The best things to do in Los Angeles this week

At this amazing annual art festival, more than 500 artists create temporary masterpieces in chalk on the sidewalks of Pasadena, prompting thousands of onlookers to watch where they walk. Eventually awards are presented in a number of different categories, and then it’s all washed away for good—nothing good can last, right? Though the event is typically held over Father’s Day weekend, this year it’s moved to September and is located in Brookside Park, next to the Kidspace Children’s Museum. 

Who the f— is Madeline—but more importantly, who will play Madeline when Lily Allen performs the West End Girl track live at the Greek on September 21? The British singer brings her instantly iconic breakup album to the iconic Griffith Park venue as part of her North American tour, giving fans the chance to laugh and cry with her under the stars. Maybe after an afternoon of tennis?

Watch the nuns-and-Nazis musical and yodel along to the subtitles at the Hollywood Bowl’s sing-along celebration of the Julie Andrews classic. Lederhosen and wimples are optional, but they will get you in the mood for the Technicolor film, as will the choral warm-up before the screening.

Scope out B-movie classics and under-the-radar premieres at Beyond Fest. Held in partnership with American Cinematheque (which the fest raises funds for), it includes two weeks of screenings and Q&As with actors and filmmakers. Highlights from this year’s lineup include a day-long celebration of Robert Eggers’s work, the world premiere of V/H/S/MIXTAPE, and M. Night Shyamalan and Bruce Dern retrospectives. You’ll find the films spread across town at the Cinematheque’s three venues: the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, Los Feliz 3 and Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, which is reopening after technical upgrades just in time for the festival.

On the heels of two guest appearances at the Hollywood Bowl this season and even a surprise performance at D23, L.A.’s own Beck Hansen headlines a comparatively intimate evening at the Greek Theatre. The alt-rock and anti-folk hero has a brand-new album (his first in seven years), Ride Lonesome, so expect to hear new tracks along with perennial favorites (looking at you, “Loser”).

Culver City’s E Line–adjacent mixed-use development presents this free series of screenings, held on the lawn right next to the Metro stop. This summer’s slate includes a dog-friendly screening of Legally Blonde, a romance book swap tied to Pride & Prejudice and a bike-friendly showing of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Tickets are free and include complimentary popcorn and two hours of parking validation.

He’s why birds suddenly appear—oops, wrong Carpenter. This one may be why birds fall dead from the sky, as L.A. will see when the Academy Museum’s John Carpenter: Prince of Darkness series opens September 26, bringing the horror maestro’s pulsing synth scores, practical monsters and beautifully bleak worldview to the big screen through October 25. The retrospective includes The Thing, Halloween, They Live, Big Trouble in Little China, Christine, The Fog and Prince of Darkness in 35mm, among others. And Carpenter himself will make an appearance on four nights! Basically, consider this your excuse to spend a month being gloriously creeped out at the movies.

Gotta go fast—to an art show. SEGA and iam8bit are celebrating Sonic the Hedgehog with 35 Years of Speed: The Sonic Art Exhibit, a free Los Angeles exhibition featuring original work from more than 30 artists inspired by the world’s most famous blue hedgehog. The two-day pop-up takes over streetwear brand ARK/8’s La Brea store on September 26 and 27, giving Sonic fans plenty of time to admire the artwork and relive three and a half decades of supersonic nostalgia. Admission is free, RSVPs encouraged, emerald level status not guaranteed.

Presented in partnership with the Trust for Public Land, concert series In a Landscape swaps out traditional concert halls for the great outdoors, and it’s coming to Los Angeles for the first time this September. Classical pianist Hunter Noack will perform on a 1912 Steinway Model D piano in Griffith Park’s Bronson Canyon, with the Hollywood Sign in the background. A date at Elysian Park—with its skyline views—has been added to the beginning of the L.A. run. Rather than traditional concert seating, you’ll get wireless headphones and be able to wander freely through the beautiful landscape. 

