Things to do in Los Angeles today

Michelob ULTRA—the official beer sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026—is teaming up with the LA Galaxy Foundation for this oceanfront fun zone for soccer fans at the Santa Monica Pier. Kevin Hart will host the invite-only opening-night party, with sets by Ludacris, DJ Pee .Wee and Disco Lines, appearances by soccer legends and a drone show. But for the following two weeks, all are welcome to enter the pop-up pitchside club—you just need to kick a ball past the bouncer/goalie. Once you’re in, watch the day’s matches, test your soccer skills against Lionel Messi in a virtual G.O.A.T. challenge, get a soccer jersey customized and even snap a pic with the Superior Player of the Match Trophy. The event is free and only for guests 21 and up—think of it as a grown-up summer camp with lots and lots of beer.

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totally overhauled California Plaza stage in DTLA, where the shallow water separating the stage from the audience has been replaced by a proper event lawn.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

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.

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. Find the full schedule on their site, or in our outdoor movie calendar.

You might have seen ads on Instagram over the past couple of months for Hospital of Emotions—a colorful, cartoony flyer that heralds a site-specific art pop-up located in a real hospital with the tagline “a place to heal your heART.” The conceit intrigued me off the bat: 70 artists (both local and international) given hospital rooms as a canvas to transform as they wished. Hospital of Emotions ads are also referring to it as “the experience of the year.” We’re only in May so that’s still TBD, but I do think the exhibition—which is inhabiting the former St. Vincent Medical Center in Westlake and is officially open to the public as of May 27—is well worth your time. While the entire experience is hospital-themed—you walk through a waiting room and are given an intake form and hospital wristband, employees are in doctors’ coats—it’s not the cheesy type of immersive exhibition (read: selfie factory) that you might expect. Instead you’ll find 80 rooms filled with thought-provoking, visually dazzling and, yes, eminently photogenic installations. But there’s both style and substance here. And though the tickets are definitely on the pricey side, there’s so much to see—I spent nearly two hours there during my visit—that it (almost) makes up for it. The rooms are organized by theme; you start at the top of the building in the “Resilience Department” and make your way through clusters of rooms inspired by feelings like joy, sadness, anger, grief, fear and hope. The emphasis on...

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.

Keen to see jazz greats past and present? Get ready for mellow harmonies and earthy grooves at the annual Blue Note Jazz Festival this summer (formerly the Playboy and then the Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival). This year’s two-day concert includes performances from Patti LaBelle, Wyclef Jean, Gregory Porter, Samara Joy and more. And remember, it’s at the Hollywood Bowl, so why not share a bottle of wine with some friends and groove along?

It isn’t summer in L.A. until the first cemetery screening brings hoards of movie-lovers to Hollywood Forever Cemetery, toting folding chairs, picnic blankets, snack spreads and lots of booze. Each year, Cinespia brings classic cult favorites to the hallowed resting place of such Hollywood greats as Rudolph Valentino and Bugsy Siegel. The series typically releases its slate one month at a time, with summertime screenings at the cemetery and a few off-site ones on either end (usually at L.A. State Historic Park). For each evening at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 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. For 2026, Cinespia’s 25th(!) season in the cemetery, June includes Fast Times at Ridgemont High (June 6), The Matrix (June 13), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (June 20) and Legally Blonde (June 27); July kicks off with a pair of fireworks-accompanied screenings, Shrek (July 3) and Jurassic Park (July 4), followed by Pulp Fiction (July 11), Rosemary’s Baby (July 18) and Edward Scissorhands (July 25). In addition, Cinespia is teaming up with See’s Candies this year to sell specially branded candy boxes during screenings. The outdoor screenings are an L.A. rite of passage, a quintessential summer experience and one of the best film venues in the city. Just be sure to get your ticket early, arrive early, pee early… it’s a...

World Cup and Pride Month collide at the fourth edition of Santa Monica Block Fest, which will take over three blocks of Third Street Promenade. Cheer on your team at the World Cup viewing hub, or dance the night away with Pride programming from LGBTQ+ artists and live electronic music from DJs Bijou, Surf Mesa, Autograf and more. Turn the corner onto Arizona Avenue to check out a brand-new night market with over 20 local vendors, including foodie favorite Villa’s Tacos. The party will keep going till midnight.

The inimitable artist, musician and activist—and John Lennon’s other half—is the subject of the Broad’s new show, Ono’s first-ever solo museum exhibition in Southern California. Organized in collaboration with the Tate Modern in London, “Music of the Mind” is perhaps the Broad’s most participatory exhibition to date. Many of the works from the artist’s seven-decade long career invite audience engagement, all working toward a common goal of peace and connection. Hammer a nail into the wall (and hold your ears intermittently throughout the rest of your walk-through) in a re-creation of the piece that occasioned Ono and Lennon’s meeting; grab a blue marker and add your mark to a blank room anchored by a wooden boat; and listen to recordings of Ono’s music. You can even crawl into a black bag and strike a pose for Bag Piece (though no one took the plunge during my visit). In conjunction with the show, the museum has transformed 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. Also on display is Acorn Event (1968) and Bed Peace (1969), anti-war works of activism Ono and Lennon worked on together, as well as additional performance art pieces captured on video. The minimalist exhibition is thought-provoking and mind-expanding—though it probably won’t change whatever opinion of Ono, whether positive or negative, you hold before the show.  Tickets for the special exhibition are $21 and...