Free things to do in Los Angeles this month

All year long, the iconic Griffith Observatory is celebrating 90 years of connecting the public to the cosmos, but this special event marks the official anniversary of when the site first opened on May 14, 1935. For the occasion, there’ll be a screening of the observatory’s original 2024 short film Pacific Standard Universe, with Chumash cultural advisor Rex Saint’ Onge Sr. on hand to provide insight into Indigenous California astronomy. The evening will conclude with a sunset ceremony. Free advance reservations for the event are already full, but guests without reservations can join a standby line to be admitted beginning at 6pm, space permitting. And if you can’t make it in person, you can stream the event on YouTube here.

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.

Add some culture to your daily commute. Nonprofit arts organization the Billboard Creative mounts this annual show around town which, as you probably guessed, covers 30 billboards around L.A. with works from artists, turning the city streets into a de facto art installation. This latest edition shows off works from 30 international and local artists across an assortment of mediums on billboards from May 5 to 30. You can see a map of where you’ll find the artwork here.

The Venice Artwalk returns for its 46th year to benefit the Venice Family Clinic with an auction and a free opportunity to glimpse the Venice and wider L.A. art scene. From May 9 to 18, pop into 910 Abbot Kinney to see (and potentially bid on) pieces from Ed Ruscha, Larry Bell, Ed Moses, Sayre Gomez and more. This year, the event will also turn its attention to L.A.’s post-wildfire landscape, with sections dedicated to artists who lost their homes or studios in the Palisades and Eaton Fires, as well as a celebration of Altadena’s legacy of Black artists.

The Broad’s upcoming special exhibition makes its way to Downtown L.A. from the 2024 Venice Biennale, where Jeffrey Gibson became the first Indigenous artist to represent the United States with a solo exhibition. Known for his signature use of geometric patterns, patterned text, vibrant color, glass beads and found objects, the Colorado-born artist explores his Indigenous identity and pays tribute to histories of resistance in thought-provoking and optimistic ways. The first-floor galleries will be transformed into a kaleidoscopic environment with 10 paintings, seven sculptures, eight flags, three murals and one video installation by Gibson. Expect an accompanying slate of performances, talks and workshops.

Form a gallery in the sky made entirely of kites during this community festival from L.A.-based arts and culture nonprofit Clockshop. Held in honor of the communities surrounding Los Angeles State Historic Park, this fifth-annual free fest features flying demonstrations, art workshops and musical performances.

Every spring and fall since 1973, artists have descended upon the Beverly Gardens Park to showcase their work to browsers and buyers at this festival (once called the Affaire in the Gardens). This year will feature 235 artists exhibiting paintings, sculptures, watercolors, photography and much more. Set on four blocks along the grassy Santa Monica Boulevard between Rodeo and Rexford Drives, the event will include something for everyone, with free kids’ activities, food trucks, and beer and wine gardens with live music.

Printed Matter presents the L.A. Art Book Fair, a unique showcase of artists’ books, catalogues, monographs, periodicals and zines. Hundreds of international presses, booksellers and independent publishers from around the world come together to hawk their wordy wares at this not-to-be-missed event at Pasadena’s ArtCenter College of Design South Campus complex (950 S Raymond Ave and 870 S Raymond Ave). Peruse naughty pulp paperbacks, catalogues full of fancy modern art and books that you don’t really “read” so much as just admire—all while attending workshops or listening to music on the rooftop. Admission is free on Sunday.

Sure, you’ve seen the archival television clips of the Beatles’ famous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, but what about firsthand, long-lost photographs from that same time shot by one of the band members? This spring, Beverly Hills gallery Gagosian displays 36 recently rediscovered photographs of the Beatles, all captured by Paul McCartney. A mix of black-and-white and color prints, the McCartney photos were shot during peak of Beatlemania, from December 1963 to February 1964. Expect to see a mix of self-portraits of Paul and candid shots of John, George and Ringo—as well as hysterical fans waiting outside the windows of the band’s car.

