Each Halloween in Los Angeles, thousands of costumed revelers scatter across the city in search of the perfect Halloween party. But only one has undeniably staked its claim as the place to be on All Hallows’ Eve: the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval. Thick throngs of people—we’re talking half-a-million huge—take to Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood for a costume carnival complete with live music stages and bar specials that go well into the wee hours of Halloween. It’s beyond busy, belligerent and often barely clothed, but the Carnaval is unlike any other Halloween event. Before you start putting together your costume, here’s everything you need to know about the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval.
When is the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval?
The West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval takes place on Halloween night: Friday, October 31, 2025. The official event runs from 6 to 11pm, with plenty of after-parties stretching into early Saturday morning.
Where does it take place?
The West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval takes place along Santa Monica Boulevard from Doheny Drive to La Cienega Boulevard.
Do you need tickets for the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval?
Nope. The West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval is completely free. Drinks at nearby bars, of course, are not—unless you count a friend buying you one as free.
What actually happens during the event?
To be clear, the Carnaval is not a parade and shouldn’t be confused with LA Pride. You can, however, admire the handiwork of thousands of incredible costumes streaming along the closed streets. You’ll also find a stage at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and North San Vicente Boulevard with a live DJ set, musical performances, shows and contests, plus food trucks around the stage.
What about parking and transit?
Parking is available in most of West Hollywood’s public lots and garages, typically for a flat rate of $20 or more. And WeHo’s usual residential permit parking restrictions will be temporarily lifted from 11am on Friday until noon on Saturday, meaning you can technically street park.
But if you don’t want to worry about circling the city for a spot, you can take advantage of a few transit options: The PickUp trolley and Cityline shuttles (both free to ride) will offer a special combined route for Halloween night, running along Santa Monica Boulevard from Kings Road to La Brea Avenue (with a connection much farther east at the Hollywood/Highland Metro station) from 6pm to midnight—making a car-free night possible, all the better for imbibing. The PickUp will continue running after that until 3am, sans the Metro connection.
West Hollywood is also serviced by a whole bunch of Metro bus routes, including the 4, 10, 16, 105, 212, 217 and 218.
What street closures will be in effect?
Oct 31 at 12:01am–Nov 1 at 7am
- N San Vicente Blvd between Santa Monica Blvd and Melrose Ave
- All alleyways between Santa Monica Blvd and Melrose Ave
In addition, West Hollywood Park, including its dog parks, basketball court and parking structure, will be closed during this time span.
Oct 31 at 10am–Nov 1 at 6am
- Santa Monica Blvd between N Croft Ave/Holloway Dr and N Doheny Dr
- La Cienega Blvd between Holloway Dr and Willoughby Ave
- N San Vicente Blvd between Santa Monica Blvd and Cynthia St
- N Robertson Blvd between Santa Monica Blvd and Melrose Ave
- Sunset Blvd eastbound and westbound turn lanes onto southbound La Cienega Blvd