“Love Letters to L.A.” is the theme of this year’s block party at the Autry Museum of the American West, a celebration of “everything that makes L.A. unique and amazing.” Buck around on a mechanical bull, go for a ride on the Ferris wheel, watch trick ropers and so much more during this annual open house. Expect music, carnival games, food trucks, museum tours, plein air painting, documentary screenings, a horse-grooming workshop, a car show and a marketplace, too. New this year is a prehistoric Dino Land experience for kids. While you’re at the museum, check out the exhibition “Life, Liberty, and Los Angeles.” Block Party tickets are normally $20, but at the time of writing, they’re only $2–$4.75 online.

This East Hollywood neighborhood will come alive at its third annual block party held at the corner of Melrose and Western. Led by artisan sandwich shop Ggiata, this year’s Melrose Hill Block Party will feature live music, local art and design pop-ups, plus food and drink by the likes of Kuya Lord, Little Fish, L.A. Café and Grocery and more.

Right in time for Halloween season, the Academy Museum seeks to answer the question “Why do horror films matter so deeply to so many?” in this immersive look at the genre whose cultural cachet is always increasing. Knowingly employing horror tropes and exploring the lasting appeal of scary movies, the show will be divided into six subcategories of horror—gothic, psychological, science, slasher, religion and ghosts. Expect re-creations of iconic settings where visitors will encounter creatures, monsters and objects from their favorite horror flicks and, in typical Academy fashion, a behind-the-scenes look at the storytelling and production processes of films from the original Frankenstein to The Shining to Get Out.

Environmental nonprofit TreePeople—tucked away in Coldwater Canyon Park—hosts these monthly Friday-night hikes, which kick off with live music through a partnership with outdoor arts series Living Earth. For September, Japan-based multi-instrumentalist Manami—known for her sound installations created with handmade instruments and percussion—will provide the ambient soundtrack, best enjoyed on a blanket with some warm tea. Afterward, hit the trails for a stroll in the moonlight. If you’re a hiking novice, don’t worry: Hikers of all ages and abilities are welcome.

Glendale’s Alex Film Society heads outside of its namesake theater for the summer with this series of classic screenings at Brand Park.

Explore the Huntington’s Chinese Garden by moonlight during this after-hours stroll, where all of the area’s pavilions, courtyards and pathways will be lit up. While you’re there, you can listen to live music or pick up something for dinner at the Jade Court Cafe, Freshwater Pavilion or the Terrace of Shared Delights.

Walk across the grounds of the scenic King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas as the Santa Monica Mountains hideaway is illuminated with thousands of hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns. (Fun fact: Calabasas has a pumpkin-filled history—it’s actually named after the Spanish word for the gourd: “calabaza”.) Night of the Jack returns with a reimagined mile-long trail this year, plus food trucks and a “Spookeasy,” too. 

For 2026, the family-friendly event is also introducing Jack’s Carnival, with around a dozen kid-friendly rides and games, plus new lantern art, photo ops, projection mapping and a new display in the illuminated field. 

Timed tickets are required each night. As is the case with all similar experiences, they’re not cheap and fluctuate ($34.50–$57) depending on the day of the week and time of night. The cheapest tickets are for the 6pm “Almost Dark” session, where you embark on the trail as it flickers to life during golden hour. The most expensive are the “anytime” tickets, which let you arrive at any point during the night—those cost up to $83. Expect to spend an hour to an hour and a half at the experience, though that could double on weekends (and closer to Halloween) when the entry crowds and food truck lines tick up.

Take a seat under the arch at the former Hollywood & Highland for this free series of movie screenings, held on the last Friday of the month from May through September. RSVP ahead of time, then pick up a cozy blanket from the Ovation Hollywood booth, as well as free popcorn and discounted treats from the TCL Chinese Theatre concessions stand.

The beloved Bob Baker Marionette Theater is staging free, family-friendly performances at Barnsdall Art Park on the west lawn outside the Hollyhock House on select Sunday mornings. Spread out a blanket and enjoy a 30-minute “Fiesta” puppet show at 9:30am or 11am, followed by free art activities for all.

