April 2025 events calendar for Los Angeles

Easy like Saturday morning—that’s the saying, isnt’t it? It will be this month, when Grand Park hosts two community-centric days of free programming to rejuvenate Angelenos’ minds, bodies and souls in the wake of the wildfires. Enjoy yoga, arts and crafts, outdoor games, music, dancing, nature-inspired activities, a dog adoption fair and more. Local favorite Bob Baker Marionette Theater will be on hand for puppet shows, and Smorgasburg is curating an eclectic marketplace of local artists and shops and selling picnic-perfect bites and treats.

The term CicLAvia stems from a similar Spanish word for “bike way,” and in L.A. it’s become a shorthand for the temporary, festival-like closing of L.A.’s streets. The event welcomes bikes, tricycles, skateboards, strollers and basically anything else without an engine to ride a rotating cast of car-free routes—this month’s Koreatown meets Hollywood edition features a 4.75-mile route that connects Hollywood, East Hollywood, Melrose Hill and Koreatown (see the map here). Shop owners and restaurants along the CicLAvia route tend to host specials. And it goes without saying that you should bike or take the Metro to your desired spot along the route.

Cure a case of the Mondays with a restorative sound bath at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center’s private Garden of the Clear Stream, an urban oasis in Little Tokyo. At the start of every week in April, you can bring a mat and enjoy an hour of healing sounds and reflection amid the garden’s lush flora and cascading waterfall. Afterward, stick around to purchase lunch and a matcha and enjoy them in the garden.

The iconic Hollywood Roosevelt hotel is honoring the spirit of L.A. with poolside screenings of some favorite films featuring the city. Tickets are super reasonable ($12), and all proceeds from sales will go toward wildfire relief efforts, specifically Baby2Baby, which provides essential resources to families in need. And don’t worry if it’s a chilly night: Towels, blankets and heaters are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Find the series running every Thursday night through the end of June.

Phans, rejoice! This spring, the tireless jam-band vets hit the Hollywood Bowl with another crowd-pleasing set for their extremely loyal fan base. Fan culture at Phish concerts is the fuel of the band’s success, with euphoric dreadlocked attendees under the influence of more than just music. After all, there’s a reason the band’s light shows are out of this world. Should be a phun time for all.

Literature lovers, listen up: Reading Rhythms has arrived in L.A. Billed as a “reading party,” the event series started in NYC and got noticed by The New York Times and Good Morning America for its refreshing spin on book clubs: You bring a book of your own choosing to a central location, then alternate between peaceful reading time and chatting with fellow readers about what you’re reading. This month, Reading Rhythms is hosting an alfresco outing at Griffith Park’s Mineral Wells Picnic Area, where a DJ will be spinning ambient and jazz vinyl throughout the afternoon (tickets here), followed by a cozy afternoon of reading at Black-owned and woman-owned Octavia’s Bookshelf (tickets here).

The L.A. County Arboretum is unleashing lots of eggs—and puns—on its Arcadia grounds the Friday before Easter. The festivities will occur throughout the evening with an egg scramble for kids (baskets will be provided), plus seasonal crafts, music, photo ops and food trucks. Grown-ups can enjoy specialty cocktails at the Peacock Bar.

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.

Magic Market is bringing all things fae and witchy to Heritage Square, including tarot, palm and lip readings, a pet psychic, aura photography, a scavenger hunt and, of course, tours of the museum’s handsome old homes. Don your witchy, whimsical best and spread out a blanket for a vegan picnic, or shop metaphysical and occult wares, crystals and vintage clothes from 75 vendors at a curated marketplace. Springing for a witch’s pass will get you a Magic Market tote bag, sound bath session and exclusive Octagon house tour.

Corey Helford Gallery regularly hosts fun shows highlighting the artistry of pop-culture subjects, and the lastest exhibit is no exception. Presented in partnership with Mattel Creations, “Toys as Art” celebrates eight decades of Mattel and the impact of its brands, from Barbie to Fisher-Price. See original toy-inspired artwork by over 80 artists from around the world—if you’ve got a cool million lying around, you can even take home a life-size Hot Wheels toy car. Free Saturday programming includes L.A. artist and cartoonist Gary Baseman signing his new UNO deck (March 22, 2pm), a panel of artists discussing toys and their creative processes (March 29, 2pm) and an inner-child workshop led by Case Kenny of Instagram fame (April 5, 2pm). 

The multicity Jackalope art fair is back in Old Pasadena this spring, featuring over 200 local artisans and high-quality, handcrafted goods at Central Park. You’ll find everything from luxe candles and cactus-inspired lamps to plant-based skin care and homemade treats. And unlike some artisan markets, Jackalope offers free admission.

