The best things to do in Los Angeles this week

The Culver Hotel is embracing Culver City’s cinematic history with a new series of screenings celebrating the golden age of cinema. To mark the centennial of both MGM and the hotel, you can catch a classic MGM film at the Culver Theater, then head across the street for a themed gathering at the hotel’s Velvet Lounge, complete with cocktails and bites inspired by the evening’s featured presentation.

Explore the Autry into the evening at the Griffith Park museum’s Thursday-night series that spotlights the city’s emerging and established artists, musicians, poets, writers. Every Thursday night this month, enjoy May Music Nights and Cowboy Cocktails.

Summer’s just heating up, but thanks to a returning summer event series it’s set to be scorching: Beginning May 29, Santa Monica mainstay the Bungalow will host its night market every Thursday just a block from the beach. Over the summer, expect food from the likes of Tacos 1986, House of Empanadas, Lei’d Cookies and All About the Cinnamon. As in previous years, families can enjoy a kids’ play area with complimentary face painting. The event will  will also feature a variety of brand activations, celebrity guest appearances, and DJ and musical performances with more info to be announced as the summer kicks off. The fun runs every Thursday night through Labor Day, from 5 to 11pm. 

Hilltop sunset views and rising bands combine to make this Getty tradition a worthy destination for Angelenos on both sides of the 405. This year’s lineup of free Saturday-night shows includes SML (May 31), Mabe Fratti (June 14), Madi Diaz (July 12), Empress Of (July 26) and Emile Mosseri (Aug 23). Tip: Avoid the traffic and the crowds and arrive early, preferably after 3pm when the parking price drops to $15 (though it’s actually free if you wait until the show starts, after 6pm). You’ll get to visit the exhibits, which stay open until 8pm on Saturdays, and beat the dinner rush.

This weekend-long concert will once again return to West Hollywood Park as part of WeHo Pride, with Lizzo, Remi Wolf, Kim Petras, Honey Dijon and Paris Hilton atop this year’s lineup. If the ticket prices have you down, don’t worry: Friday night’s programming is free with an RSVP and features headliner Maren Morris, Qveen Herby, Jamie Fine and the return of the Drag Queen Lip Sync Battle Royale.

This women-run wine festival—celebrating its 20th anniversary this year—is back at Long Beach’s Harry Bridges Memorial Park with hundreds of wines, brews and spirits from all over the world. Food trucks, live music, games and artisan pop-up boutiques will also be on-site. Each GA ticket includes entry to the fest, unlimited drink tastings and a souvenir wine glass. Ride-sharing or public transport are highly recommended.

CicLAvia, but make it Glendale—that’s the basic premise of Let’s Go Glendale, the newest open-streets experience to hit L.A. On the last day of May, South Glendale Avenue from Chevy Chase to Lexington Drives will be transformed into a car-free space welcoming all to walk, roll, shop and stroll past local businesses and eateries. The free event, presented by Metro, will also feature a curated schedule of live music and activities. Dogs, as long as they’re on a leash, are welcome too.

After a couple of years in New York, pan-Asian music and media collective 88rising’s music fest returns to the grounds outside the Rose Bowl. The 2025 edition’s headliners include G-Dragon, 2NE1, Dean, DPR IAN, Rich Brian, Porter Robinson and Higher Brothers.

It isn’t summer in L.A. until the first cemetery screening brings hoards of movie-lovers to 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. This weekend’s screening of Blue Velvet is a tribute to the late, great David Lynch. 

The Office creator and former Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais heads to the Hollywood Bowl for a stand-up set that’s sure to make you squirm in your seat.

Literature lovers, listen up: Reading Rhythms has arrived in L.A. Billed as a “reading party,” the event series started in NYC and got noticed by The New York Times and Good Morning America for its refreshing spin on book clubs: You bring a book of your own choosing to a central location, then alternate between peaceful reading time and chatting with fellow readers about what you’re reading. This weekend, Reading Rhythms is hosting waterfront reading at Marina del Rey’s Burton Chace Park (tickets here).

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.

Watch a slate of classics from the past couple of decades on one of the prettiest rooftops—now called Oasis—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.

Add some culture to your daily commute. Nonprofit arts organization the Billboard Creative mounts this annual show around town which, as you probably guessed, covers 30 billboards around L.A. with works from artists, turning the city streets into a de facto art installation. This latest edition shows off works from 30 international and local artists across an assortment of mediums on billboards from May 5 to 30. You can see a map of where you’ll find the artwork here.

For dinner and a movie, all in one, just follow the food trucks. During the spring, summer and fall, Street Food Cinema throws together a series of outdoor parties that include screenings of some of our favorite movies, paired with an assortment of gourmet food trucks and even a live music performance from a cool local band. The screenings are held in venues across L.A. into October and alternate from week to week, so make sure to check the schedule. Some of the outdoor venues are dog-friendly, allowing you to bring your four-legged cinema lover along.

West Hollywood’s chic restaurant and rooftop bar, E.P. & L.P., is serving much more than handcrafted cocktails and modern American bites. The spot also hosts Melrose Rooftop Theatre, an outdoor screening series that runs much of the year on the rooftop space attached to its open-air bar, L.P. Its all-VIP seating setup means everyone gets their own bean bag to watch a mix of cult classics and newly released films, with the audio piped in to provided sets of wireless headphones. Opt for the dinner-and-a-movie package and you’ll get a pre-show starter, main and dessert—or you can skip it and just opt for a cocktail during the movie.

