The best things to do in Los Angeles this week

The storied movie studio and theme park fires off a 4th of July pyro extravaganza with fireworks synchronized to both Universal-themed music and patriotic standards. Expect other holiday touches along the way, including themed décor and a fife and drum band. You’ll be able to view the 9pm fireworks from two locations—usually the Universal Plaza in the upper lot as well as near the Transformers ride on the lower lot (if you were thinking of getting away with watching for free from CityWalk, though, you should expect limited to no visibility from the shopping district).

If you’re on the hunt for a cheap, lively way to celebrate Uncle Sam, shake it over to Gloria Molina Grand Park, and watch Downtown L.A. light up for free—for the fourth year running, the park has swapped out fireworks for more eco-friendly drones. The Fourth of July celebration will also offer food truck fare, interactive art exhibits—including an AR experience inspired by the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—and two stages of live music. At the Backyard Stage, you’ll find local talent including trumpeter Tatiana Tate, L.A. Tropifunk Collective and Kaimera; the Front Yard Stage will be headlined by global sound DJ collective Pangea Sound. The tunes begins while the sun is still high in the sky, so settle in for an all-day picnic—note that no booze is allowed, though—and relax. Best of all, the event is Metro-accessible via the Civic Center/Grand Park station (though $10 parking is also available at the Music Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall). Be sure to stay for the 9pm L.A.-themed drone show from Grizzly Entertainment—a flurry of some 700 illuminated drones above the Music Center—at 9pm. 

Frogtown Arts’ monthly riverfront event fills the neighborhood with food, arts and crafts, games and music. Start at Salazar and stroll past 15 participating spots along the river, including Spoke Bicycle Cafe, Lingua Franca, Just What I Kneaded, Justine’s Wine Bar and Frogtown Brewery—about a 30-minute walk in all. This month’s theme is “Art & Activism—Express Yourself.” Expect gallery exhibitions, music, family-friendly activities, pet adoptions and more. Parking in Frogtown is notoriously hard to come by, so ridesharing is encouraged.

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

While it continues to rebuild in the wake of the Palisades Fire, the coastal community of Pacific Palisades will again come together for its 79th annual Independence Day celebration. And this time around, the Palisades Will Rogers 10K/5K Run and Kids Fun Run are back on their old stomping grounds, with a scenic route with ocean views and switchbacks through Will Rogers State Park. The parade, on the other hand, will travel a new route through the Palisades (4pm). In the evening, Palisades Charter High School will fill up with music, entertainment, kids’ activities and food trucks before a drone show lights up the sky at 9pm. Advance tickets are required for the drone show.

There’s something about watching fireworks over the ocean. Every year in Marina del Rey, fireworks explode over the marina channel and spectators gather all over to watch on the 4th of July: at Burton Chace Park or Fisherman’s Village, as well as from Marina “Mother’s” Beach, waterfront hotels and restaurants, and on boats. Fireworks start at 9pm and last for about 20 minutes. Arrive early to the area’s county parking lots.

The South Bay city shoots off fireworks from the Torrance Civic Center—the best viewing spots are from the LA Galaxy Sports Complex (555 Maple Ave) and the courthouse west parking lot (825 Maple Ave). Over at the Sports Complex, you can expect live music by the Satin Dollz, family-friendly activities and the inaugural stroller and wagon parade. Show up early for a good spot, order from the on-site food trucks and settle in for the pyrotechnics, which typically kick off around 8:45pm. 

Ring in another year of independence in the grand ol’ (Surfin’) USA with the Beach Boys and special guest John Stamos, backed by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. The Bowl proudly hosts its annual Fourth of July party, complete with a dazzling fireworks finale. Bring a bottle of wine and sit through the show, then stick around for the post-concert pyro, held after all three dates: July 2, 3 and 4. Grab your tickets early; seats in the nosebleed section go for less than the price of parking. Or consider springing for front section tickets—it is America’s birthday, after all. 

Watch the epic Long Beach fireworks from aboard the historic Queen Mary ocean liner after a day of live entertainment, family-friendly activities, food, games and dancing, plus a WWII aircraft flyover (5pm). Pick between eight themed parties at the daylong patriotic festival, from the country-themed “Barn in the USA” to a tribute to Old Hollywood in the Grand Salon to Motown Archives in the ship’s hidden No.3 Speakeasy. The night culminates with fireworks over the ocean at 9pm—at 20 minutes long, it’s the longest fireworks display in the Queen Mary’s 90-year history.

Even if you don’t buy a ticket to board the Queen Mary, there are other options for viewing Long Beach’s Fourth of July fireworks display. Three free, synchronized fireworks shows—the grand finale to “Sea to Shining LBC,” a weeklong celebration of America’s 250th birthday—will be launched simultaneously from barges off Granada Beach in Belmont Shore, Junipero Beach in front of the Long Beach Museum of Art and the Queen Mary waterfront. Starting at 9pm, the 20-minute display will be easily viewable from most of the Long Beach waterfront’s attractions, including Lions Lighthouse in Shoreline Aquatic Park, Shoreline Village, the downtown waterfront, Granada Beach, Cherry Beach and Junipero Beach. If you’d rather watch from the water, you can also set sail with City Cruises or Harbor Breeze Cruises, which depart from Rainbow Harbor on the Fourth.