Discover the next big thing at the 16th L.A. edition of this art fair, which is less stuffy and more accessible than most (meaning you can actually find original art for under $500). It places an emphasis on experiencing art, offering immersive installations, performances and DJs. For this latest installment, the Other Art Fair moves to Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar, which it will fill with work by 160 independent artists—63% of them women-identifying and 46% L.A.-based. Highlights this time around include an artist-designed playable mini golf course and a satirical site-specific installation, TP Catalog — On Loan from The British Museum. 

Wander through a 1929 Spanish-style villa at this dreamy indoor-outdoor market. The historic Toluca Lake home has been transformed into Villa Blanca Lifestyle, a venue that hosts biweekly Sunday-afternoon markets, among other events. The ground-floor rooms and courtyard are filled with local vendors selling everything from accessories to live poetry to candle flower bouquets. To eat, there’s sourdough pizza, cookies, cupcakes and coffee to enjoy as you wander.

Slow down and soak in the magic of the woods during these guided, moonlit forest walks at the Arboretum, inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin yoku, which is said to boost immune strength, reduce stress and improve cognitive function. Each after-hours meditative walk starts just before sunset and wraps up underneath the full moon with herbal tea.

Millennial nostalgia shows no signs of slowing: Rilo Kiley is back together and wrapping up its reunion tour in only-in-L.A. fashion. Yep, L.A.’s own indie darlings, led by Jenny Lewis, are in the spotlight again after over a decade apart. The “Sometimes When You’re On You’re Really F**king On” tour kicked off in SoCal last year, and just ahead of Rilo Kiley’s Ohana Festival set this fall, they’ll play one final headlining show at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Beachwood Sparks opens.

Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Festival once again lands at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point—and as usual, Vedder pulls double duty with both a solo set and with Pearl Jam frontman. The 2026 edition runs from September 25 to 27 and also includes sets from Maná, Billy Idol, Bad Religion, Tyler Childers, Alabama Shakes, Jon Batiste, Fontaines D.C., Pixies, Courtney Barnett, Rilo Kiley and the Format.

The fest’s name comes from the Hawaiian concept of family, and as such the beachfront festival will give back to its own community by donating a portion of proceeds to the San Onofre Parks Foundation and the Doheny State Beach Foundation, among others.

Every weekend through October 24, this Venice gastropub is throwing a Bavarian celebration with lederhosen and finger-licking fare. Dive into a savory rattlesnake and rabbit hot link topped with onions and peppers, choose from a selection of German and Belgian beers on draft, and enjoy yodeling and live German music. The best part? Each ticket (with noon or 5pm start times on Saturdays and 2pm start times on Sundays) includes a Wurstküche beer stein, with the first fill-up included. Entry isn’t cheap ($72 and up), but the seatings regularly sell out.

The only thing better than a haunted attraction is a haunted attraction on a giant boat—which has its own haunted history. You’ll find all the usual horrors here—think fog, mazes and countless monsters roaming around. What sets Dark Harbor apart is its use of its surroundings; the dark, cramped confines of the Queen Mary are already pretty spooky even without monsters—just be prepared to climb a lot of skinny staircases. For its 13th anniversary, the event dives further into the ocean liner’s lore with reimagined mazes set both on shore and in the ship’s swimming pool and corridors. New this year is the “Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact” maze, as well as carnival rides Alien Abduction and blacklight bumper cars. When you tire of the terror, sip spirits at secret speakeasies or catch spooky live entertainment.

Whether he’s playing White Stripes songs or ripping through the raucous blues of his solo efforts, Jack White absolutely delivers in his live sets. After popping up as the surprise performer during the first weekend of Coachella, he announced a new fall tour. He’ll be returning to the Hollywood Palladium for two nights following a date at the Fox Theater Pomona.

Morrissey and mariachi—honestly, it was only a matter of time. The LA Phil and co-producers Mariachi Tierra Mia bring the Smiths’ melancholy Manchester anthems to the Ford amphitheater on September 27, with some of L.A.’s best mariachi musicians putting their spin on favorites from the band’s catalog. The concert will celebrate the Smiths’ particularly enduring and unexpected connection with Mexico, where their music has remained wildly beloved decades after the band called it quits. It’ll be a very Los Angeles way to have your heart broken.