Bibliophiles flock to the USC campus each spring for this annual two-day event. The outdoor book fair of sorts features stalls from a variety of booksellers, as well as author readings, signings and culinary demos. The sheer variety and quality of talent the festival attracts is impressive and legendary—this year’s lineup includes a mix of superstars from the literary, entertainment and culinary worlds, including Chelsea Handler, Jenny Slate, Jon M. Chu, Rachel Kushner, TJ Klune and chefs Brooke Williamson and Nicole Rucker. Bring the kids and spend the weekend discovering new titles, watching screenings and enjoying live music and cultural entertainment. Entry and tickets to conversations are free, while a limited number of speaker-series events are ticketed, ranging in price but often starting as low as $10. Before the weekend kicks off, the 45th annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes awards the year’s best in literature on Friday (tickets are $22–$83).

Watch a slate of classics from the past couple of decades on one of the prettiest rooftops—now called Oasis—in Hollywood at this outdoor screenings series. All movies are piped in over sets of provided wireless headphones. Before showtime, make sure to hit up the bar or the on-site kitchen.

Carb lovers, rejoice: This two-day festival dedicated to all things pizza is returning to L.A. Live. Sample slices from 40 different vendors, watch live dough demos and hear from pizza experts including Roxana Jullapat of Friends & Family Pizza Co. and food writer Andy Wang. More than a handful of Time Out’s favorite pizzerias in town—Pizzana, Hail Mary, Triple Beam Pizza, Prince Street Pizza, Prime, Apollonia’s, LaSorted’s and Ozzy’s Apizza—are on the lineup. 

Pick up litter along the L.A. River for a few hours while learning about its history and how to protect it during this free cleanup event in honor of Earth Day. L.A. Waterkeeper is inviting Angelenos to register for a meetup at North Atwater Park, where you’ll begin picking up trash before going home with a handmade wildflower-seed ball to support local pollinators.

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

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 Culver Hotel is embracing Culver City’s cinematic history with a new series of screenings celebrating the golden age of cinema. To mark the centennial of both MGM and the hotel, you can catch a classic MGM film at the Culver Theater, then head across the street for a themed gathering at the hotel’s Velvet Lounge, complete with cocktails and bites inspired by the evening’s featured presentation.

The Skirball’s annual celebration of the art of puppetry features live music, puppet-making, and new and classic tales told through marionettes, shadow and full-body puppets, who will be walking the premises in between shows from some of the city’s top puppetry acts. 

This can’t-miss festival for classic-film buffs showcases four days’ worth of beloved movies—from the iconic to forgotten gems—courtesy of Turner Classic Movies. This year’s “Grand Illusions: Fantastic Worlds on Film”-themed lineup includes 2001: A Space Odyssey, Bringing Up Baby, Jaws, Superman, Suspicion, The Wiz and more. See these time-honored favorites on the big screen at a handful of Hollywood theaters—the TCL Chinese Theatre, Chinese 6 Theatres and Egyptian Theatre—the way they were meant to be seen. Check the fest’s website for a full lineup of screenings and special guest announcements.

Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Billy Idol, Cat Power, Linda Perry and more play Stills’s annual autism-awareness fundraiser at the Greek, which benefits Autism Speaks. 

Need a little lunch break relaxation? Log off, grab a bite and head to Colburn School Plaza for one of these free concerts by the renowned school’s students, held Tuesdays at noon from April 15 to May 6. 

The hour stands before another springtime, and the Renaissance Pleasure Faire is nigh. Good mistresses and masters, prepareth thy schedules and costumes for the return of the oldest Ren Faire in the country, a spectacle that cov’reth 20 Irwindale acres with Elizabethan libations and amusement: fully armored joust tournaments and tea parties with the queen along with beguiling stage acts, rides, games, delicious edibles and ales abound. The festivities will transpire each weekend at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area; procureth day or season passes in advance by visiting ye olde online box office. And no, we can’t stop talking like this.

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.

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.

The Game, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Method Man and Redman, Baby Bash, Paul Wall, MC Magic, Lil’ Rob and Cali Swag headline 93.5 KDAY’s annual hip-hop concert.

The first time you listened to “Ya Ya,” you just knew that Cowboy Carter was made for the stage, right? Well, Beyoncé will finally tour behind her country-influenced album, and the limited run of dates includes a record-breaking five nights in L.A. at SoFi Stadium.

Disneyland’s already the happiest place on Earth, but throw in a massive parkwide food festival—and now it’s somehow even happier. Running nearly two full months, the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival takes over the state-themed park with eight different culinary marketplaces with themes such as garlic, local beer and wine, peppers and more. Just be sure you don’t forget the rides in all of the culinary whirlwind—fan-favorite Soarin’ has temporarily brought back its California-themed version just for the occasion. 

Strap on your cowboy hat and make the pilgrimage to country music’s biggest jamboree, taking up residence at Coachella’s digs, the Empire Polo Club. Stagecoach is coming back for a three-day fest; expect the usual mix of contemporary and classic country. Zach Bryan, Jelly Roll and Luke Combs headline, with additional sets on the lineup from Brothers Osborne, Sturgill Simpson, Midland, Lana Del Rey, Nelly, Carly Pearce, Shaboozey, Goo Goo Dolls, Tucker Wetmore and DASHA, among others.

