reunited Pussycat Dolls, Jade and Ava Max top the 2026 edition, with additional sets from Ashlee Sumpson, Confidence Man, Flo, Blue Man Group and a DJ set from Melanie C. If the ticket prices have you down, don’t worry: Friday night’s programming is usually free with an RSVP.

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 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. 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.

For more than 50 years, this venue has drawn theater aficionados to its storied, open-air stage for engaging productions in a magical setting. The 299-seat amphitheater in Topanga Canyon hosts audiences of all ages for plays from a wide range of genres, from Shakespearean classics to folk tales. This season, catch William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as a stage version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Noël Coward’s Waiting in the Wings and The People of Pompeii, a new dark comedy Bernardo Cubría wrote in the aftermath of the 2025 wildfires.

After 17 years helming the Los Angeles Philharmonic and raising the orchestra’s star power around the globe, Gustavo Dudamel is saying goodbye to the City of Angels (though in this case, it’s more of a see you later). While you can still catch him conducting at a handful of Hollywood Bowl shows this summer, this trio of performances mark his final ones at Walt Disney Concert Hall as LA Phil music and artistic director. He’ll be joined by members of Youth Orchestra Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Master Chorale for a poetic program that honors both his Venezuelan and American identities.

The Grove’s annual Pride Bingo night is already sold out, but Ovation Hollywood is hosting its own edition, turning its courtyard into a shimmering disco wonderland. A ticket gets you 10 games of Bingo—hosted by Legendary Bingo’s Bingo Boy—and two drinks. Winners can score prizes from Ovation tenants and local partners. And DJ Litch Please will be spinning disco hits all night.

Listen to classical and jazz in a dome more than a mile above L.A. during this mountaintop concert series curated by artistic director Cécilia Tsan. The Mount Wilson Observatory is once again hosting monthly concerts this summer inside the dome of its 100-inch Hooker telescope—which was the largest telescope in the world for much of the first half of the 20th century. Tickets cost $65 (that also includes access to the exhibit at the observatory), and it’s highly recommended that you buy them in advance since seating is limited. Note: You’ll need to be able to climb 53 steps to reach the dome, and children under 12 aren’t permitted. 

E3 may be dead, but you can still get a taste of those over-the-top video game keynote vibes when Summer Game Fest unveils trailers from dozens of major publishers at the Dolby Theatre. (If you can’t make it in person, the showcase is streamed online too.)

See a free salsa concert on one Friday each month during this summer series at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. This year’s lineup includes El Presidente de la Salsa, La Verdad, Rush Hour Orquesta and Conjunto Oye—all featuring Super DJ Robby. Each night kicks off with a free salsa dance class at 6pm, courtesy of Dancing 101 with Roberto. Bring chairs, blankets and your dancing shoes.

Affectionately dubbed LITLIT, this free fair hosted by the Los Angeles Review of Books is a celebration of indie booksellers, presses and literary arts organizations along the West Coast. Head over to SCI-Arc in the Arts District to peruse tomes and chat with local publishers. The lineup of over 50 vendors includes A Good Used Book, Heavy Manners Library and Angel City Press at Los Angeles Public Library. The weekend is also chock-full of expert-led panels, covering topics like West Coast publishing and archiving Los Angeles. Oh, and did we mention it’s all free?

Nothing says summer quite like biting into a juicy watermelon on a hot day, and there’s no better place to do just that than at the 65th annual California Watermelon Festival in the San Fernando Valley. Guests can enjoy an unlimited amount of ice-cold watermelon, plus both sweet and savory watermelon dishes—deep-fried watermelon, anyone?—available for purchase at the Hansen Dam Soccer Fields. There will also be plenty of attractions to enjoy, like carnival rides, a petting zoo, car show, live watermelon carving, live music and more. The festival pays tribute to the time when the Valley was abundant with watermelons, so gather everyone together and tip your hat to summer’s best fruit.

