We pick out the best things to do in L.A. this weekend, including our favorite concerts, culture and cuisine
Edited by Michael Juliano
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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 whatnew restaurantswe want to try or where we can drive for the day. Whether you’re looking to scope out the latestmuseumexhibitions or watch a movie outdoors,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.
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The best things to do in L.A. this weekend
- Things to do
One of the biggest pride events in the country, L.A. Prideattractsthousands to a what had typically been a two-day fest and parade in West Hollywood—but is now located a bit to the east. The parade portion will step off in Hollywood while the music fest heads to the edge of Chinatown for L.A. Pride in the Park. The atmosphere is good-natured and raucous; local color is provided by divas, drag queens and DJs.
RECOMMENDED:Full guide toLA Pride
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- Things to do
- Film events
Van Nuys
June 9 has been dubbed Bill & Ted Day for the past decade-plus (it’s tied to a “69, dudes!” quote from the first film), and to celebrate this year, the Valley Relics Music will host a screening ofBill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. The event includes the original prop phone booth from the movie as well as somemost excellent special guests: production designer David L. Snyder and storyboard artist Robbie Consing.
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- Music
- Music festivals
Chinatown
Ricky Martin headlines this year’s Christopher Street West-produced concert, which will once again set up atL.A. State Historic Parkon June 8. The rest of the lineup includes MUNA, Tokischa, JoJo Siwa and the cast of We’re Here, includingSasha Velour, Latrice Royale, Jaida Essence Hall and Priyanka.
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- Things to do
Santa Monica
The Infatuation’s annual food fest, named after its popular #EEEEEATS hashtag and now presented by Chase Sapphire, will return thisJune to Santa Monica’s Barkar Hangar. Attend talks withChrissy Teigen, Sofia Vergara, Keith Lee nd David Changand enjoy comedy from Nicole Byer, plus live musical performances throughout the weekend. Participating vendors includeLoreto, Bar Chelou, Amiga Amore and visiting spots like New York’s Lucali and Austin’s KG BBQ, among many others.Note that food is not included with the price of entry.
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- Movies
- Animation
Santa Monica
Every Sundayduring the summer at sunset,both hotel guests and vistors attheFairmont Miramarcan slip into something waterproof and enjoy a family-friendly flick around the Santa Monica hotel’s luxurious pool.You’ll find a mix of nostalgic favorites and more recent releases on the Hulu-curated schedule.Eats and libations will be available for purchase fromthe FIG Restaurant menu menu, and though seatingisfree for hotel guests, visitors will have to secure a $45 reservation (that price includes popcorn and a themed three-course meal).
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- Theater
- Musicals
Downtown
Musical-theater auteur Michael R. Jackson turns himself inside out in this thrilling show. Check out our five-star review from its New York run.
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- Things to do
- Festivals
Griffith Park
Art,fashion, film and theatermerge at the American Indian Arts Festival, a weekend-long event that is the largest of its kind in Southern California. The festival brings togetherdozens of Native American artistsand tribes for the annual showcase. Highlights of the weekendinclude food, pow-wow dancing and one-of-a-kind pieces sold directly by the artists themselves.
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- Music
Hollywood
The annualMariachi USA once again returns to the Hollywood Bowl for a nearly five-hourextravaganza of mariachi master groups from Mexico, L.A. and around the world. The bands will becomplemented by a company ofkaleidoscopically-dressed dancers and a finale of fireworks. Bring your Malagueña-loving compadres and a picnic;the doors open at 4pm (and there’s a pre-party in the Bowl’s plaza that starts at noon), giving you every reason to make this an all-evening event. Just make sure to nab your tickets quick—they’re selling faster than a plate of homemade tamales.
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- Music
- Pop
Inglewood
After a stop last year at the Hollywood Bowl, Janet Jackson returns to town with a pair of arena dates—and arelentless stream of late-’80s hits—with support from Nelly.
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- Things to do
The beloved Bob Baker Marionette Theateris staging free puppet performances at a handful of parks this summer, with kid-friendly crafts, as well.
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- Dance
Santa Monica
Santa Monica performance space and gallery Highways celebrates its 35th birthday with a pair of shows that featureThe Lost Art of Dreaming, the newest dance work from renowned transgender choreographerSean Dorsey, as well as the presentation ofHighways’ First Annual BEHOLD! Award to the L.A. Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the drag-practicing protest and performance group.
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- Music
- Dance and electronic
USC/Exposition Park
If you love electronic music, you might want to catch buzzy Odesza at BMO Stadium, with support from Bob Moses, Ben Böhmer, DRAMA and Golden Features.
