Plan out your month with the city's best concerts, culture, cuisine and more.
THINGS TO DO
May 4, 5
Lucha VaVOOM; Mayan
See a physical and twisted take on Cinco de Mayo at this exuberant edition of the high-flying wrestling-meets-burlesque show.
May 6
Bird LA Day: Birds & Beers; Upstairs
Celebrate Bird LA Day—it's a thing—with this Audubon California-hosted rooftop bird-watching session, Q&A and beer night.
May 6
Obscura Day; Various locations
Embark on all sorts of expeditions and back-room tours during this adventurous day from Atlas Obscura.
May 12
National Public Gardens Day at the Getty; Gety Center and Villa
Stroll through the spectacular gardens at both Getty locations with guided tours and garden-themed menus at their respective restaurants.
May 20
East L.A. Comic-Con; El Gallo Plaza
Attend a homegrown celebration of comic books at this inaugural East L.A. pop-culture gathering.
May 20, 21
A Ticket to Explore JPL; Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Peek behind the scenes at the hillside NASA facility at this annual ticketed open house.
May 27–29
Topanga Days Country Fair; Topanga Community Club
Escape to this bohemian weekend festival tucked away in picturesque Topanga Canyon.
May 27–29
Fiesta Hermosa; Downtown Hermosa Beach
Bring your beach gear, and roam the 400 vendor stalls at this Memorial Day weekend block party.
May 28
L.A. Zine Fest; California Market Center
Get to know the world of DIY printed lit with this assembly of over 175 exhibitors of zines, small press publications and comics.
Find more things to do in our May 2017 events calendar.
FOOD & DRINK
May 6, 7
Angel City Heritage Music & Arts Festival; Angel City Brewery
Celebrate the Arts District brewery's fifth anniversary with this beer, food, art and music festival.
May 7
Masters of Taste; Rose Bowl
Splurge on this luxury fod fest featuring top-notch spots like Redbird, Birds & Bees, Little Beast, 1886 and more.
May 13
Sugar & Stilettos Bake Sale Extravaganza; 2306 Midvale Ave
Support the Westside Food Bank with sweets for sale from Milo & Olive, Bouchon, Sweet Lady Jane and more.
May 20
EEEEEATSCON; Barker Hangar
Attend talks from top chefs and preview plates from spots like Eataly, Chi Spacca and Salazar at this inaugural food fest.
May 20, 21
California Strawberry Festival; Strawberry Meadows of College Park
Celebrate all things related to the red, heart-shaped fruit at this popular Oxnard festival.
May 27
Eat Drink Vegan; Rose Bowl
Munch on an array of meals at the meatless smorgasbord, featuring more than 75 vegan food stands and unlimited pours of wine, beer, cold brew and kombucha.
May 28
MAINopoly: A Taste of Main Street; Main Street Santa Monica
Eat and drink at spots along Main Street in Santa Monica during this Monopoly-themed neighborhood crawl.
ARTS & CULTURE
Through May 7
Last Chance: Picasso and Rivera: Conversations Across Time; LACMA
Examine the ocean-separated ways in which European and Latin American art mined their respective ancient mythologies with 150 works from the two modernist masters.
May 12
Radiotopia Live; The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Listen to live broadcasts of a half-dozen podcasts, including 99% Invisible and Criminal.
May 19–June 4
Björk Digital; The Reef
Transport yourself to a remote beach, a Japanese concert hall and the inside of Björk's mouth as the Icelandic singer's ambitious virtual reality projects comes to L.A.
May 20
Punchlines for Paws; Candela Taco Bar & Lounge
Support adorable animals with sets from Sarah Silverman, Natasha Leggero, Nick Kroll and Ahmed Bharoocha at this benefit comedy night.
Through May 21
Last Chance: Jason Rhoades: Installations, 1994-2006; Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles
Roam around six immersive installations, strewn with wooden contraptions and neon signs, from the late California artist.
FILM
Through May 2
COLCOA French Film Festival; Directors Guild of America
Watch both vintage and modern French films alongside TV premieres at this annual screening series for Francophiles.
May 12
Them! screening; Union Station
Fend off gigantic irradiated ants during a free screening of this '50s sci-fi classic on Union Station's north patio.
May 12
Los Angeles Live Score Film Festival; Barnsdall Gallery Theatre
Watch chamber ensemble Helix Collective perform commissioned original scores at this festival of indie short films.
May 13
Chinatown screening; Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Roll out a blanket for the first outdoor Cinespia screening of the season.