The California Science Center is inviting kids to get in the game with a new 17,000-square-foot exhibition about the power of play and the human body in motion. Besides teaching about the science behind sports, it also offers interactive challenges and video coaching from a team of Los Angeles-based mentor athletes including dancer Debbie Allen, the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, Olympic medalist softball player Rachel Garcia and more. For the first time ever, the center has commissioned public art—all by local artists—to complement the exhibition, including a Dodgers mural by Gustavo Zermeño Jr. The free exhibition kicks off May 15 and will remain at the Science Center at least through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Let’s hang out at the Pier” is something Santa Monica locals probably say next to never, but this monthly series is trying to change that. Every third Thursday from September to May, you’ll find everything from live music to storytelling to a classic car show on the Santa Monica Pier, all free to attend.

Tied to Earth Day, Friends of the L.A. River is pivoting its monthly cleanup into a bit of post-fire empowerment with this habitat resoration effort at the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Preserve. Volunteers will help remove invasive vegetation inside the San Fernando Valley park while learning about how they factor into flammability, as well as about the region’s watershed. Participation is free, but registration is required.

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 there’s now live music at the beach (one of five stages throughout the fest), and there’s a proper carnival (with a wine garden) inland at Pier and Monterey Boulevard.

CicLAvia, but make it Glendale—that’s the basic premise of Let’s Go Glendale, the newest open-streets experience to hit L.A. On the last day of May, South Glendale Avenue from Chevy Chase to Lexington Drives will be transformed into a car-free space welcoming all to walk, roll, shop and stroll past local businesses and eateries. The free event, presented by Metro, will also feature a curated schedule of live music and activities. Dogs, as long as they’re on a leash, are welcome too.

This weekend-long concert will once again return to West Hollywood Park as part of WeHo Pride, with Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Kim Petras, Honey Dijon and Paris Hilton atop this year’s lineup. If the ticket prices have you down, don’t worry: Friday night’s programming is usually free with an RSVP.

The desert-spanning biennial is back, with premieres of site-specific works from about a dozen artists. For its fifth iteration, Desert X will once again stage outdoor installations across about 40 miles of the Coachella Valley through May 11—making it the perfect pit stop if you’re making your way out to Coachella in April. This year’s works explore Indigenous futurism, activism and technology’s role in society, among other themes. Don’t miss Agnes Denes’s monumental The Living Pyramid.

The Los Angeles–based conceptual artist and now-retired CalArts educator is back with his first L.A. solo exhibition since 2019, debuting new works from his Numbers and Trees series. The colorful and complex works combine Plexiglas, watercolors and his signature numeric grid systems to depict the baobab trees Gaines photographed on a recent trip to Tanzania. The show opens February 19 with a conversation between the artist and LACMA’s Naima J. Keith, followed by an opening reception (6–8pm). The event is free, but reservations are recommended.

After its fall debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall as part of PST ART, artist Doug Aitken’s multimedia collab with the L.A. Phil and L.A. Master Chorale makes the jump to the Marciano Art Foundation. The free museum mounts the multi-channel video piece in its massive theater gallery, which you can see during routine opening hours (Tue–Sat 11am–6pm). But look out for separate reservations for weekly (typically on Saturdays) live performances organized by both musical ensembles.

The Skirball’s latest pop culture exhibition takes a deep dive into the six-decade career of legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby. You might know him as the co-creator of Captain America, Black Panther, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and some of the Marvel universe’s most cosmic characters. But did you know he was also a first-generation Jewish American born to immigrant parents, World War II veteran and family man who split his time between New York and Los Angeles? Learn about his life and see Kirby’s original comic illustrations, as well as other works—many on view for the first time. Tickets to the Skirball will cost you $18—except on Thursdays, when entry is free with a reservation.

This spectacular exhibition from the Icelandic–Danish artist brings a new series of optical installations to MOCA’s Little Tokyo location. You’ll need a timed ticket, which costs $18, to visit it on most days, but look for reservations on the first Friday of the month (5–8pm) for free admission.