Things to do in L.A. this weekend
We pick out the best things to do in L.A. this weekend, including our favorite concerts, culture and cuisine
We don’t know about you, but our mind is always focused on the weekend. It can never come soon enough—which is why we’re already thinking about where to go for brunch. Whether you’re looking to spend the night at a concert or getting away completely, you’ll find plenty of things to do in L.A. this weekend.
We curate an L.A. weekend itinerary of the city’s best concerts, culture and cuisine, every week, just for you.
The 23 best things to do in L.A. this weekend
Outfest Los Angeles
For two weeks each summer, Outfest, the world’s largest gay and lesbian film festival, takes over the gay social calendar in Los Angeles with a slew of parties, screenings and galas.
Friday Night Wine Tastings
Sip selections of boutique wines provided by Silverlake Wine with a spectacular sunset and 360-degree views of the city.
Dance Downtown
The Music Center offers a free, joyous mash-up of music and dancing all summer long, with different themes (90s, line dancing, cumbia, etc.) and free dance lessons plus live bands. Head to Grand Park and join in the fun—no dance experience required.
Smorgasburg LA
Indulge your inner foodie and shopaholic at this weekly food-focused market, now with an Ice Cream Alley throughout the summer.
Lil Trap House
Get a small dose of Atlanta’s Trap Music Museum (founded by T.I.) at this pop-up exhibition. Staged at Delicious Pizza’s Hollywood outpost, the art installation includes pieces in honor of T.I., Nipsey Hussle, YG, Pusha-T, Gucci Mane, Migos, 21 Savage, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj and more.
KCRW Summer Nights
Everyone’s favorite NPR affiliate has a hand in over a half-dozen summer concert slates at locations like One Colorado, the Hammer Museum, Chinatown Central Plaza and KCRW’s new Santa Monica headquarters.
Cinespia Cemetery Screenings
It isn’t summer in L.A. until the first cemetery screening brings hoards of movie-lovers to Hollywood Forever, toting folding chairs, picnic blankets, snack spreads and lots of booze.
Street Food Cinema
The outdoor screening series continues with movies at a pair of parks each Saturday night.
Eat|See|Hear
Bring your own bites or sample snacks from the impressive roster of resident food trucks during the kickoff of this outdoor screening series.
Rooftop Cinema Club
The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned for another season of screenings in Hollywood and Downtown L.A.
Free Shakespeare in Griffith Park
Bard fanatics, flock to Griffith Park and bring along a blanket for free outdoor performances from the Independent Shakespeare Co.
The Second Home Serpentine Pavilion by SelgasCano
A criss-cross of airy rainbow tunnels will make their home at the La Brea Tar Pits this summer. The free pavilion, which will be open for daily visits as well as public events from June 28 to November 24, arrives in L.A. thanks to a collaboration between Second Home, a London-based co-working space with a focus on public programming, and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Christmas in July cocktail pop-up at Here and Now
The Arts District cocktail bar is reprising its winter holiday pop-up and bringing some kitschy yuletide cheer to the summer.
The Raconteurs
More than a decade since their last appearance in L.A., the Jack White-led band returns for some more bluesy, pounding psychedelia.
Ty Segall
For this summer residency, Segall will play through a different fuzzed-out album every Friday night at the Teragram Ballroom.
Summer Nights in the Garden
Spend an evening outside the Natural History Museum with live music, garden-inspired cocktails, hands-on science projects, botanical tours and food trucks.
Robyn
The sassy, lightning-blonde-haired Swede performs cathartically upbeat dance tunes from Honey, her first full-length release in seven years.
A24 Public Access
Lauded indie studio A24 is hosting a series of free “Public Access” screenings around the country, with some of its most celebrated films projected onto billboards. Here in L.A., you’ll be able to watch The Bling Ring projected above a liquor store at the corner of Sepulveda Boulevard and Sepulveda Place.
Ma’am Sir x 189 by Dominique Ansel Filipino Kamayan Feast
It’s time to get your hands dirty in the best way possible: with a Filipino-style kamayan feast from Ma’am Sir’s Charles Olalia and 189’s Dominique Ansel.
Off the 405
Hilltop sunset views and rising bands combine to make this Getty tradition a worthy destination for Angelenos on both sides of the 405. On Saturday, see Lala Lala and a DJ set by Girlpool’s Harmony Tividad.
Once Upon a Time in the LBC
The hip-hop fest draws heavily from the generations of talent that have emerged from Long Beach and Compton, including headliners Snoop Dogg, YG and the Game.
Odesza
If you love electronic music, you might want to catch buzzy Odesza at Los Angeles State Historic Park to cap off their massive A Moment Apart tour.
US Open of Surfing
America’s largest pro surfing competition attracts the world’s elite, who compete for big money while wowing 200,000 beach boys and girls with their skill, grace and innovative board designs. Heating up the festivities are live bands, a sports expo and after-parties with the friendly locals.
More things to do in L.A. this weekend
Things to do on Friday
Kick back, relax and get the weekend started with the best things to do this Friday night.
Things to do on Saturday
Let the brunching commence with our guide to the best things to do this Saturday.
Things to do on Sunday
End the weekend on a high note, whether on the beach or back at the brunch table, with the best things to do this Sunday.
More weekend ideas
The best brunch restaurants in Los Angeles
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, isn’t that reason enough to get serious about weekend brunch?
Best hikes in L.A.
Whether you’re more cityscape gawker or ocean gazer, we’ve got the trek for you.
The best beaches in Los Angeles
From Venice and Santa Monica to Manhattan Beach and Playa Vista, here are the top spots to sunbathe, surf and play.