May 26, 27
La La Land in Concert; Hollywood Bowl
See composer Justin Hurwitz conduct the Oscar-winning score backed by a 100-piece orchestra, choir and jazz ensemble.
MUSIC
May 5–7
Feist; Palace Theatre
See the beloved singer-songwriter perform tracks from Pleasure, her first album in six years.
May 6
NTS at MOCA w/ B&O PLAY; The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
Catch an afternoon of free tunes outside of the Geffen Contemporary with the premiere of this quarterly concert series from MOCA.
May 9
The Flaming Lips; The Theatre at Ace Hotel
Watch—after a brief stint as Miley Cyrus's backing band—the Lips return to their psychedlic roots, confetti-filled stage spectacles and all.
May 13
At the Drive-In; Shrine Expo Hall
Catch the high-energy post-hardcore band play tracks from its first album since 2000's Relationship of Command.
May 13
Wango Tango; StubHub Center
Belt out your guillty pleasures as Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Niall Horan, Zedd, Alessia Cara and Backstreet Boys perform at the KIIS FM concert.
May 14
Strange '80s; The Fonda Theatre
Step back into an era of big shoulder pads and all-neon-everything at this inaugural, star-studded benefit concert featuring Tenacious D, Weird Al, OK Go, Taking Back Sunday and more.
May 17
Phantogram; El Rey Theatre
See the sensual dance rock and hip-hop-inspired duo perform with How To Dress Well for this David Lynch Foundation benefit.
May 19
The Jesus and Mary Chain; The Wiltern
Witness Jim and William Reid bury their animosity and take their dreamy fuzz on the road behind their first album in nearly two decades.
May 20
Skyline; Los Angeles State Historic Park
See music return to the refreshed Chinatown park with sets from Miike Snow, Duke Dumont, Lido and more.
May 20, 21
U2; Rose Bowl
Travel back to 1987 as U2 performs the landmark album The Joshua Tree in full.
Find more shows in our May 2017 concert calendar.
THEATER
May 2–June 11
Actually; Geffen Playhouse
Explore the meaning of consent as well as race, gender and politics in this play that follows two freshman who, after a night of drinking, try to decide what exactly happened between them.
May 2-21
The Bodyguard; Pantages Theatre
See the stage adaptation of the hit film—minus Kevin Costner or Whitney Houston, of course, but with all the same classic hits.
May 4–6
Home Grown @ Bootleg; Bootleg Theatre
Get to know a diverse group of local choreographers through this Dance Resource Center initiative.
Through May 13
Tosca; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Find yourself in the middle of a love triangle in this intense drama by LA Opera.
Through May 13
Macbeth: Revisted; The Second Stage at Sacred Fools Theater
Go blind–or rather, gender blind–in this modern take on Shakespeare's classic tale.
May 16–June 24
Jersey Boys ; Ahmanson Theatre
Be serenaded by the timeless music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons during the Tony Award-winning production of Jersey Boys.
Through May 21
Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre; Kirk Douglas Theatre
Celebrate L.A.'s abundance of great theater with this event highlighting three shows from local companies.
Through June 4
Archduke; Mark Taper Forum
Follow a group of young men on their unlikely path to terrorism at the start of World War I in this world premiere.
SHOPPING & STYLE
May 6
Set Design with Adi Goodrich: Patterned Walls; Poketo
Master different techniques to make massive sets from the award-winning art director Adi Goodrich, and walk away with your own patterned canvas wall.
May 13-14
Unique LA; California Market Center
Check out local products and rub elbows with the different designers and artists showcasing their work at this massive craft fair.
May 13-14
Echo Park Craft Fair; Mack Sennett Studios
Join artsy Eastsiders for a feast of hand-dyed clothing and delicately concocted bath oils, one-of-a-kind ceramics, weavings, jewelry and beyond.
May 19
Ultralight backpacking workshop; Adventure 16
Hear from expert Glen Van Peski, founder and chairman of Gossamer Gear, on packing tips for smoother, lighter backpacking trips.
May 20
Instagram Marketing workshop with Puno; Poketo at the Line Hotel
Learn how to grow your brand on Instagram and reach over 100 thousand followers in just one year at this four-hour intensive course.
May 28
Tarot Sunday with Sarah Faith; Otherwild
Make your way to Los Feliz's eclectic retail shop, Otherwild Goods & Services, for a 25-minute reading with local Angeleno and tarot card guru Sarah Faith.
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