The sassy, lightning-blonde-haired Swede performs cathartically upbeat dance tunes from Sexistential, her first full-length release in eight years. She’s stopping by the Kia Forum for two nights—the first date is sold out, but the second still has tickets available.

Face your fears and head to the Natural History Museum’s Spider Pavilion, where you can observe several hundred orbweaver spiders in a living exhibit just outside of the museum. Scared the spiders might be hard to spot in the wild? Fret not. In previous iterations, we’ve spotted ones about the size of an adult’s palm. Gulp. (But don’t worry: The scariest ones—from tarantulas to wolf spiders—are in enclosed habitats.) 

Over two September weekends, this Lincoln Heights beer and cider brewery is bringing Oktoberfest to Northeast L.A. with a celebration full of German-style beers, stein holding contests and sausages. Saturday programming includes live music and keg bowling (free with the purchase of a stein pour), while Sunday attendees will be able to watch a weenie dog race at 2pm and sing karaoke backed by a live band later on in the evening. Revelers in dirndls and lederhosen will get $1 off steins.

Far from those kid-friendly rides through a pumpkin patch, this hayride unleashes all sorts of demons and bogeys on Griffith Park, which is transformed into the mid-’80s fictitious town of Midnight Falls. The Griffith Park tradition, which has been running for 18 years now, centers on a relatively lengthy hayride. The premise: A witch has summoned spirits of the underworld who’ve hidden themselves among Halloween decorations in the town’s foothills. This year’s event introduces a new, Sunset Strip–themed maze, “Fallen Angel,” and sees the return of Elvira’s Trick or Treat Mayhem, the Scary-Go-Round, Hellbilly Halloween and axe-throwing. A welcome addition this year: alcohol, served at themed bars throughout the event.

Get your feet stomping at this annual duo of back-to-back music festivals. For over 40 years, Day of the Drum has taken over Watts Towers for an afternoon of global music, dance and poetry. Hear sounds from Japan and Nigeria, as well as Afro-Brazilian drums and Aztec dance. The even-longer-running Jazz Festival kicks off the following day with a lineup of both traditional and contemporary jazz, soul, gospel and hip-hop performances. Admission and parking for both are free.

This Denver-originated Halloween attraction returns to SoCal with over 10,000 thousand hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns lining a mile-long pathway at the beautiful South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes. This year’s event adds a whimsical circus scene, a Día de los Muertos tribute and an under-the-sea display. Pumpkin light shows, bounce pads, inflatables and festive food complete the family-friendly experience.

Its past installments have found attendees stealthing their way through a Victorian home and embarking on a Blade Runner-esque bounty hunt. And now this celebrated immersive horror theater event is returning to its roots at the Beckett Manion in West Adams for its longest and most interactive play yet.

Delusion, an interactive seasonal event that combines elements of immersive theater with a more story-based approach to a walk-through haunted house, will host visitors on select nights from September 17 through Halloween till November 8. This year’s theme, “Den of the Mosquito,” is set in a New Orleans brothel in the 1920s, with a cast of mobsters, monsters and vampire prostitutes. You’ll play an agent with a secret organization, and the event promises more interactivity and split paths than ever, perfect for those who want to be part of the story.

Of the Trees, LSDREAM and Gramatik top this three-day, five-stage music and camping fest held on Lake Perris. Expect beach party vibes plus art and wellness activities throughout the weekend.

Artist and composer Emmit Fenn turns an Arts District soundstage into a multisensory music experience during this limited-run performance. The phone-free, roughly two-hour event progresses across three environments: a snowy field where you can enjoy tea, the main music space where synchronized lights appear to float atop a darkened pool of water and a post-show gallery with behind-the-scenes imagery.

Feeling like you and your four-legged friend are attached at the hip? Spend even more quality time together during this dog-friendly series at Palos Verdes’ South Coast Botanic Garden. One Sunday a month, you can roam the gardens’ 87 acres with your fur baby. Nearly all of the paths are open to pups, except for the rose garden and a couple of other small areas. You’ll find plenty of water stations set up across the grounds, as well as an optional obedience class for purchase. You—the human—will need a reservation, while your best friend—the pup—will need to remain on their leash at all times, including in the parking lot.