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- Shopping
Pasadena
Perhaps the Los Angeles area’s most iconic flea market, this event around the exterior of the Rose Bowl is staggeringly colossal—but what else would you expect from a 90,000-seat stadium? The sheer size and scale of this flea market means that it encompasses multitudes: new and old, hand-crafted and salvaged, the cheap and the costly.
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- Music
- Punk and metal
This fest isfilled with punk legends you’realmost sure to find in Gen X’ers T-shirt drawers. The Original Misfits, Social Distortion, Iggy Pop, Turnstile, Bad Religion and Sublime top the lineup for the June 8 show at Fairplax in Pomona, with additional sets from the Dillinger Escape Plan, Power Trip, the Damned, Joyce Manor, Suicidal Tendencies, the Vandals, Black Flag, the Jesus Lizard, L7, the Dead Milkmen and more.
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- Bars
Los Feliz
Now one of L.A.’s most treasured summer traditions, Barnsdall Park’s wine tastings are back after a five-year hiatus. Perched atop Olive Hill on the west lawn of the historic Hollyhock House (which you can tour during the evening for an additional $25), the Barnsdall Friday fund raisers include fine selections of boutique wines provided by Silverlake Wine with a spectacular sunset and 360-degree views of the city.
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- Movies
- Drama
Downtown Historic Core
The L.A. Conservancy offers a delightful summer time machine in the form of classic films, screened inside Downtown’s grand old movie palaces throughout the month of June. This year’s lineupincludesBullittandGaslight at the Los Angeles Theatre on June 8, andFrom Russia with Love andMi Vida Loca at the Palace Theatre on June 15.
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- Music
Downtown
This epic (and free) outdoor concert seriesfeatures live performances by artists from around the world at thetotally overhauledCalifornia Plazastage 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 ofbands, DJ sets and dance parties.
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- Music
San Pedro
Everyone’s favorite NPR member station has a hand in aslew of summer concert slates atpublic plazas and beloved museums, and this summer’s schedule is particularly packed. Familiar KCRW DJs and local buzz bands will be providing free, open-air tunes on select nights through September at Union Station,CAAM,Descanso Gardens, Bowers Museum, Century Park, the Autry, KCRW’s Santa Monica headquartersand—our favorite—the party-till-midnight bashes at Chinatown Central Plaza.
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- Music
- Classical and opera
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- Music
- Jazz
Miracle Mile
One of L.A.’s best free live music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its three-decade run at the museum. Seating for the program is available in the museum’s plaza on a first-come, first-served basis, though you’re welcome to picnic on the grass, too (you won’t really be able to see the show, but you’ll still hear it). You’ll find the series on Friday evenings in LACMA’s welcome plaza (just behind Urban Light)throughout the summer.
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- Things to do
USC/Exposition Park
Nature lovers rejoice! Spend a day at the Natural History Museum’s Butterfly Pavilion, which will openfrom March 17 throughAugust 25 withup 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.
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- Things to do
Rancho Palos Verdes/Rolling Hills Estates
Walk through a pavilion of fluttering butterflies and peep a chamber with pupae and caterpillars at South Coast Botanic Garden’sseasonal exhibition.For an extra $6, you can pick up a flower vial or ring filled with nectar to attract and feed butterflies.
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- Things to do
West Hollywood
Melrose Rooftop Theatre is taking off until the fall, but in the meantime the event deck on theE.P. & L.P. rooftop is hosting this open-air roller rink. The rooftop rink is all-ages through 2pm, after that it switches to a 21+ affair. Tickets are available in one-hour time slots and include skate rentals and a churro—though that’ll all cost you a relatively steep $30 to $35.
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- Movies
Hollywood
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. Each year, Cinespia brings classic cult favorites to the hallowed resting place of such Hollywood greats as Rudolph Valentino and Bugsy Siegel.
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- Movies
Downtown
The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned for another season of screenings in Downtown L.A., with nearly-nightly showings this spring.
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- Movies
Sherman Oaks
Take a seat atop Westfield Fashion Square’s parking garage for this afresco film series. Each Friday and Saturday in the summer, you can catch a different popcorn flick, includingTop Gun,La La Land,The Sandlot,Clueless and more.
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- Things to do
- Performances
Topanga
For more than 50 years, this venue has drawn theatre 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, like Shakespearean classics and folktales. This season, catch highlights such as William Shakespeare’s The Winter's Tale andA Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well asWendy’s Peter Pan,Tartuffe: Born Again andThe Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote.