Taking the place of the former Americafest and soccer matches that have historically taken up residence at the Rose Bowl Stadium on the Fourth of July, this family-friendly food festival will once again fill the field with over 250 diverse vendors selling everything from deep-fried giant squid to fried-chicken sandwiches to seafood boils to ube cinnamon rolls over the holiday weekend. If you go on Friday the 4th, you’ll have a front-row seat to the stadium’s drone show, which has taken the place of fireworks.

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

There’s a reason ABBA has birthed a wildly popular stage musical, two movie adaptations and a holographic show: The hits are absolute bangers. “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight),” “Take a Chance on Me”: Those synth-laden bursts of 1970s pop perfection make for most of the fun in Mamma Mia!, the Mediterranean sun–soaked rom-com musical about a young bride-to-be who, unbeknownst to her single mother, invites her three potential fathers to her wedding for a vibes-based paternity test. The production at Downtown L.A.’s Ahmanson Theatre is a largely familiar affair, albeit one with some winningly warm and scene-stealing performances. You’ll undoubtedly leave the theater on a high, thanks to the three-song ensemble-led encore.

The annual Anime Expo takes over the Los Angeles Convention Center for four days of panels, special events and plenty of cosplay. Each year, thousands of fans come to celebrate the quirky art and culture of anime as figureheads and stars of the industry visit to speak and sign autographs. Plus, a massive wing of the convention is set aside specifically for gaming—both electronic and card-based. There are also designated chill zones, karaoke, a beer garden and add-ons including a ticketed J-pop music showcase.

Dodger Stadium hosts fireworks (or drones) on Friday nights throughout the season, but they do it up extra on the Fourth of July. Buy tickets to see the team take on the San Diego Padres on the Fourth, and then stick around for a Budweiser-presented fireworks show you can see from your seat; line up on the field level near the end of the game and you can even watch from the outfield grass. The game starts at 7:10pm; you can expect the fireworks show after the game ends. And pick up an America250 commemorative coin to mark the occasion.

Swing by Redondo Beach’s Fisherman’s Wharf on Thursday and Saturday evenings in the summer for a free series of concerts held on the west end of the pier. You can expect tribute shows on Thursdays (from Weezer to Oasis cover bands) and local contemporary acts on Saturdays.

A corridor of Chinatown, once mainly known for David Chang’s Majordōmo and craft cocktail lounge Apothéke, has received a jolt of new energy thanks to Mumford and Son’s Ben Lovett. Following the opening of Pacific Electric, the Grammy winner also introduced a cocktail bar above the indie music venue: Mitsi, a stylish Art Deco-esque space serving fresh nigiri, sashimi and handrolls, as well as cocktails and natural wines (I recommend the rosé martini). While the dining room is stunning, there’s also a patio that looks out at the music venue’s courtyard and…well, train tracks. But on the Fourth, it should provide a perfect vantage point for fireworks viewing. An all-vinyl DJ set from Tiko Marsala and summer menu specials will add to the celebratory vibes.

Looking for a more lively game-watching environment than your living room couch? Cheer on your favorite team among fellow soccer fans at the Hammer’s special World Cup watch parties. The museum will be hosting screenings for 16 men’s matches on big screens in an indoor-outdoor setting. In between the games, wander through the free exhibitions, including “Several Eternities in a Day: Form in the Age of Living Materials,” or grab something to eat at Lulu in the courtyard.

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. 

Valley dwellers are hard-pressed to find many fireworks options on the 4th, without shelling out for a Universal Studios ticket. But Warner Park in Woodland Hills has the SFV covered with this annual extravaganza, starting with live music (this year’s act is Steely Dan cover band Doctor Wu) and culminating in a 20-minute fireworks display. Local food trucks and arts and crafts are also on hand for the occasion.

The La Lo La Rooftop at DTLA’s Moxy + AC Hotel is marking the Fourth with a rooftop beach BBQ. Dine on mini Chicago Dogs, watermelon gazpacho shooters and tuna tostadas, followed by a buffet with smash burgers, boney BBQ chicken, grilled salmon skewers and corn on the cob, followed by mini apple pies and ice cream pops for dessert. And did we mention the open bar? A DJ will be spinning, and you’ll have a prime spot for fireworks viewing—you can expect to see them popping off in all directions from your perch 34 floors above the city, with views stretching to the Hollywood Hills.

As sunset continues to stick toward the later end of the evening, the Huntington is taking advantage of the extra daylight during this coveted after-hours series. Formerly open just for members, Twilight Garden Strolls is now open to the public, too, and will extend the San Marino garden’s hours until 7:30 or 8pm on select evenings in the summer. The 1919 Cafe will be open until 7:30pm (hot food stations close at 7pm), so you can even have dinner on the patio. New this year are family-friendly drop-in workshops where you can make your own clay pendants (July 5, July 26 and Aug 16). And just a heads-up that you’ll need a timed ticket that’s separate from regular morning or afternoon admission.

