The 47 best things to do in L.A. this week (2024)

Roam the stalls at this Memorial Day 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 last few fests have streamlined the layout: You’ll still find on-the-street stalls and sidewalk vendors along Hermosa and Pier Avenues, but the live music has been moved to the beach while there’s a proper carnival (with a wine garden) and arts festival inland behind the Hermosa Beach Community Center.

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L.A. has changed immeasurably since 1921, when this event was first staged as an agricultural fair. However, the perennially popular event still has farm-friendly appeal (livestock beauty contests, local produce) alongside the more modern acrobats, wine tastings, exhibitions and concerts.

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The summertime screening series returns for the season, first witha screening at the Rose Bowl (Almost Famous on May 25), and then back at Hollywood Forever Cemetery(Se7en on May 26).

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Be prepared:The Lion King is turning 30, and to celebrate its anniversary a mix of Broadway and film stars (from both versions of the movie) will perform alongside a screening of the animated classic at the Hollywood Bowl. On May 24 and 25, a live orchestra will accompany a screening of 1994’s animated classic,The Lion King, with song performances bythe cast of the original film:Nathan Lane (Timon), Ernie Sabella (Pumbaa), Jeremy Irons (Scar), Jason Weaver (the singing voice of young Simba); the 2019 remake:Billy Eichner (Timon); the Broadway edition:Bradley Gibson (Simba); and a guest appearance from Jennifer Hudson, who hasn’t been involved in any version of the musical, but come on, she’s Jennifer Hudson.

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The night before Cinespia returns to the cemetery, Hollywood Forever is holding its own screening event. The details are all pretty similar to Cinespia: Bring a blanket, a picnic and some beer and wine onto the Fairbanks Lawn and watch a screening ofE.T., with a DJ set before and after the film. And though youwon’t have Cinespia’s famed photo booth, you will have one notable upgrade: a colorful drone show during the credits.

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See ceramic and bronzesculptures by Simone Leigh at this exhibition presented at both LACMA and CAAM.

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The krautrock and electronic pioneers sent museumgoers into a frenzy over their intimate shows in New York and London institutions about a decade back.Now, the proto-techno quartet is reviving that marathon format to stagenine shows at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Each one will focus on a different album, starting withAutobahn, while the final concert will pull from their entire catalog.

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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) will be on display at the Downtown museum.

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Tucked away in picturesque Topanga Canyon, this Memorial Day weekend festival has become a favorite local tradition. Bohemianresidents of all ages as well as curious onlookers converge to celebrate music, food, arts and Mother Earth. Some complain that the masses have commercialized this neighborhood event, but there are still plenty of true hippies, vegan food vendors and healing arts to make you think you’re in a West Coast offshoot of Woodstock. Let the kids enjoy their own arts and crafts section, dance to local bands and don’t miss the quirky DIY Memorial Day parade on Monday morning.

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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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Feeling like you and your four-legged friend are attached at the hip right now? Spend even more quality time together during this dog-friendly series at Palos Verdes’ South Coast Botanic Garden. Every third Sunday, you can roam the gardens’87 acres with your fur baby. 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.

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Chilean singer and multi-instrumentalist Norma Monserrat Bustamante Laferte, better known as Mon Laferte, serves up her warm blend of rock, blues, pop and cumbia.

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Yes,that Ellen. Degeneres cemented herself as everyone’s favorite daytime talk show host for nearly two decades… until she wasn’t. Amid it all, though,you may have forgotten that she started as a stand-up comedian. Catch her during occassional sets at Largo.

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Slow down and soak in the magic of the woods during this guided, moonlit forest walk at the Arboretum, inspired by the Japanese practice ofshinrin yoku. Each meditative guided walk starts just before sunset and wraps up underneath the full moon with some herbal tea.

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Irish playwright-director Conor McPherson spins a tale of strife in the Great Depression—set to songs by Bob Dylan—in Girl From the North Country, which we gave four stars during its New York run.

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For dinner and a movie, all in one, just follow the food trucks. Duringthe spring, summer and fall, Street Food Cinema throws together a series of outdoorparties that include screenings of some of our favorite movies, paired with an assortment of gourmet food trucksand even a live music performance from a cool local band.

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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)starting in April.

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See a free salsa concert every second Friday of the summer during this series at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. This year’s lineup includes Rumbankete,Gabrielito y La Verdad, Son Mayor,Son Miron andClub Mambi—all featuring Super DJ Robby.

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No, the Academy Museum isn’t staying open past midnight—but itis celebrating films that have typically screened then. To complement the museum’s John Waters exhibition andPink Flamingos’ place as a late-night mainstay, it’ll be screening some cult favorites this April and May,includingEraserhead,Up in Smoke,Donnie Darko andThe Rocky Horror Picture Show.

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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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