The best upcoming concerts in L.A.

Treat your ears to a vibrant concert on a spring or summer night this year by attending MUSE/IQUE’s annual program. This monthly series of performances, held at cultural venues across L.A., features a mix of performances inspired by music movements and public figures, including tributes to Ray Charles, immigrant film composers, the Memphis sound, Etta James and more. The best way to attend is to become a MUSE/IQUE member; you could make a $75 donation to the performing arts nonprofit for a single event (with the exception of September’s free open house), but if you’re interested in more than just one, it’s cheaper per event to become a full-fledged member.

This springtime spinoff in Insomniac’s Wonderland series adds a whimsical, carnival-like atmosphere to the house, techno, dubstep, trance and bass-heavy festival. Go down the rabbit hole with multiple themed stages, where the likes of deadmau5, Zeds Dead, Illenium, Excision, Louis the Child, Seven Lions, Odd Mob and more will perform.

Want to feel old? Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out” was released over two decades ago now. You’ll surely hear that earworm as the lively Scottish band embarks on its latest tour, including a stop at the Wiltern, where they’ll also play songs from The Human Fear—their first new album in seven years.

This concert will change your life: The Shins, Iron & Wine, Frou Frou, Colin Hay, Thievery Corporation, Remy Zero, Cary Brothers, Bonnie Somerville and Zero 7 collaborator Sophie Barker will play through songs from the Garden State soundtrack. The 20th anniversary show at the Greek benefits the Midnight Mission.

Over a dozen local and out-of-town performers are taking to the streets during this musical fundraiser, with proceeds going to L.A. musicians who were displaced by the wildfires. Catch acts including Dustbowl Revival, Ronee Blakley, the Living Sisters, Ilana Katz Katz, Ruby Friedman Orchestra and Hollywood Highsteppers playing 20- or 30-minute sets along the 1800 block of Sunset in Echo Park. Shows will take place outside of the Echo, the erstwhile Sage, Masa, Sticky Rice, Shoe Palace and both in front of and on the patio of bookstore Stories. Although the performances are free to watch, you can donate to Sweet Relief Musicians Fund here, and a QR code will be posted at each busking location.

L.A.’s own feminist punk rockers, the Linda Lindas, have had quite the trajectory: After being discovered by Amy Poehler and going viral after performing their single “Racist, Sexist, Boy” in not one but two L.A. libraries—when the members were between 11 and 17 years old—they’ve gone on to play Coachella and Lollapalooza, open for Paramore and the Rolling Stones, and tour with Green Day. You can catch the girls at two SoCal shows this month—at the Glass House April 1 and at the Novo April 5—screaming about injustice and growing up.  

Can’t get enough of his yearly appearance at the Bowl? The LA Phil wraps up its two-year John Williams at Disney Hall with a second season of live scores and concerts in his honor.  You can see a Williams-curated program of Mexican and Hollywood cinema scores (Oct 25–27, 2024); a selection of pieces from the entire Star Wars saga, hosted by C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels (Nov 21–24, 2024); a Williams-conducted evening with Yo-Yo Ma (April 3, 4, 2025); and a Gustavo Dudamel-conducted spotlight on Williams (April 5, 6, 2025).

Once affectionately known as Localchella, now officially (and boringly) billed as “Goldenvoice Presents April,” this two-week series brings a bunch of Coachella acts to smaller stages considerably closer to home. For 2025, you can catch Beabadoobee, Miike Snow, Jimmy Eat World, Together Pangea, DJO, Basement Jaxx, Parcels, Irish-language rappers Kneecap and more at venues like the Fonda, the El Rey, and the Fox Theater and Glass House in Pomona. (You’ll also find shows in the Bay Area and San Diego.) See the website for a full lineup of shows and to buy tickets.

Nearly 125,000 music lovers make a pilgrimage to the Empire Polo Club during each identical weekend of Coachella, whether bound for campgrounds or shuttling over from golf resorts and midcentury modern homes. Though its bespoke dining experiences and hotel party scene may try to steal headlines, Coachella remains about the relaxed desert air euphoria of a well-curated music festival. Coachella’s all-embracing three-day lineup consistently crafts the pool of performers from which all other summer music festivals borrow. This year’s headliners lead a stacked lineup: Lady Gaga, Missy Elliott, Green Day, Charli XCX, Post Malone and Megan Thee Stallion—plus Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil will even take the stage Saturday. RECOMMENDED: See our complete Coachella coverage

Expect to see stiff blues riffs, pyrotechnics and the shortest shorts that longtime-guitarist Angus Young can squeeze into during this show at the Rose Bowl.