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- Things to do
- Markets and fairs
Downtown Arts District
Every Sunday you can find dozens of food vendors at this market at ROW DTLA, with a mix of much-loved pop-ups and future foodie stars. Look out for this year’s new vendors, includingBasket Taco Co, Battambong Barbecue and Taste of the Pacific.
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- Things to do
- Exhibitions
Westside
Let the wild rumpus start at this celebration of beloved children’s author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. The Skirball Cultural Center will be displaying more than 150 sketches, storyboards and paintings from theWhere the Wild Things Are creator.
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- Art
Downtown
Best known for her rhinestone-studded paintings of Black women, collages of old Jet Magazine spreads and revisions of historic paintings, Thomas’s large-scale works (80 of them from the past two decades)are on display at theBroadin this transportive exhibition.
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- Art
- Painting
Miracle Mile
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).
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- Art
East Hollywood
David Zwirner has onlyhad an L.A. gallery for about a year—plus a new flagship that opens with this show—but the gallerist’s history stretches back three decades elsewhere around the globe. To celebrate, you’ll find works by all of the gallery’s artists across its three L.A. buildings, includingNjideka Akunyili Crosby, Josef Alberts, Diane Arbus, Ruth Asawa, R. Crumb, Dan Flavin, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Donald Judd, Toba Khedoori, Paul Klee, Barbara Kruger, Yayoi Kusama, Gerhard Richter, Richard Serra and more.
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- Things to do
- Exhibitions
Miracle Mile
It’s more than just the low clearance: This exhibition at the Petersen explores the custom paint, engraving, upholstery and, of course, thegravity-defying suspension of the lowrider scene. In addition to iconic cars, the exhibit spotlights influentialartists inthe Chicano lowrider art scene.
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- Art
- Film and video
Miracle Mile
See how theHairspray andPink Flamingos writer and director’s delightfully filthy style has redefined the possibilities of independent cinema—as well as what exactly goes into making an indie movie—during this career-spanning exhibition at the Academy Museum.
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- Art
Miracle Mile
Judy Baca’shalf-mile–long TheGreat Wall of Los Angeles, a collaborative mural painted in the ’70s along the Tujunga Wash, has received all sorts of museum love in the past few years. But LACMAhas a particularly unique show to boast about: The local Chicana muralist and SPARC artists will paint two new sections ofThe Great Wall during museum hours. The exhibit also debuts a new section of the wall, in honor of activists known as the Freedom Riders, dubbedGeneration on Fire.
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- Art
- Drawing
Downtown Historic Core
Former HiFi space Gabba Gallery ushers in its new DTLA home with this retrospective of counterculture illustrator EMEK, famous for his posters for the likes ofFoo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails and Neil Young,as well as the annual Coachella poster.
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- Art
- Contemporary art
Glendale
See works from seven contemporary artists (Eliseo Art Silva, Allison Hueman, Anthony Francisco, Maryrose Cobarrubias Mendoza, Christine Morla, Maria Villote and Junn Roca) who address issues related to Filipino culture and the Filipino-American experience during this exhibition at the Forest Lawn Museum.
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- Art
- Installation
Hollywood
Hollywood’s Japan House has tapped artistSebastian Masuda to dive into the roots of all things cute and colorful with this exhibition on Japanese kawaii culture. The free show includes multiple pieces and installations from Masuda.
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- Things to do
- Exhibitions
Miracle Mile
See 1930s-to-50s concept carsplus artworkfrom Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol and David Hockney at this Petersen exhibition.
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- Things to do
- Exhibitions
South Park
The GRAMMY Museum celebrates hip-hop’s 50th anniversary with interactive DJing, rapping and sampling stations and instantly recognizable artifacts like LL Cool J’s red Kangol bucket hat and the Notorious B.I.G.’s red leather pea coat.
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4 out of 5 stars
- Movies
- Action and adventure
George Miller delivers the full-throttle, no-prisoners-taken prequel we’ve all been waiting for.
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3 out of 5 stars
- Movies
- Action and adventure
No Andy Serkis, no problems for Wes Ball’s thoughtful ape adventure.
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4 out of 5 stars
- Movies
- Action and adventure
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt share a ton of goofy chemistry in this nitrous pull of an action-comedy.
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3 out of 5 stars
- Movies
- Action and adventure
Alex Garland’s brutal, dystopian vision of America at war with itself is visceral but vague.
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4 out of 5 stars
- Movies
- Horror
Eschewing gimmicky callbacks, this horror prequel is thoughtful and engaging—but still unsettling.
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