Nature lovers, rejoice! Spend a day at the Natural History Museum’s Butterfly Pavilion, which will be open March 23 through August 24 and be home to up to 30 butterfly and moth species, as well as an assortment of California plants. The seasonal outdoor exhibit allows for adults and children alike to witness nature up close—we’re talking walking amid hundreds of butterflies and having them land on your arms or shoulders. Tip: The prime time for these unique butterfly flight experiences is typically between 10am and 11am each morning.

The Boy Who Lived lives on in a wizardly spectacle. As though it had cast a Shrinking Charm on itself, the formerly two-part epic is now a single show, albeit a long one—and one that our New York critic awarded five stars.

After popping up at D23 and Long Beach shopping center 2nd & PCH, themed mini-golf experience Pixar Putt has landed at its most logical home: the Pixar Place Hotel, close to California Adventure and its Pixar Pier. Putt your way through 18 themed holes and step into the stories of Pixar favorites including Toy Story, The Incredibles, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Coco, A Bug’s Life, Wall-E and Inside Out. Opening weekend is sold out, but don’t worry: The course will remain open through June 1.

The South Bay shopping center is welcoming spring with a celebration of sustainability and renewal, hosting a series of free eco-friendly activities, workshops and exhibitions into April. On March 22, you can take part in a 5K fun run for World Water Day. On April 5, you’ll find a springtime market with pop-up vendors, a wellness bar and live music. And on Earth Day, April 22, guests will receive free wildflower seeds to plant, as well as free treats from gourmet cotton candy company the Jolly Sheep.

L.A.’s star-studded lecture series returns—both virtually and in person—with a lineup of writers, artists, performers, scientists and business leaders who will graciously blow your mind. For both online and IRL events, you’ll often have the option of purchasing a signed copy of the speaker’s book, as well.

“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.

The beloved puppet theater’s new show is actually a throwback to its beginnings. Something to Crow About was first created in 1959 for the Laguna Beach Festival of Art and gave Bob Baker Marionette Theater its signature style before the theater officially opened in 1963. The satirical show, which has been revitalized, uses farm animal characters to tell a story about Broadway. Note: Bob Baker is offering comp tickets to fire-affected families throughout opening weekend.

Austrian-born Helmut Lang walked away from fashion 20 years ago to focus solely on art. Now, thanks to the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, his first solo institutional exhibition is opening in Los Angeles—in the historic Schindler House, no less. Curated by Desert X founding artistic director and Frieze Projects curator Neville Wakefield, the show consists of a series of fist-like freestanding sculptures made with found or discarded materials that “both imagine the future and materialize the past.”

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House—centerpiece of Barnsdall Art Park and Los Angeles’ only UNESCO World Heritage Site—just might be the most stunning backdrop for an art exhibition. And, in this case, the home is the subject itself, too. L.A.-based photographer Ireland captured the intricate details of the Hollyhock House in 21 photographs on display throughout the onetime residence.

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.

See over 50 garments from Diane von Furstenberg, best known for her iconic wrap dress, during this career-spanning exhibition at the Skirball. Alongside artwork and fabric swatches, the show will also focus on her philanthropic work as well as how her life was shaped as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor.

On the 50th anniversary of the Norton Simon Museum, look back to when Simon took over management of the Pasadena Art Museum in 1975, then ahead to the museum’s exciting future at this retrospective exhibition. See rare photos from the museum’s archives, and learn about the history of its major acquisitions, exhibitions, building and gardens—which are currently undergoing a transformation.

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.

Pasadena’s USC Pacific Asia Museum hosts this exhibition based on the Getty’s scientific research into Cai Guo-Qiang’s gunpowder art. The show fills up nearly the entire museum with a vast selection of the artist’s work alongside scientific imagery exploring the nature of gunpowder and Cai’s process in using it.

The Natural History Museum’s taxidermy dioramas turn a century old this year, and to celebrate the museum is reviving an entire hall of displays that’ve been dark for decades. Expect some fresh approaches to these assembled snapshots of the wilderness, including alebrijes made of recycled materials, a crystalline depiction of pollution and a tech-driven display of the L.A. River.

Study the technical and cultural background of colorful clay vessels, textiles, bark-paper pages and sculptures in the Indigenous Americas—and how their significance has been downplayed among colonialist histories—during this LACMA exhibition.

It’s more than just the low clearance: This exhibition at the Petersen explores the custom paint, engraving, upholstery and, of course, the gravity-defying suspension of the lowrider scene. In addition to iconic cars, the exhibit spotlights influential artists in the Chicano lowrider art scene. Even if you have no interest in cars, this colorful showcase of 20-plus lowered cars and bikes is excellent: The candy-colored paint jobs are dazzling, and the craftsmanship of the customizations—many vehicles are on display with their engines and undercarriages visible—is remarkable. You’ll learn a little bit of history here, how the “low and slow” movement is rooted in the postwar Mexican American zoot suit counterculture, but largely this is an excuse to ogle some L.A. automotive icons.