The best upcoming concerts in L.A.

KCRW’s School Night series—which has hosted the likes of Father John Misty and Odesza since it started in 2010—is back, this time with a new home: century-old Lincoln Heights bar the Airliner, which recently fully redesigned its music venue and upstairs listening room. Though the sets are short, the price is certainly right, as is the lineup curated by resident DJ and KCRW tastemaker Chris Douridas. It’s the perfect excuse to stay out late on a school night.

Catch sets from up-and-coming performers, local legends and global talents during this free music series at the Getty, which features a pair of shows from a different band each weekend. The concerts kick off in February with Inuit soul musicians Pamyua and continue in March with gospel choir Jimetta Rose & the Voices of Creation and April with Persian poets Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat. Get there early to check out the museum’s exhibitions, then head to the Harold M. Williams Auditorium for the show.

Now that her astonishing Coachella set and the first leg of her tour are behind us, Angelenos can partake in the mayhem once again: Lady Gaga will return her Mayhem Ball tour to the Forum in February. Expect Mayhem’s dance-pop return to work its way into much of the set alongside plenty of old favorites.

It’s an event, to say the least, when the world’s biggest cartoon band brings its chart-topping show to town. Murdoc & Co. are of course helmed by Damon Albarn and cult cartoon artist Jamie Hewlett, with a cast of impressive (as in, spit-out-your-drink-impressive) collaborators. Albarn and the Gorillaz live band will be performing upcoming album The Mountain in full, joined by special guests, during two one-off dates at the Palladium this February. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, December 10, at 9am.

Not to be confused with a similarly named fest at L.A. State Historic Park a few years ago, this Skyline comes from mega promoter Insomniac. For the fifth edition of the fest, held now next to the Sixth Street Viaduct at Ace Mission Studios, you’ll find Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, Chris Stussy, I Hate Models, Joseph Capriati, VTSS and many more on the house and techno-heavy lineup that celebrates the city’s underground scene.

Head to Benny Boy Brewing for a free Lunar New Year concert by multilingual singer and accordionist Jessica Fichot, who returns to channel the swing era of Shanghai with her band. Expect to hear classic Chinese New Year songs, jazz songs sung in Mandarin and Mandopop. Pair pours from the Lincoln Heights brewery and cider house with food from Yakitori Cartel (noon–6pm) and Zef BBQ and the Dumpling Dream (6–11pm). The San Gabriel Valley Chinese Cultural Association will close out the night with drumming and roaming lion dancers.

This springtime spinoff in Insomniac’s Wonderland series adds a whimsical, carnival-like atmosphere to the house, techno, dubstep, trance and bass-heavy festival. Go down the rabbit hole in San Bernardino with multiple themed stages, where the likes of Tiësto, Zedd, GRiZ, SLANDER, Steve Angello, Diesel and more will perform.

Nearly 125,000 music lovers make a pilgrimage to the Empire Polo Club during each identical weekend of Coachella, whether bound for campgrounds or shuttling over from golf resorts and midcentury modern homes. Though its bespoke dining experiences and hotel party scene may try to steal headlines, Coachella remains about the relaxed desert air euphoria of a well-curated music festival. Coachella’s all-embracing three-day lineup consistently crafts the pool of performers from which all other summer music festivals borrow. This year’s headliners lead a stacked lineup: Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Karol G and Anyma, plus the XX, the Strokes, Addison Rae, Young Thug, BIGBANG and more. RECOMMENDED: See our complete Coachella coverage

This laid-back, Gen X-ish music fest will once again take over the Redondo Beach coastline for three days in May. Duran Duran, the Chainsmokers, the Offspring, Slightly Stoopid and James Taylor and His All-Star Band headline the 2026 edition, with additional sets from My Morning Jacket, Sheryl Crow, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Grouplove, Peach Pit and more.

Make your way to the desert for the Joshua Tree Music Festival, a gathering of like-minded indie musicians who will be rocking out to a dance-world-electro-funk’n groove. The biannual festival is a four-day party with over 30 bands in a unique lineup of artists who aren’t necessarily household names. There’s free water to all patrons, minimal service charges on tickets and yoga classes aplenty.