Encounter free-roaming monsters, stage shows and 10 terrifying mazes—this year’s new additions are “Inked,” which brings 1930s cartoon characters to life, and the excavation-themed “Unearthed”—as well as a menu of eerie eats and sinister sweets, five scare zones and the theme park’s thrill rides during Knott’s Scary Farm, SoCal’s original and longest-running Halloween theme park event. Also new this year are two shows: Voodoo: Bayou's Edge and Occultum, featuring magicians from the legendary Magic Castle.

“Somehow it’s a happier ending than I thought it would be—it felt so bleak,” Tacita Dean says of crafting this tribute to the then-fading format of analog film back in 2011. But here in the year of The Odyssey, Dean’s commission for the Tate Modern—restaged here at the Marciano Art Foundation’s cavernous theater gallery—feels like a triumphant touting of film’s resurgence: An 11-minute-long collage (all of the cutouts were achieved in camera) plays out on a vertically-oriented reel of 35mm film. The show coincides with Pierre Leguillon’s selection of old advertisements that feature prominent artists promoting commercial brands.

Admire suspended sheets of textiles—including the metallic ones that would be incorporated into the curtains at the new David Geffen Galleries—along with colorful sketches and a recreation of Tokyo store NUNO at LACMA’s showcase of pioneering textile designer Reiko Sudō.

Each fall for the past 20 years, the Getty Villa’s Outdoor Classical Theater series has brought a dramatic work to life—often with a unique spin—in the museum’s outdoor, ancient-Greece-style amphitheater. This time around, the Latino Theater Company takes on the tale of the heroine Antigone, setting Sophocles’s story instead in Tenochtitlan, Mexico, and incorporating Aztec mythology. Enjoy the ocean breeze while you dine on concessions like esquites, tortas, tamales and Mexican wedding cookies, then settle in for the show.

See the marionette theater’s family-friendly take on Halloween during the two-month return of its Hallowe’en Spooktacular—a refurbished production of its long-running “boo-sical revue” where you can see over 100 silly and spooky puppets take the stage. A newer addition is the Día de los Muertos sequence that pays tribute to the holiday. Once October arrives, each show will include a costume parade, so dressing up is encouraged.

Five photographers who pushed their medium in new directions in the second half of the 20th century present their unique takes on the city in this Getty Center show. Influenced by techniques including social documentary practices, staged scenes and fashion, the photographs of Laura Aguilar, Reynaldo Rivera, George Rodriguez, Patssi Valdez and Ricardo Valverde expanded Chicano and Chicana representation in Los Angeles.

Fresh off a wildly successful first edition of her Daisy Chain Fields music festival, Olivia Rodrigo is stepping into the spotlight at the Grammy Museum, where a new exhibition is devoted to the pop star. Running through February 22, 2027, “Olivia Rodrigo: the cure unraveled” will feature an exclusive look at the handcrafted hospital sets, costumes, props, stop-motion animatronics and original artwork from the singer’s music video for single “the cure,” off her new album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love. An expanded career-retrospective version will land later in this fall, so stay tuned.

Billing itself as “Orange County’s biggest party since 1977,” the Old World Oktoberfest promises enough beers, brats and bands to make you feel like you’re in Munich—albeit with better ocean views. Every Wednesday through Sunday between September 12 and November 8, this re-created Bavarian village will offer a sausage-filled menu, oompah and German bands, a biergarten, dancing and more. While Old World’s Oktoberfest is 21-plus with a cover charge on Friday and Saturday evenings, it’s open to families and revelers of all ages on Saturday afternoons and other nights. (Entry is free on Wednesday and Thursday nights, as well as Saturday afternoons, just book ahead online.)

In addition to its robust theater lineup, Topanga Canyon’s Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is also hosting an alfresco salon series each Thursday in September. The lineup of music and cultural performances includes original works by L.A. composers (Sept 3), the debut of a musical-in-development about beer (Sept 10), a cabaret tribute to Marvin Gaye (Sept 17) and an evening dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. (Sept 24). 