If you really want to immerse yourself in local theater, you can’t miss the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Since 2010, this fest has specialized in productions from emerging writers and performers, and it now boasts hundreds of different shows—most are around $15 a ticket or less, and some cost absolutely nothing. Expect one-person shows, new musicals, comedies and edgy dramas to descend on Hollywood once again from June 4 through 28 (technically the start date is June 11, but many shows are starting their runs earlier). See the full list of shows here.

Catch free outdoor movies at the Dockweiler Youth Center. Bring a low-back chair to claim a first-come, first-served space. Tickets aren’t required, but RSVPs are appreciated to stay up to date on any changes.

Comedian and horror buff Jon Schnitzer has created immersive horror experiences for none other than Tim Burton and Barack Obama, and now he’s bringing his signature show, Something Spooky, to the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Expect an evening of both laughs and screams, as the host regales the audience with a scary story from his family history at the Broadwater studio. Advance tickets are sold out, but there’ll be a standby line and some available at the door. 

Each year, Cinespia brings classic cult favorites to Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the hallowed resting place of such Hollywood greats as Rudolph Valentino and Bugsy Siegel. These outdoor screenings are an L.A. rite of passage, a quintessential summer experience and one of the best film venues in the city. 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. This weekend, catch a screening of Fast Times at Ridgemont High (June 6).

Watch a slate of classics from the past couple of decades on one of the prettiest rooftops in Hollywood at this outdoor screenings series. All movies are piped in over sets of provided wireless headphones. Before showtime, make sure to hit up the bar or the on-site kitchen, Oasis, which will be serving up wagyu burgers and classic film concessions.

Check nearly 80 American classic cars, from hot rods to trucks, at this annual auto show at the Original Farmers Market. This year’s event celebrates the centennial of Route 66 with a tribute to cars of the 1960s, but anyone who drives a car older from before the year 2000 is welcome to register their ride. Otherwise, you can just browse the stalls and cars all afternoon for free.

Bergamot Station’s inclusive comedy club, the Crow, hosts a handful of family-friendly Pride shows filled with music, stand-up and storytelling. First up is “Storyectomy Family Pride” on June 3, where LGBTQ+ community members and allies will get their personal and comedic stories out with the help of pro comedians. Next up is “Fierce Fables” at the Santa Monica Pier—a free event with drag queen and king storytelling, face painting, dancing, poetry and family-friendly vendors. Finally on June 20 back at the Crow is “Pull My Finger,” a silly and high-energy show for the whole family. 

Award-winning dancer and choreographer Debbie Allen’s Dance Academy is hosting its annual community block party, a day full of free carnival rides and games, arts and crafts, free dance classes, performances, a marketplace from diverse business owners and a breakdance competition. It’ll all go down in and around the dancing school, near West Adams (1850 S Manhattan Pl).

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.

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—highlights from the exhibition include screen-worn costumes 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 exhibit, you can watch a compilation of the star’s onscreen work in CinemaScope—including the iconic subway grate scene.

The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing, Rooftop Cinema Club is your snazzy, comfortable and less stressful alternative to other outdoor movie screenings. The series is known for its excellent film choices, comfy lawn chairs and a steady supply of snacks and booze. 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. Enjoy a steady stream of modern classics (Interstellar, Pride & Prejudice) local favorites (La La Land, Friday) and recent releases (Sinners, The Housemaid), as well as the odd TV marathon, screened atop LEVEL DTLA. 

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.

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. We’re betting it’ll be even more popular than usual this year, with the new David Geffen Galleries in the background.

The inimitable artist, musician and activist—and John Lennon’s other half—is the subject of the Broad’s highly anticipated upcoming show, Ono’s first-ever solo museum exhibition in Southern California. Organized in collaboration with the Tate Modern in London, “Music of the Mind” will allow visitors to directly interact with works from the artist’s seven-decade long career. In conjunction with the show, the museum will transform the olive trees on the outdoor East West Bank Plaza into Wish Trees for Los Angeles, where visitors can tie their own wishes on the branches. Many of the works invite audience engagement, in fact, all working toward a common goal of peace and connection. Also on display will be Acorn Event (1968) and Bed Peace (1969) anti-war works of activism Ono and Lennon worked on together. Tickets for the special exhibition are available at thebroad.org.

