Things to do in Los Angeles today

For one summer in 1987, a carnival popped up in Germany with traditional rides adorned with artwork by Salvador Dalí, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, David Hockney, Sonia Delaunay and a couple dozen others. And then… it kind of just vanished, sent off into storage for decades. But now, thanks to a couple of art world partners and Drake, Luna Luna has been revived in L.A., restored and reassembled in a soundstage in Boyle Heights through May 12. Though you can’t climb aboard the rides here, the atmosphere is magical and—for contemporary art fans for sure—worth the relatively steep price of admission. On the other hand, as alluring as that reflective Dalídome is though, we’d say that splurging on a VIP pass (which comes with a couple of other perks) isn’t worth it just to snap a photo inside of it. You can read more here about our experience at Luna Luna.

Geek out with fellow TV nerds at PaleyFest, the annual weeklong festival of exclusive episodes, clips and panel discussions with the cast and creators of the hottest TV shows. Now in its 41st year, the Paley Center for Media-hosted festival is headed back to the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood from April 12 to 21. The 2024 lineup includes Curb Your Enthusiasm, Loki, The Morning Show, Young Sheldon, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and a 25th anniversary celebration of Family Guy. As you’d expect from that lineup of shows, the assortment of celebrities is just as stacked, including Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hiddleston, Iain Armitage, Albert Kim, Seth Meyers, Larry David, Cheryl Hines, Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Mila Kunis and Stephen Colbert.  Tickets go on sale to the general public on February 2 at 9am, with presales for Paley members earlier in the week.

The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned for another season of screenings to LEVEL in Downtown L.A. Known for excellent film choices and a steady supply of snacks and booze, Rooftop Cinema Club is your snazzy, comfortable and less stressful alternative to other outdoor movie screenings. You don’t even need to bring your own camping chair—Rooftop Cinema Club provides you with your very own comfy lawn chair (with optional blankets for purchase to up the coziness). 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. This spring and summer, looking out for a slate of wedding season picks and AAPI Heritage Month selections in May, as well as Pride and Black Music Month screenings in June. Also, select “wooftop” screenings will be dog-friendly starting in May. Find the full schedule on their site, or in our outdoor movie calendar.

This major Ed Ruscha retrospective includes his meticulous photos of L.A. streets and a reconstruction of his Chocolate Room (which, yes, is a room made out sheets upon sheets of chocolate).

Once affectionately known as Localchella, now officially (and boringly) billed as “Goldenvoice Presents April,” this two-week series brings a bunch of Coachella acts to smaller stages considerably closer to home. For 2024, you can catch Blur, Jungle, Hatsune Miku and more at venues like the El Rey, Fonda and Fox Theater Pomona. (You’ll also find shows in the Bay Area and San Diego.)

Nature lovers rejoice! Spend a day at the Natural History Museum’s Butterfly Pavilion, which will open from March 17 through August 25 with up to 30 butterfly and moth species and an assortment of California plants. The seasonal outdoor exhibit allows for adults and children alike to witness nature up close—we’re talking having bufferlies take flight and land on your arms or shoulders. Prime time for these unique butterfly flight experiences are between 10 and 11am each morning.

Did this past year’s Basquiat exhibition in DTLA leave you wanting more? Head to Beverly Hills where Gagosian will be displaying 30 rarely loaned Jean-Michel Basquiat pieces that were created in L.A. during the iconic artist’s time spent at his Venice studio between 1982 and 1984.

It’s nearly release time for Taylor Swift’s next album, The Tortured Poets Department, and Swifties are busy parsing together clues all over the Internet in order to find out, uh, something. The latest Easter egg hunt ahead of the album’s release: an IRL installation at the Grove. From April 16 through 18, Spotify is teaming up with Taylor to mount a poetry library at the open-air shopping mall, with shelves filled with “books and visual surprises” that hint at the direction of the new album. The installation will be updated each day leading up to the release on April 19. Note that entry to the area is on a first-come, first-served basis. Paging all Tortured Poets:Join us at The Grove in L.A. starting tomorrow to celebrate Taylor Swift's newest era, arriving 4/19. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/46MJb3O3bk— Spotify (@Spotify) April 15, 2024

This must-visit for classic film buffs showcases four days of beloved movies—from the iconic to forgotten gems—courtesy of Turner Classic Movies. See these time-honored favorites on the big screen at a handful of Hollywood theaters, the way they were meant to be seen. This year’s lineup includes An American in Paris, Chinatown, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Double Indemnity, Footloose, Jailhouse Rock, Lawrence of Arabia, Pulp Fiction, Se7en, Spaceballs and more.

What does living in L.A. look like? It’s a wildly different picture depending on each Angeleno’s point of view, and so to celebrate that diversity of perspectives, Hollywood gallery Jeffrey Deitch will display pieces from a dozen local artists that delve into underground economies, landscapes, surveillance, backyard hangouts and public transit, among other topics.