Make your Fourth of July an all-day blowout by heading down to this legendary, long-running (122 years!) fest at the Huntington Beach Pier, which is billed as “the largest Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi.” The festivities kick off with the 5K Surf City Run at 8am. Follow the 2.5-mile parade route to the beach, then put on your Uncle Sam hat for the Pier Plaza Festival and carnival, where you’ll find live entertainment, family activities and all-American eats all weekend. Scope out a spot or grab a VIP seat for the fireworks display at 9pm, which ends in an epic finale.

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 week, catch two screenings with fireworks finales: Shrek (July 3) and Jurassic Park (July 4).

Burbank’s hillside amphitheater the Starlight Bowl hasn’t started its summer season yet, but it’s still the launch site for a patriotic drone show, which has taken the place of Burbank’s annual Fourth of July fireworks. You can watch from down the hill at McCambridge Park; show up early to enjoy live music before 400 drones light up the sky at 9pm.

Roller coasters and fireworks—talk about an all-American pairing. Six Flags will shoot off fireworks for three straight nights at its Valencia park. Spend all day enjoying the thrill rides—or the water slides next door at Hurricane Harbor—then look out for the fireworks over the Full Throttle Plaza, DC Universe and Main Gate Plaza around 9:15pm.

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.

Slow down and soak in the magic of the woods during these guided, moonlit forest walks at the Arboretum, inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin yoku, which is said to boost immune strength, reduce stress and improve cognitive function. Each after-hours meditative walk starts just before sunset and wraps up underneath the full moon with herbal tea.

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—including 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. But 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 best things in life really are free—love, happiness and an evening spent watching movies on a giant inflatable screen at the beach. On select dates from June until August, pack up your folding chairs, grab your kids and head to Long Beach for this unique outdoor screening. Thanks to Alfredo’s Beach Club, you can give your babysitter the night off while you and the fam enjoy a host of kid-friendly flicks. Bring your own picnic, or munch on eats from the nearby snack stand. You’ll find the event on Granada Beach.

It’s been more than three decades since the FIFA World Cup has been held in Los Angeles, and though the city won’t host the coveted final this time around (Pasadena’s Rose Bowl had that honor in 1994), L.A. will see eight matches this summer. Held from June 11 to July 19 (though action in L.A. will wrap up earlier than that), the World Cup will be staged across Mexico, Canada and the United States—where L.A. is just one of 11 host cities in the U.S. FIFA’s official schedule will tell you that the matches take place at Los Angeles Stadium, but this is simply the un-branded name for SoFi Stadium.

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

Something wicked this way comes… Expand your mind on breezy summer nights by listening to the words of the Bard for free. The program, founded in 1998, will put on a touring production of Macbeth with the help of talented local actors. “By the Sea” is a bit misleading; though some of the locations are ocean-adjacent, and largely in the South Bay and Long Beach, the troupe takes the plays on tour all across Los Angeles, performing for audiences from to South Pasadena to Encino to Beverly Hills.

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 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.

Culver City’s staircase-dominated plaza screens free, family-friendly flicks on Fridays during the summer. Complimentary popcorn will be provided while supplies last. Each screening starts at sunset.

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

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

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.

The Original Farmers Market is host to a plethora of fun, family-friendly outdoor events, and its Thursday-night concerts during its Summer Music Series are some of its best. Take a load off near the end of the work week and stop by the Market Plaza from 7 to 9pm to hear a genre-spanning mix of live music, from Hawaiian radio to Sinatra–style swing to Texas blues.

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

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.

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 “unique insight into her agency in becoming a Hollywood icon.” In addition to posters, portraits, letters and rarely seen personal items, highlights from the exhibition include two screen-worn costumes from Some Like It Hot and the rarely exhibited famous pink dress Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

There’s something wonderfully defiant about the continued existence of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, where whimsy feels like nothing less than a civic responsibility. Choo Choo Revue, the theater’s first new original production in 40 years, turns audiences into passengers aboard a gloriously handmade train populated by singing mushrooms, dancing luggage and plenty of brand-new puppets. The whole thing sounds faintly unhinged in the best possible way, not to mention the ultimate rebuttal to AI. The show runs now through August 30.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.” 

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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).

The California Science Center is inviting kids to get in the game with a new 17,000-square-foot exhibition about the power of play and the human body in motion. Besides teaching about the science behind sports, it also offers interactive challenges and video coaching from a team of Los Angeles-based mentor athletes including dancer Debbie Allen, the Dodgers’ World Series hero Freddie Freeman, Olympic medalist softball player Rachel Garcia and more. And for the first time ever, the center has commissioned public art—all by local artists—to complement the exhibition, including a Dodgers mural by Gustavo Zermeño Jr. The free exhibition will run at the Science Center through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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.

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.

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 and visually.

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.

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.

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.

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.