Well, well, well, what have we here? The Nightmare Before Christmas’s bug-stuffed sack is once again taking over the Halloween duties at Disneyland Resort for Oogie Boogie Bash, an after-hours, specially ticketed seasonal event at Disney California Adventure Park on select nights from mid-August through October. You’ll find trick-or-treating trails, kid-friendly shows, the maze-like Villains Grove and, new this year, Madame Leota's Swinging Wake—A Haunted Mansion Street Party. And the perks of the after-hours event aren’t just Halloween-y: You’ll be able to venture through and hop on rides in most areas of the park (with considerably shorter wait times), including at Avengers Campus (the Guardians of the Galaxy ride will flip to its Monsters After Dark edition). While tickets usually sell out immediately, there are actually still some available this year for select dates ($139–$189).

One of L.A.’s best free live-music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its 35-year 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. We’re betting it’ll be even more popular than usual this year, with the new David Geffen Galleries in the background.

All right, all right, all right. Revisit McConaughey’s big-screen debut as Vidiots hosts an entire day dedicated to director Richard Linklater’s cult classic Dazed and Confused for the fourth year running. The 1993 film will screen at 3:45pm and 7pm, while the theater’s microcinema will transform into the Emporium pool hall with vintage pinball on freeplay, courtesy of neighbor Walt’s Bar. Also on offer: munchies, wine and beers on tap, vinyl sets from KCRW DJs, 16mm psychedelic celluloid mini-shows between screenings, giveaways and good vibes. The day will conclude with a late-night screening of the Who’s pinball rock opera, Tommy, at 9:45pm.

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. 

For more than 50 years, this venue has drawn theater 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, from Shakespearean classics to folk tales. This season, catch William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as a stage version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Noël Coward’s Waiting in the Wings and The People of Pompeii, a new dark comedy Bernardo Cubría wrote in the aftermath of the 2025 wildfires.

Catch free outdoor movies at Burton Chace Park. Bring a low-back chair to claim a first-come, first-served space. Tickets aren’t required, but RSVPs are appreciated to stay up to date on any changes.

Just in time for silver screen starlet Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday, the Academy Museum is presenting a centennial celebration dedicated to the woman and her work, offering “unique insight into her agency in becoming a Hollywood icon.” In addition to posters, portraits, letters and rarely seen personal items, highlights from the exhibition include two screen-worn costumes from Some Like It Hot and the rarely exhibited famous pink dress Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Borrowed from Woody Guthrie’s egalitarian folk anthem, the title of this exhibition at the Huntington offers a pretty literal teaser of what you can expect to see: lots of relics tied to land, specifically American land. But that lens provides an insightful and profound perspective on 250 years of ambition, achievement, struggle, exclusion and belonging in the United States. There are some truly remarkable documents on display here—including Guthrie’s original lyrics sheet for “This Land is Your Land,” paired with one of his acoustic guitars with a faded proclamation that “this machine kills fascists” scratched into the back. But the most humbling piece on display just might be the one that first greets you: the cross section of an oak tree that stood on the grounds of the Huntington for 250 years.

The inimitable artist, musician and activist—and John Lennon’s other half—is the subject of the Broad’s highly anticipated upcoming show, Ono’s first-ever solo museum exhibition in Southern California. Organized in collaboration with the Tate Modern in London, “Music of the Mind” will allow visitors to directly interact with works from the artist’s seven-decade long career. In conjunction with the show, the museum will transform the olive trees on the outdoor East West Bank Plaza into Wish Trees for Los Angeles, where visitors can tie their own wishes on the branches. Many of the works invite audience engagement, in fact, all working toward a common goal of peace and connection. Also on display will be Acorn Event (1968) and Bed Peace (1969) anti-war works of activism Ono and Lennon worked on together. Tickets for the special exhibition are available at thebroad.org.

