Labor Day events in Los Angeles

Everyone’s favorite NPR member station has a hand in a slew of summer concert slates at public plazas and beloved museums, including Labor Day weekend events at the Autry Museum (with guest DJ duo Wooden Wisdom) and the last bash of the season: a block party in the NoHo Arts District headlined by singer-songwriter Madison McFerrin and DJs Peanut Butter Wolf and LUXXURY.

Nobody’s film credits can compare to John Williams: Star Wars, E.T., Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and literally a hundred others. David Newman conducts the L.A. Phil as they tackle some of the composer’s iconic film scores set to a selection of movie clips—and against the glow of a sea of lightsabers in the crowd. Though Williams used to appear (and conduct) in person for this series each year, these shows now serve as a tribute to the nonagenarian.

BTS, the first K-pop boy band sensation to make a splash in America, is embarking on a massive world tour after a four-year hiatus. Lucky for us Angelenos, the Bangtan Boys are stopping by SoFi Stadium for four nights.

Each summer, Bard fanatics watch their favorite works come to life in the dell above the historic Old Zoo in Griffith Park. Independent Shakespeare Co. puts on lively productions each week, inviting audiences to take a seat on the grass (read: bring a picnic blanket) and enjoy performances like this month’s headliner, Shakespeare’s self-explanatory A Comedy of Errors, which closes September 6. 

Roam the stalls at this Labor Day weekend arts festival, sample the food and listen to the music—and then take a dip in the nearby Pacific. A few logistical changes for the past few fests have streamlined the layout: You’ll still find an on-the-street makers mercado and food fair along Hermosa and Pier Avenues, but there’s now live music at the beach, plus a mini carnival a bit inland. There’s also a beer and wine garden close to the beach with its own music lineup—though that charges a $10 cover fee and is 21-plus.

“You know where you are? You’re in the jungle, baby.” So squeals Axl Rose these days, with a little less sex appeal but still a spark of that Sunset Strip chaos. The band’s blistering, if often uneven and overlong, nearly three-hour sets have all of the marks of an old school stadium tour: costume changes, super sexy backup dancers, a stage-chewing Slash and a pyro-filled finale during “Paradise City.” Ice Cube is joining the lineup for this show at the Rose Bowl, where GNR will return after over 30 years.

Film buffs, unite. This lesser-known cinephile festival is celebrating more than six decades of showing rare and unusual fare—you won’t find Casablanca on the program, but rather classic titles you most likely have never encountered before. Enjoy a five-day program of features and shorts shown at the festival’s new venue—the Nuart Theatre in West L.A.—interspersed by Q&As with special guests, including I Dream of Jeannie’s Barbara Eden. 

Make your Labor Day weekend a little bit country at Hollywood’s cowboy-chic rooftop bar as its Wild West pool party series wraps up its summer season. You’ll find a “trading post” pop-up of local vendors, a cowboy cookout, karaoke, cocktails and music from country DJ Ariana Gavrilis, so bring your boots and party till the sun sets over the city. 

Listen to classical and jazz in a dome more than a mile above L.A. during this mountaintop concert series curated by artistic director Cécilia Tsan. The Mount Wilson Observatory is once again hosting monthly concerts this summer inside the dome of its 100-inch Hooker telescope—which was the largest telescope in the world for much of the first half of the 20th century. Tickets cost $65 (that also includes access to the exhibit at the observatory), and it’s highly recommended that you buy them in advance since seating is limited. Note: You’ll need to be able to climb 53 steps to reach the dome, and children under 12 aren’t permitted.