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 actually helped shape American identity. On display, you’ll find original artwork and artifacts relating to beloved comic book characters, from Superman and Black Panther to Little Lulu and Archie.

Sports exhibitions often struggle to justify themselves beyond “athletes are visually dynamic (and hot),” but “Champions!” at the Torrance Art Museum takes a more interesting route. This sprawling contemporary art survey treats sports as a way in to discussing nationalism, celebrity, masculinity, race and collective identity. The artist roster (including Christine Sun Kim, Hank Willis Thomas and Gary Simmons) is impressive, and the work ranges from photography to video installations. Even viewers who couldn’t care less about actual athletics may find themselves unexpectedly engaged by the show’s larger questions about spectacle and belonging.

L.A. native and artist Gary Baseman is bringing his unmistakable style to “Off the Menu,” his first solo exhibition in the city in over a dozen years. The show is a love letter to L.A. dining, featuring 40 of the artist’s “action” drawings that he’s doodled on menus while dining at local restaurants, from Musso and Frank to Canter’s. And it couldn’t be held in a more fitting place: the iconic Johnie’s Coffee Shop, right across from the Academy Museum. The classic diner hasn’t been open to the public in over 25 years, so don’t miss your chance to step inside.

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.” 

The Los Angeles company literally balances athleticism and architecture in creative director Jacques Heim’s choreography, as his dancers climb, dangle, soar and perch on custom-made structures while they explore movement, space and time. Diavolo was founded in 1992, made the top 10 of America’s Got Talent in 2017 and now is presenting its latest show, Escape, in the troupe’s intimate black box performance space, so you can see the gravity-defying action up close. For the best sightlines, spring for VIP tickets, which will also get you a complimentary drink and priority access to ride one of the structures featured in the show yourself.

Walk through a pavilion of fluttering tropical butterflies you can’t normally glimpse in Southern California, and peep a chamber with pupae and caterpillars at South Coast Botanic Garden’s seasonal exhibition. For an extra $6, you can pick up a nectar “lollipop” to attract and feed the butterflies yourself. Carve out some time to explore the beautiful gardens afterward.

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. 

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 $290 price tag will likely only attract die-hard BB fans, though a run of dates last November did sell out.

You may have come across Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s massive troll sculptures—which he makes from reclaimed wood and hides in nature to encourage people to get out and enjoy the outdoors—on Instagram. But you don’t need to book a trip to Denmark to see the gentle giants. The 87 acres of Palos Verdes’s South Coast Botanic Garden are currently home to 12 of the whimsical figures, and you can glimpse them all with your general admission ticket. For $33, you can take a guided walking tour of the Twelvelings (with general admission included). To see the trolls in a different light, one night a month, the gardens will host the Canopy Club—an after-hours dance party in the woods with pop-up performances, food and drinks ($34–$50).

Nature lovers, rejoice! The Natural History Museum is bringing back its annual Butterfly Pavilion, which will be open March 22 through August 23 and house up to 30 butterfly and moth species, as well as an assortment of California plants. The seasonal outdoor exhibit allows for adults and children alike to witness nature up close—we’re talking walking amid hundreds of butterflies and having them land on your arms or shoulders. You’ll need to purchase a $10 add-on ticket on top of your museum ticket in order to explore the pavilion for a half-hour.

It’s a very Fast & Furious kind of year in L.A. between Universal Studio’s roller coaster and this 25th anniversary exhibition of the movie franchise. The Petersen Automotive Museum is showcasing movie vehicles, stunt cars and production prototypes in its second-floor galleries, including 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, Suki’s (Devon Aoki) 2001 Honda S2000 and more.

Travel back to the LBC circa 1996 inside the Grammy Museum’s new celebration of Sublime. Three decades after the release of the legendary Long Beach ska-punk-reggae trio’s self-titled breakthrough—as well as the passing of singer and guitarist Bradley Nowell—the museum has assembled this nostalgic showcase of flyers, instruments and black-and-white performance photos. Highlights include handwritten lyrics to “Wrong Way,” archival live footage and Nowell’s sticker-covered acoustic guitar.

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 rare 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.