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. 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 (The Dark Knight, Pride & Prejudice) and local favorites (La La Land, Friday), as well as the occasional TV marathon. This May the 4th weekend, you’ll also find two screenings of Star Wars: A New Hope.

The Boy Who Lived lives on in a wizardly spectacle. As though it had cast a Shrinking Charm on itself, the formerly two-part epic is now a single magical show, albeit a long one—and one that our New York critic awarded five stars. The Tony winner for best play is finally bringing its touring production to Los Angeles, casting a spell over the Pantages Theatre through June.

After popping up at D23 and Long Beach shopping center 2nd & PCH, themed mini-golf experience Pixar Putt has landed at its most logical home: the Pixar Place Hotel, close to California Adventure and its Pixar Pier. Putt your way through 18 themed holes and step into the stories of Pixar favorites including Toy Story, The Incredibles, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Coco, A Bug’s Life, Wall-E and Inside Out. Opening weekend is sold out, but don’t worry: The course will remain open through June 1.

The Broad’s upcoming special exhibition makes its way to Downtown L.A. from the 2024 Venice Biennale, where Jeffrey Gibson became the first Indigenous artist to represent the United States with a solo exhibition. Known for his signature use of geometric patterns, patterned text, vibrant color, glass beads and found objects, the Colorado-born artist explores his Indigenous identity and pays tribute to histories of resistance in thought-provoking and optimistic ways. The first-floor galleries will be transformed into a kaleidoscopic environment with 10 paintings, seven sculptures, eight flags, three murals and one video installation by Gibson. The special exhibition will normally cost you $15, but you can visit for free on Thursday evenings.

Sure, you’ve seen the archival television clips of the Beatles’ famous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, but what about firsthand, long-lost photographs from that same time shot by one of the band members? This spring, Beverly Hills gallery Gagosian displays 36 recently rediscovered photographs of the Beatles, all captured by Paul McCartney himself. A mix of black-and-white and color prints, the McCartney photos were shot during peak of Beatlemania, from December 1963 to February 1964. Expect to see a mix of self-portraits of Paul and candid shots of John, George and Ringo—as well as hysterical fans waiting outside the windows of the band’s car.

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’ Freddie Freeman, Olympic medalist softball player Rachel Garcia and more. 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 kicks off May 15 and will remain at the Science Center at least through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Nature lovers, rejoice! Spend a day at the Natural History Museum’s Butterfly Pavilion, which will be open March 23 through August 24 and be home to 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. Tip: The prime time for these unique butterfly flight experiences is typically between 10am and 11am each morning.

On the 50th anniversary of the Norton Simon Museum, look back to when Simon took over management of the Pasadena Art Museum in 1975, then ahead to the museum’s exciting future at this retrospective exhibition. See rare photos from the museum’s archives, and learn about the history of its major acquisitions, exhibitions, building and gardens—which are currently undergoing a transformation.

The Los Angeles–based conceptual artist and now-retired CalArts educator is back with his first L.A. solo exhibition since 2019, debuting new works from his Numbers and Trees series. The colorful and complex works combine Plexiglas, watercolors and his signature numeric grid systems to depict the baobab trees Gaines photographed on a recent trip to Tanzania. The show opens February 19 with a conversation between the artist and LACMA’s Naima J. Keith, followed by an opening reception (6–8pm). The event is free, but reservations are recommended.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House—centerpiece of Barnsdall Art Park and Los Angeles’ only UNESCO World Heritage Site—just might be the most stunning backdrop for an art exhibition. And, in this case, the home is the subject itself, too. L.A.-based photographer Ireland captured the intricate details of the Hollyhock House in 21 photographs on display throughout the onetime residence.

See over 50 garments from Diane von Furstenberg, best known for her iconic wrap dress, during this career-spanning exhibition at the Skirball. Alongside artwork and fabric swatches, the show will also focus on her philanthropic work as well as how her life was shaped as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor.

Pasadena’s USC Pacific Asia Museum hosts this exhibition based on the Getty’s scientific research into Cai Guo-Qiang’s gunpowder art. The show fills up nearly the entire museum with a vast selection of the artist’s work alongside scientific imagery exploring the nature of gunpowder and Cai’s process in using it.

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.

“Color in Motion” features close to 150 objects—pieces of technology, costumes, props and film posters—from the 1890s to today. Broken up into six themes, the exhibition looks at the connection between color, music and movement, like in early dance and animated shorts; decades of color technologies, from Technicolor processes and Disney’s women-led Ink & Paint Department to contemporary digital tools; monochrome silent films; the narrative role of color; and experimental works.

This spectacular exhibition from the Icelandic–Danish artist brings a new series of optical installations to MOCA’s Little Tokyo location. Don’t let the reflective, colorful pieces fool you into thinking this is some run-of-the-mill “immersive” exhibit: Olafur Eliasson’s works invite you to admire the everyday miracles of physics that shape how we see the world.

More than 50 works on display at the Autry showcase how Indigenous artists have crafted visions of alternative futures in the face of enduring colonial trauma, with surreal spacescapes from Wendy Red Star, pop culture commentaries by Andy Everson and a site-specific space odyssey created by Virgil Ortiz.

Study the technical and cultural background of colorful clay vessels, textiles, bark-paper pages and sculptures in the Indigenous Americas—and how their significance has been downplayed among colonialist histories—during this LACMA exhibition.