We pick out the best things to do in L.A. this weekend, including our favorite concerts, culture and cuisine
Edited by Michael Juliano
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We don’t know about you, but our mind is always focused on the weekend. It can never come soon enough—which is why we’re already thinking about whatnew restaurantswe want to try or where we can drive for the day. Whether you’re looking to scope out the latestmuseumexhibitions or watch a movie outdoors,you’ll find plenty of things to do in L.A. this weekend.
We curate an L.A. weekend itinerary of the city’s best concerts, culture and cuisine, every week, just for you.
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The best things to do in L.A. this weekend
- Theater
- Experimental
Little Tokyo
The latest adventurousperformance from the Industry, this two-in-one show simultaneously stages a 17th-century opera and a 20th-century sci-fi story on a rotating stage. Director Yuval Sharon’s six-years-in-the-making production connects the stories ofClaudio Monteverdi’s 1643 Italian opera L’incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppea) with a world premiere production of W.E.B. Du Bois’s 1924 sci-fi short storyThe Comet; both unfold at the same time on a turntable that’s been split into two.
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- Things to do
Westside
Looking to spend a night at the theater? Tucked inside the hills of Coldwater Canyon Park, the rustic S. Mark Taper Foundation Amphitheatre hosts a series of diverse, open-air performances spanning music, movies and more. All under the umbrella of the “TreePeople Presents” series, the events all support TreePeople’s Coldwater Park. This summer’s slate includes alto saxophonist Nicole McCabe, singer-songwriterPearl Charles and jazz vocalistNiia, as well as a moonlight hike and a screening series.Bonus? Packed picnics are not only welcomed, but also encouraged.
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- Music
USC/Exposition Park
Everyone’s favorite NPR member station has a hand in aslew of summer concert slates atpublic plazas and beloved museums, and this summer’s schedule is particularly packed. Familiar KCRW DJs and local buzz bands will be providing free, open-air tunes on select nights through September at Union Station,CAAM,Descanso Gardens, Bowers Museum, Century Park, the Autry, KCRW’s Santa Monica headquartersand—our favorite—the party-till-midnight bashes at Chinatown Central Plaza.
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- Music
- Classical and opera
Angeles National Forest
Listen to classicaland jazz in a domemore than a mile above L.A. during this mountaintop concert series. The Mount Wilson Observatory is hostingmonthly concerts this summer inside the dome ofits 100-inch Hooker telescope, which was the largest telescope in the world for much of the first half of the 20th century.
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- Theater
- Classical
If you really want to immerse yourself in local and international theater, you can’t miss the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June.Since 2010, this series has specialized in shows from emerging writers and performers, and it now boasts hundreds of shows—most around $15 a ticket or less, and some for absolutely nothing. Expect one-person shows, new musicals, comedies and edgy dramas to descend on Hollywood once again from June 13 through 30.
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- Theater
- Musicals
Downtown
Musical-theater auteur Michael R. Jackson turns himself inside out in this thrilling show. Check out our five-star review from its New York run.
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- Bars
Los Feliz
Now one of L.A.’s most treasured summer traditions, Barnsdall Park’s wine tastings are back after a five-year hiatus. Perched atop Olive Hill on the west lawn of the historic Hollyhock House (which you can tour during the evening for an additional $25), the Barnsdall Friday fund raisers include fine selections of boutique wines provided by Silverlake Wine with a spectacular sunset and 360-degree views of the city.
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- Music
Downtown
This epic (and free) outdoor concert seriesfeatures live performances by artists from around the world at thetotally overhauledCalifornia Plazastage in DTLA, where the shallow water separating the stage from the audience has been replaced by a proper event lawn.Don’t miss a diverse and highly intriguing mix ofbands, DJ sets and dance parties.
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- Music
- Jazz
Miracle Mile
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)throughout the summer.
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- Things to do
USC/Exposition Park
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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- Things to do
Rancho Palos Verdes/Rolling Hills Estates
Walk through a pavilion of fluttering butterflies and peep a chamber with pupae and caterpillars at South Coast Botanic Garden’sseasonal exhibition.For an extra $6, you can pick up a flower vial or ring filled with nectar to attract and feed butterflies.
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- Things to do
West Hollywood
Melrose Rooftop Theatre is taking off until the fall, but in the meantime the event deck on theE.P. & L.P. rooftop is hosting this open-air roller rink. The rooftop rink is all-ages through 2pm, after that it switches to a 21+ affair. Tickets are available in one-hour time slots and include skate rentals and a churro—though that’ll all cost you a relatively steep $30 to $35.
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- Movies
Hollywood
It isn’t summer in L.A. until the first cemetery screening brings hoards of movie-lovers to Hollywood Forever, toting folding chairs, picnic blankets, snack spreads and lots of booze. Each year, Cinespia brings classic cult favorites to the hallowed resting place of such Hollywood greats as Rudolph Valentino and Bugsy Siegel.