When Mexican director Alejandro G. Iñárritu made his debut feature, Amores Perros, over a million feet of film didn’t make it to the final cut (to put that into perspective, the finished two-and-a-half-hour movie used around 18,000 feet of film). Twenty five years later, some of these unearthed reels of celluloid now zip through a ground-floor gallery at LACMA as part of a multi-channel film installation. As much a piece of sculpture as it is film or video art, Sueño Perro assembles six 35mm projectors that pierce the hazy near-dark space with raw, nonlinear snippets of the movie, fed from a mesmerizing curtain of film stock speeding along sprockets. It’s an intense experience, both sonically (during the car crash that connects the feature’s storylines) and visually (dog fighting plays a pivotal role in the film, though you’ll see here some of the behind-the-scenes tricks that kept the production cruelty-free).

Step back into the era of grunge, supermodels and the dawn of the internet at this free exhibition at the ASU FIDM Museum in DTLA. This retrospective explores the decade’s spirit of rebellion and experimentation, featuring high-fashion couture from icons like Vivienne Westwood and Gianni Versace alongside the flannel shirts, slip dresses and bold prints that defined everyday style. Through a curated mix of garments, vintage magazines and video footage, visitors can trace how 1990s innovation continues to shape contemporary trends.

The multisensory nature of art is explored in this exhibition, which looks at the intertwined relationship between contemporary art and living materials through large-scale installations, painting, mixed-media sculpture, video and sound. Over 20 artists from North, Central and South America have employed mediums like stones, avocado, cacao, achiote, cochineal and clay in their works, inviting visitors to engage their senses of touch, smell and hearing when interacting with the art. 

First up on the Academy Museum’s 2026 calendar is a deep dive into Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo. One of Hayao Miyazaki’s most beloved films, Ponyo was notable for its focus on hand-drawn animation, with not only the characters but the backgrounds drawn frame-by-frame rather than using animation cels or CGI. Last year, Studio Ghibli donated original production materials to the Academy Collection, so this show will highlight those items, including art boards, posters, a Studio Ghibli animation desk and original drawings—some of which will be displayed in North America for the very first time—pairing them with immersive and interactive elements like an animation table and a play environment for kids.

Whether or not you follow soccer, you probably know by now that Los Angeles is hosting eight matches of the World Cup in summer 2026. In celebration of its arrival, this LACMA show will display Lyndon J. Barrois Sr.’s ode to the world’s most beloved sport. The artist’s miniature “sportraits” re-create classic moments in both women’s and men’s soccer using materials like gum wrappers, glue and paint—even if you’re not a sports fan, the playful sculptures and stop-motion animations will win you over.

The Pacific Asia Museum’s galleries have been closed for months in preparation for this immersive new exhibition, which is taking over the entire museum and marks a new, artist-centered shift to its programming. The ambitious show will use the visual language of mythology to take visitors on an immersive journey through the immigrant experience, combining objects from USC PAM’s 5,000-year-spanning historical collection with new media technology and works by over 20 contemporary artists, led by L.A.-based Korean American muralist Dave Young Kim. Highlights include a wrap-around video installation in a reconstructed airplane cabin and an AI feature that puts visitors in the shoes of an immigrant. Along the way, mythical creatures—dragons, cranes, guardian spirits and shapeshifters—nod to intergenerational legacies.

A display of over 30 mummified people and animals is back at the California Science Center. This time around, you can see a selection of specimens never before shown in Los Angeles. Mummies are, of course, most often associated with ancient Egypt, and while Egypt is represented here, you’ll also see mummified remains that were discovered in Germany, Hungary, Peru—even the University of Maryland. Memorable artifacts include two “bundle” mummies making their West Coast debut, amulets and organ jars, an ancient Egyptian cat mummy and a shrunken sloth head. The museum’s IMAX theater will be screening the complementary Mummies 3D: Secrets of the Pharaohs.

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.

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.

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, with surreal spacescapes from Wendy Red Star, pop culture commentaries by Andy Everson and a site-specific space odyssey created by Virgil Ortiz.

In liminal space, no one can hear you scream.