The best things to do in Los Angeles this week

KCRW’s School Night series—which has hosted the likes of Father John Misty and Odesza since it started in 2010—is back, this time with a new home: century-old Lincoln Heights bar the Airliner, which recently fully redesigned its music venue and upstairs listening room. Though the sets are short, the price is certainly right, as is the lineup curated by resident DJ and KCRW tastemaker Chris Douridas. This time around, catch free sets by Lindsey Troy (Deap Valley), Ista and Sister Gemini—it’s the perfect excuse to stay out late on a school night.

Dearest gentle readers: Don your finest Regency attire and make your way to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Los Feliz this Thursday afternoon, where you’ll be treated to free scoops and performances by a string quartet in celebration of the Season 4 premiere of Bridgerton. Guests can sample a rare diamond of a flavor—the new, limited-edition Queen Charlotte Sponge Cake—and hear the latest gossip about Benedict Bridgerton’s romantic foibles. 

Think men could do a bit of a better job listening when it comes to dating? This Bachelorette-style game show runs with that conceit as its one rule: The four men competing for a date can’t speak. Instead, they’ll nod and doodle while host Allison Goldberg searches their phones and dials their moms. You can usually find Love Isn’t Blind staged monthly (and you can even apply to participate in it).

Ring in the Lunar New Year in the heart of L.A.’s Chinese community at this annual two-day Monterey Park festival. This street fair takes over five blocks of downtown Monterey Park (Garvey Ave between Garfield and Alhambra) with folk art, delectable bites, live entertainment and a carnival zone. The action kicks off Saturday morning with traditional New Year dragon and lion dancers. Past fests have brought in over 100,000 people, so plan ahead; the city suggests utilizing the free parking and shuttles from Mark Keppel High School (501 E Hellman Ave) or Repetto Elementary School (650 Grandridge Ave).

RECOMMENDED: Chinese New Year in Los Angeles

Learn more about different Asian cultures as you celebrate Lunar New Year at dining and shopping destination Koreatown Plaza, where you can watch a Chinese lion dance, Korean drum performances and taekwondo demonstrations, and a multicultural fashion show—all for free. You can also shop from a variety of Asian American-owned small businesses, and don’t forget food: The first 500 people in attendance will receive $15 vouchers to use at the plaza’s food court, which counts Awoolim, Gamja Bawi, Pao Jao, Tonkatsu House and Bosco Bakery among its vendors.

The winter edition of Dine L.A. is back from January 23 to February 6, with 375 restaurants participating in the two-week blitz of bang-for-your-buck set menus. Scattered among the prix-fixe tradition’s dizzying full list of menus are some of L.A.’s best restaurants offering their signature fare at a more budget-friendly price point. This iteration spotlights the San Fernando Valley and welcomes newcomers all across the county, including the phenomenal new food hall Maydan LA, jazz supper club Somerville and Korean gastropub Yi Cha.

One fateful afternoon in 1924, Lionel Sternberger contemplated the hamburger he was cooking up at Pasadena’s Rite Spot and thought it needed a little something extra. A simple slice of American cheese later and the cheeseburger was born, spawning hundreds of variations across the country and inspiring Pasadena to celebrate its prodigal son each year with a week dedicated to all things cheeseburger. Choose from 40 Pasadena restaurants to take advantage of burger deals and special beefy creations and vote in the Cheeseburger Challenge. New this year is a Route 66 Cheeseburger category and burger crawl to honor both the 100th anniversary of Route 66 and the 150th anniversary of Colorado Boulevard.

You’ve probably seen the nostalgic black-and-white photos of Los Angeles on LA Explained’s Instagram account. And now you can see historical sites in person on its new walking tours. The next immersive tour takes you through Hollywoodland, the original hillside real estate development that’s the origin of the Hollywood Sign we know and love today. Instead of your typical tourist spots, you’ll see often-overlooked landmarks, historic homes and hidden pathways and hear stories about the rise of the film industry. Meet at the Beachwood Market then head out on a two-hour walk with the group that’ll take you past site including Hollywoodland Realty, a secret staircase, Lake Hollywood and the Last House on Mulholland, where you’ll see picture-perfect views of the famed sign.

The beloved late singer, who’s ascended to music and fashion icon status since her untimely death in 1995, is the focus of a new show at the Grammy Museum. Co-curated by the singer’s sister, Suzette Quintanilla, the exhibition will peek behind the curtain of Selena’s life, artistry and career, exploring how her legacy continues as a symbol of empowerment for both young women and Latin communities. You can see the singer’s personal artifacts displayed for the first time outside of the Selena Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas, including her Grammy Award, cellphone, hand-drawn fashions and microphone, still marked with her signature red lipstick. In preparation for the opening, artist Mister Toledo recently created a mural of the singer outside the museum.

