The 64 best things to do in L.A. this week (2024)

A little bit piano ballad a little bit pop-punk, the “driver’s license” singer hits the road in support of GUTS, the follow-up toher smash albumSOUR, withfournights at the Forum and two at the Intuit Dome.

Buy ticket

Pedal along more than six car-free miles of Hollywood and Santa Monica Boulevards during the August 18 edition of this bike-friendly fest.

It’s been almost a decade since 24K Magic, but itsfoot-tapping facsimile of ’70s funk, ’80s disco-pop and ’90s R&B still hasn’t lost its sheen—and we’re betting that Mars’s party tunes will still have enough funk to get you uptown (or to Inglewood’s new Intuit Dome, for these inaugural shows in the arena).

Buy ticket

This two-weekend event celebrates Japanese culture with displays of martial arts, tea ceremonies, flower arranging and more. Crowds of nisei—the word refers to the first generation of Japanese to be born in America—gather for festivities and a parade that culminates with the coronation of the Nisei Week Queen.

If you tuned out after “Love Song,” you may have penciled in Bareilles as a one-hit wonder. But instead, the singer-songwriter’s profile has only grown over the years, most notably with her turn on Broadway, penning the music and lyrics forWaitress, as well as starring in the girl group-parodying streaming seriesGirls5eva (costar and original Hamilton cast memberRenée Elise Goldsberry opens for her here). Catch her this summer at the Bowl, backed by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

Buy ticket

Self-proclaimed “frat bro dudes” the Chainsmokers may be the kings of cookie-cutter EDM, but that hasn't stopped them from becoming one of the biggest modern electronic acts. See them at L.A. State Historic Park for a mini festival, dubbed The Party Never Ends, withALOK.

Buy ticket

Celebrate L.A.’s burgeoning Eastside with a free music festival—what’s not to like? Echo Park Rising is backas a one-day fest with dozens of performances fromhandpicked local up-and-coming bands and comedians. With venuesthat typically range from theEchoandtothe Semi-Tropicand Sticky Rice, as well as various special discounts and sales at local businesses, this is always a neighborhood affair not to be missed.

Annie Clark deservingly ascended to rock star status years ago, but the trials and tribulations of that journey are what make her latest St. Vincent albums so compelling. Clark canshift from electro-pop anthems to noisy rockers with Bowie-like precision, letting each side of her personality take the microphone and get a few things off its chest.

Buy ticket

New York’s Empire State of Poms heads west with this adorable Pomeranian-filled meet-up at SUR. Each $50 ticket includes a welcome co*cktail and assorted hors d’oeuvres, plus a chance to mingle with somePom-fluencers like Chuckieand Charlie, whose humanLara Eurdolian will be there to sign copies ofCharlie at the Pom Springs Hotel.

Buy ticket

As sunset creeps later and later into the evening, the Huntington is taking advantage ofthe extra daylight with this coveted after-hours series.Formerly openjust for members,Twilight Garden Strollsis now open to the public, too, and will extend the San Marino garden’s hours until 8pmonselect evenings in the summer. Just a heads up that you’ll need a timed ticket that’s separate from regular morning or afternoon admission.

Buy ticket

Most recollections of Bikini Kill—we suppose this one included—start with the trio’s legacy: their pioneering place amongriot grrrl acts and thestreak of fiery feminism they’ve inspired in music to this day. But the songsalso stand alone; only a few seconds of female bonding anthem “Rebel Girl” is enough to convince you that Bikini Kill was onto something special.

After a couple of reunion tours in recent years that counted L.A. among its few stops, Bikini Kill will once again come to town. Frontwoman Kathleen Hanna, drummer Tobi Vailand bassist Kathi Wilcox will playtheWiltern in August.

Buy ticket

Few jazz pianists have had as wide an impact on American popular culture as Herbie Hanco*ck. He scored hits with songs such as “Watermelon Man” and “Chameleon” in the ’70s, blew up MTV with “Rockit” in the ’80s, and provided fodder for hip-hop heads to bite into with “Cantaloupe Island” and “Maiden Voyage”—and that’s not even taking into account his epochal playing with Miles Davis. You can typically catch him each summer at the Hollywood Bowl, where he serves as the creative chair of jazz (this time around, he’s reuniting his band from the landmark albumHead Hunters).

Buy ticket

Think men could do a bit of a better job listening when it comes to dating? ThisBachelorette-style game show runs with that conceit as its one rule: The four men competing for a date can’t speak. Instead, they’llnod and doodle while hostAllison Goldberg searches their phones anddials their moms. You can usually find Love Isn’t Blind staged monthly (and you can even apply to participate in it);look outfor the next edition atthe Arts District’s House of Cocotte onAugust 16.

Buy ticket

Skateboarding dogs? Sign us up. This adorable event will include a skateboarding competition for pups—plus some time for human skaters and bikers—during a day filled with food and music held atMcKenna Volkswagen of Huntington Beach.Aportion of proceeds will be donated to the English Bulldog-focused Chunkz and Tubz Rescue Foundation,as well as Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue’s Pawsitive Change program, which pairs incarceratedindividuals with at-risk shelter dogs.

Buy ticket

Like a family-friendlyversion of its Roaring Nights series, spend an evening at the L.A. Zoo on select Friday nights for a mix of musical performances, dance parties,educational talks and twilight animal viewing opportunities. The carousel will be open during the series, and so too—for those 21 and over only—will be a cash bar.

Buy ticket

This interactive performance series constitutes a literary cathouse, where male and femaleperformers provide poetry readings behind closed curtains. The L.A.event includes a few regulars from the New York show, along withlocalburlesque performers.

Buy ticket

A nostalgic night of grunge and ’90s alt rock hits Inglewood as Stone Temple Pilots and Live share the stage at the YouTube theater, with support from Our Lady Peace.

Buy ticket

Say goodbye to dusty thoroughfares and violent porta-potties: Splash House takes the music festival concept off of sweltering desert land and places it poolside. Movers and shakers at this multi-location getdown are shuttled between theSaguaro, theMargaritaville and the Renaissance (with after-hours programming at the Palm Springs Air Museum) to lap up big-name dance acts and DJ sets. With the added comforts of AC rooms and critically acclaimed restaurant fare just steps away from the party scenes, the experience will make you question whether to bother with more punishing locales come next year’s festival season.

Buy ticket

Listen to kid-friendly performances during this summertime concert series in the Getty’s beautiful Central Garden. Picnic blankets are welcome, but note that lawn chairs are not.

Buy ticket

--