The Skirball’s Jack Kirby exhibition may be over, but the museum has followed it up with this expansive look at how comics came to dominate pop culture. Many of the creators of the medium were immigrants and outsiders—including Jewish Americans—who poured their experiences with struggle, aspiration and reinvention into their work. From the Great Depression through Y2K, comics reflected the national moment and actually helped shape American identity. On display, you’ll find original artwork and artifacts relating to beloved comic book characters, from Superman and Black Panther to Little Lulu and Archie.

This L.A.-centric exhibition looks at the Declaration of Independence’s promise of life, liberty and happiness, and how that promise has been fulfilled—or not—throughout the city’s development. Told via the stories of diverse Angelenos alongside historical and contemporary objects, media and art, the show “invites you to step into a conversation that has been shaping Los Angeles for over two hundred years.” 

This show aims to give Black queer culture in California—particularly in Los Angeles—the credit it’s due as a part of the decades-long fight for LGBTQ+ rights and recognition. Through historical materials, photographs, film and vintage newspapers, the exhibition recovers a history that’s been largely excluded from the record, introducing visitors to sites, protagonists and allies who played a role in the fight for democracy and free expression. 

Walk through a pavilion of fluttering tropical butterflies you can’t normally glimpse in Southern California, and peep a chamber with pupae and caterpillars at South Coast Botanic Garden’s seasonal exhibition. For an extra $6, you can pick up a nectar “lollipop” to attract and feed the butterflies yourself. Carve out some time to explore the beautiful gardens afterward.

You may have come across Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s massive troll sculptures—which he makes from reclaimed wood and hides in nature to encourage people to get out and enjoy the outdoors—on Instagram. But you don’t need to book a trip to Denmark to see the gentle giants. The 87 acres of Palos Verdes’s South Coast Botanic Garden are currently home to 12 of the whimsical figures, and you can glimpse them all with your general admission ticket. For $33, you can take a guided walking tour of the Twelvelings (with general admission included). To see the trolls in a different light, one night a month, the gardens will host the Canopy Club—an after-hours dance party in the woods with pop-up performances, food and drinks ($34–$50).

It’s a very Fast & Furious kind of year in L.A., between Universal Studio’s roller coaster and this 25th anniversary exhibition of the movie franchise. The Petersen Automotive Museum is showcasing movie vehicles, stunt cars and production prototypes in its second-floor galleries, including the 1993 Toyota Supra “Stunt #3” and 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) in the original film, Dominic Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) 1968 Dodge Charger R/T and 1993 Mazda RX-7, Suki’s (Devon Aoki) 2001 Honda S2000 and more.

The reopened Getty Villa will descend into the underworld with this exhibition, which looks at the ritual spells and religious writings ancient Egyptians employed to garner favor with Re and Osiris in the afterlife. See the Getty’s collection of rare Book of the Dead rare hieroglyphics-adorned and illustrated manuscripts, dating back to around 1000 BCE, which were last displayed in 2023. The show should dovetail nicely with the museum’s “Sculpted Portraits From Ancient Egypt,” which runs through January 2027.

Do you get a little thrill every time you go to the Beverly Hills Hotel? You have architect Paul R. Williams to thank, even if you might not know the name. This exhibition at the USC Fisher Museum of Art aims to fix that. “Paul R. Williams: An Architect Considered” specifically spotlights the visionary architect’s multifamily housing projects through original drawings, photographs and plans, juxtaposed with new commissions by contemporary artists and architects. The message is clear: Williams didn’t just shape Los Angeles; he imagined a more livable version of it, one gorgeous building at a time. Complementary Williams exhibitions at LACMA and the Getty Center will open later in the year.

First up on the Academy Museum’s 2026 calendar is a deep dive into Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo. One of Hayao Miyazaki’s most beloved films, Ponyo was notable for its focus on hand-drawn animation, with not only the characters but the backgrounds drawn frame-by-frame rather than using animation cels or CGI. Last year, Studio Ghibli donated original production materials to the Academy Collection, so this show will highlight those items, including art boards, posters, a Studio Ghibli animation desk and original drawings—some of which will be displayed in North America for the very first time—pairing them with immersive and interactive elements like an animation table and a play environment for kids.