Celebrate the history, diversity and wildlife of our fair city with the locally beloved Bob Baker Marionette Theater. This puppet-filled ode to L.A. first debuted in 1981 for the city’s bicentennial, and while it retains its retro charm, it’s been refreshed for 2026 with new animal puppets and updates that reflect Los Angeles today.

What better spot to mark the Lunar New Year than “the happiest place on earth”? Disney California Adventure commemorates the Year of the Horse with a month of multicultural celebrations. Kids can look forward to photo ops and meet-and-greets with Mulan, Mushu, Mickey and Minnie, while adults will find a tasty reprieve with treats from China, Korea and Vietnam. If you’re sticking around into the evening, “Hurry Home – A Lunar New Year Celebration” precedes each World of Color show, while during the day Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession brings dancers, a colorful dragon puppet and a couple of costumed characters across the park.

The masters of alfresco movie viewing are keeping outdoor screening season alive throughout the winter. Its Fireside Films series ensures you’ll stay cozy, with outdoor heaters and a complimentary hot beverage with each ticket. Expect a steady stream local favorites (La La Land, Friday), recent releases (Sinners, Freakier Friday) and modern classics (The Notebook, When Harry Met Sally…) throughout the month. 

The rooftop of West Hollywood hot spot E.P. & L.P. wears many hats: On any given night, you’ll find a trendy rooftop bar, as well as alfresco movie screenings from Melrose Rooftop Theatre, a roller rink or, most recently, an ice skating rink, which is popping up again this January and February thanks to Aussie clothing brand Hello Molly. Tickets for an hour-long skating session include skate rental and a sweet treat—not to mention some of the best views in the city—while seasonal cocktails are available for purchase. Note: Kids are welcome on weekends from noon to 3pm, but the rink is 21+ the rest of the time.

Robert Therrien’s Under the Table has long been one of the most popular pieces in the Broad’s collection (you know the one—the giant table and chairs that you ask your friend to snap a photo of as you stand underneath). Well now the museum is hosting the largest-ever solo exhibition of the artist’s work, displaying more than 120 pieces, including many that have never been shown in museums before. Expect more huge housewares and striking works, plus some intimate drawings and surprises from the late L.A.-based artist. The specially ticketed show will fill the first-floor galleries through April 5, 2026.

Anonymous feminist art collective the Guerrilla Girls—whose members gained notoriety for donning gorilla masks and fighting the patriarchy—is coming up on its 40th anniversary, and the Getty Center is marking the occasion with a behind-the-scenes look at the group. See photography, protest art and the group’s famed posters—sporting statistics, bold visuals and satirical humor—that showcase the tactics the members used to demand recognition for women and artists of color. The Guerrilla Girls have even created a newly commissioned work for the exhibition. And you can add your own mark on the “graffitti wall” installation, giving visitors a creative outlet for their complaints about the world today. 

Accompanying programming throughout the run of the show will include a conversation between the Guerrilla Girls and author Roxane Gay, a feminist Valentine’s Day mail art workshop, cocktail receptions with the exhibition curators, tours and more.

Dealing with a difficult subject head-on, the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA’s new show, “Monuments”—co-presented by the museum and nonprofit the Brick (formerly LAXART)—juxtaposes both intact and vandalized Confederate monuments with contemporary artwork. The show looks at the recent wave of monument removals from a historic perspective and encourages discourse about challenging topics amid an ongoing national debate about the role of these statues and what they represent. Tickets for the special exhibition are $18, though if you book far enough ahead of time, you can take advantage of free admission on the first Friday of every month.

The Hammer Museum’s excellent, ongoing series of biennial exhibitions ups the ante with each edition of its spotlight on emerging and under-recognized L.A. artists. This October’s exhibition—the seventh such show—brings together works from 28 artists, spanning film, painting, theater, photography, sculpture and video, that engage with the city of Los Angeles. A 20-foot-high inflatable, Buggy Bear Crashes Made in L.A. by Alake Shilling, welcomes you to the museum on the corner of Wilshire and Glendon. 

Don’t go in the water, but do go to the Academy Museum to see the largest exhibition ever dedicated to Steven Spielberg’s original summer blockbuster, Jaws—which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The museum was already home to the last surviving model shark from filming, but now you can go behind the scenes and see some 200 original objects from the film across multiple galleries. Some highlights: a re-creation of the Orca fishing boat, the dorsal fin used both in Jaws and its sequels, costumes worn by the central trio and a room full of vintage film posters and merch promoting the film. There are interactive elements, too: You can have your own Chief Brody dolly-zoom moment (and see the lens used to film the famous shot), play the iconic John Williams two-note score and control a replica of the mechanical shark.

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.

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’ World Series hero Freddie Freeman, Olympic medalist softball player Rachel Garcia and more. And 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 will run at the Science Center through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

More than 50 works on display at the Autry showcase how Indigenous artists have crafted visions of alternative futures in the face of enduring colonial trauma, with surreal spacescapes from Wendy Red Star, pop culture commentaries by Andy Everson and a site-specific space odyssey created by Virgil Ortiz.