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- Movies
Downtown
The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned for another season of screenings in Downtown L.A., with nearly-nightly showings this spring.
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- Movies
Sherman Oaks
Take a seat atop Westfield Fashion Square’s parking garage for this afresco film series. Each Friday and Saturday in the summer, you can catch a different popcorn flick, includingTop Gun,La La Land,The Sandlot,Clueless and more.
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- Movies
- Animation
Santa Monica
Every Sunday during the summer at sunset, both hotel guests and vistors at the Fairmont Miramar can slip into something waterproof and enjoy a flick around the Santa Monica hotel’s luxurious pool. You’ll find a mix of nostalgic favorites and more recent releases on the Hulu-curated schedule. Eats and libations will be available for purchase from the FIG Restaurant menu, and though seating is free for hotel guests, visitors will have to secure a reservation; tickets total to about $60 with tax, tip and fees, but that includes a $45 food and drink credit plus complimentary popcorn.
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- Things to do
- Performances
Topanga
For more than 50 years, this venue has drawn theatre 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, like Shakespearean classics and folktales. This season, catch highlights such as William Shakespeare’s The Winter's Tale andA Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well asWendy’s Peter Pan,Tartuffe: Born Again andThe Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote.
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- Things to do
- Markets and fairs
Downtown Arts District
Every Sunday you can find dozens of food vendors at this market at ROW DTLA, with a mix of much-loved pop-ups and future foodie stars. Look out for this year’s new vendors, includingBasket Taco Co, Battambong Barbecue and Taste of the Pacific.
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- Things to do
- Exhibitions
Westside
Let the wild rumpus start at this celebration of beloved children’s author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. The Skirball Cultural Center will be displaying more than 150 sketches, storyboards and paintings from theWhere the Wild Things Are creator.
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- Art
Downtown
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)are on display at theBroadin this transportive exhibition.
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- Art
- Painting
Miracle Mile
This major Ed Ruscha retrospective includes his meticulous photos of L.A. streets and a reconstruction of his Chocolate Room (which, yes, is a room made out sheets upon sheets of chocolate).
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- Art
East Hollywood
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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- Things to do
- Exhibitions
Miracle Mile
It’s more than just the low clearance: This exhibition at the Petersen explores the custom paint, engraving, upholstery and, of course, thegravity-defying suspension of the lowrider scene. In addition to iconic cars, the exhibit spotlights influentialartists inthe Chicano lowrider art scene.
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- Art
- Film and video
Miracle Mile
See how theHairspray andPink Flamingos writer and director’s delightfully filthy style has redefined the possibilities of independent cinema—as well as what exactly goes into making an indie movie—during this career-spanning exhibition at the Academy Museum.
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- Art
Miracle Mile
Judy Baca’shalf-mile–long TheGreat Wall of Los Angeles, a collaborative mural painted in the ’70s along the Tujunga Wash, has received all sorts of museum love in the past few years. But LACMAhas a particularly unique show to boast about: The local Chicana muralist and SPARC artists will paint two new sections ofThe Great Wall during museum hours. The exhibit also debuts a new section of the wall, in honor of activists known as the Freedom Riders, dubbedGeneration on Fire.
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- Art
- Contemporary art
Glendale
See works from seven contemporary artists (Eliseo Art Silva, Allison Hueman, Anthony Francisco, Maryrose Cobarrubias Mendoza, Christine Morla, Maria Villote and Junn Roca) who address issues related to Filipino culture and the Filipino-American experience during this exhibition at the Forest Lawn Museum.
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- Art
- Installation
Hollywood
Hollywood’s Japan House has tapped artistSebastian Masuda to dive into the roots of all things cute and colorful with this exhibition on Japanese kawaii culture. The free show includes multiple pieces and installations from Masuda.
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- Things to do
- Exhibitions
Miracle Mile
See 1930s-to-50s concept carsplus artworkfrom Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol and David Hockney at this Petersen exhibition.
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- Things to do
- Exhibitions
South Park
The GRAMMY Museum celebrates hip-hop’s 50th anniversary with interactive DJing, rapping and sampling stations and instantly recognizable artifacts like LL Cool J’s red Kangol bucket hat and the Notorious B.I.G.’s red leather pea coat.
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4 out of 5 stars
- Movies
- Animation
The life of Riley gets more complicated in this joyful and bold sequel.
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3 out of 5 stars
- Movies
- Action and adventure
Bad Boys, Bad Boys, whatcha gonna do? Much of the same actually.
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4 out of 5 stars
- Movies
- Action and adventure
George Miller delivers the full-throttle, no-prisoners-taken prequel we’ve all been waiting for.
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3 out of 5 stars
- Movies
- Action and adventure
No Andy Serkis, no problems for Wes Ball’s thoughtful ape adventure.
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4 out of 5 stars
- Movies
- Action and adventure
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt share a ton of goofy chemistry in this nitrous pull of an action-comedy.
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