Labor Day events in Los Angeles

Everyone’s favorite NPR member station has a hand in a slew of summer concert slates at public plazas and beloved museums, including Labor Day weekend events at the Autry Museum (with guest DJ duo Wooden Wisdom) and the last bash of the season: a block party in the NoHo Arts District headlined by singer-songwriter Madison McFerrin and DJs Peanut Butter Wolf and LUXXURY.

Nobody’s film credits can compare to John Williams: Star Wars, E.T., Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and literally a hundred others. David Newman conducts the L.A. Phil as they tackle some of the composer’s iconic film scores set to a selection of movie clips—and against the glow of a sea of lightsabers in the crowd. Though Williams used to appear (and conduct) in person for this series each year, these shows now serve as a tribute to the nonagenarian.

BTS, the first K-pop boy band sensation to make a splash in America, is embarking on a massive world tour after a four-year hiatus. Lucky for us Angelenos, the Bangtan Boys are stopping by SoFi Stadium for four nights.

Each summer, Bard fanatics watch their favorite works come to life in the dell above the historic Old Zoo in Griffith Park. Independent Shakespeare Co. puts on lively productions each week, inviting audiences to take a seat on the grass (read: bring a picnic blanket) and enjoy performances like this month’s headliner, Shakespeare’s self-explanatory A Comedy of Errors, which closes September 6. 

Roam the stalls at this Labor Day weekend 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 past few fests have streamlined the layout: You’ll still find an on-the-street makers mercado and food fair along Hermosa and Pier Avenues, but there’s now live music at the beach, plus a mini carnival a bit inland. There’s also a beer and wine garden close to the beach with its own music lineup—though that charges a $10 cover fee and is 21-plus.

Fresh off a wildly successful first edition of her Daisy Chain Fields music festival, Olivia Rodrigo is stepping into the spotlight at the Grammy Museum, where a new exhibition is devoted to the pop star. Running through February 22, 2027, “Olivia Rodrigo: the cure unraveled” will feature an exclusive look at the handcrafted hospital sets, costumes, props, stop-motion animatronics and original artwork from the singer’s music video for single “the cure,” off her new album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love. An expanded career-retrospective version will land later in this fall, so stay tuned.

“You know where you are? You’re in the jungle, baby.” So squeals Axl Rose these days, with a little less sex appeal but still a spark of that Sunset Strip chaos. The band’s blistering, if often uneven and overlong, nearly three-hour sets have all of the marks of an old school stadium tour: costume changes, super sexy backup dancers, a stage-chewing Slash and a pyro-filled finale during “Paradise City.” Ice Cube is joining the lineup for this show at the Rose Bowl, where GNR will return after over 30 years.

Film buffs, unite. This lesser-known cinephile festival is celebrating more than six decades of showing rare and unusual fare—you won’t find Casablanca on the program, but rather classic titles you most likely have never encountered before. Enjoy a five-day program of features and shorts shown at the festival’s new venue—the Nuart Theatre in West L.A.—interspersed by Q&As with special guests, including I Dream of Jeannie’s Barbara Eden. 

Make your Labor Day weekend a little bit country at Hollywood’s cowboy-chic rooftop bar as its Wild West pool party series wraps up its summer season. You’ll find a “trading post” pop-up of local vendors, a cowboy cookout, karaoke, cocktails and music from country DJ Ariana Gavrilis, so bring your boots and party till the sun sets over the city. 

Listen to classical and jazz in a dome more than a mile above L.A. during this mountaintop concert series curated by artistic director Cécilia Tsan. The Mount Wilson Observatory is once again hosting monthly concerts this summer inside the dome of its 100-inch Hooker telescope—which was the largest telescope in the world for much of the first half of the 20th century. Tickets cost $65 (that also includes access to the exhibit at the observatory), and it’s highly recommended that you buy them in advance since seating is limited. Note: You’ll need to be able to climb 53 steps to reach the dome, and children under 12 aren’t permitted. 

If your idea of a good Saturday involves drinking sake and eating sushi, congratulations: You have plans. Even better, these plans are probably a little more elevated than what your local spot has to offer. The American Craft Sake Festival hits Lumen West LA on September 5 with more than 100 premium pours—including Dassai Blue, Sawtelle Sake, Hakkaisan, Brooklyn Kura and Narumi Craft Sake—plus fresh sushi from Yama Sushi Marketplace, curated food pairings, sake seminars, a live DJ, games and more. All proceeds benefit the Sake Brewers Association of North America and Story Boldly.

Say goodbye to summer and hello to a fall full of Oktoberfests at this early-season night market, held after-hours at San Gabriel’s five-star Blossom Market Hall. In addition to pop-ups from Rice Balls of Fire, Wing Me Up, La Abispa, Belle Pasta and Adamz Pizza Stop, host Bar Blossom will be serving up cocktails and beers on tap, and there’ll be outdoor games and karaoke all night. 

Twice a year, we’re more than happy to fork over some cash for some beautifully thick books just waiting to find a home on our shelves and coffee tables. Get cultured without breaking the bank during Taschen’s biannual sale, in which the art book purveyors are taking up to 75% off photo books on David Hockney, Marvel Comics, London, Valentino, sexy record covers and much more—both online and at their Beverly Hills and Original Farmers Market locations, where you can get your pick of titles a day early on September 2.

Your inner nerd has plans for Labor Day weekend. Long Beach Comic Con returns September 5 and 6 with two days of comics, cosplay, toys, games, movies and enough pop-culture obsession to make you feel extremely normal. The guest list includes Billy West, Phil LaMarr, Diedrich Bader, Efren Ramirez, Walter Jones, Karan Ashley, Vincent Martella and plenty more, while panels cover everything from Pokémon and Futurama to Power Rangers and Star Trek. 

Travel back to the LBC circa 1996 inside the Grammy Museum’s new celebration of Sublime. Three decades after the release of the legendary Long Beach ska-punk-reggae trio’s self-titled breakthrough—as well as the passing of singer and guitarist Bradley Nowell—the museum has assembled this nostalgic showcase of flyers, instruments and black-and-white performance photos. Highlights include handwritten lyrics to “Wrong Way,” archival live footage and Nowell’s sticker-covered acoustic guitar.

Each year, Cinespia brings classic cult favorites to the hallowed resting place of Old Hollywood greats. For LDW, you can watch Josie and the Pussycats on Saturday and The Sandlot on Sunday.

Santa Monica has really been stepping it up lately in the community programming department. Case in point: Tongva Twilight, a brand-new summer series offering free live music and films on Saturday nights, produced by Rum & Humble. Expect a lineup of big band ska, salsa, yacht rock and New Orleans funk, as well as music-themed films and free popcorn on select nights. Pack a picnic and enjoy an evening of entertainment with an ocean backdrop.

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, including Project Hail Mary, playing on Friday.

The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing keep it going with a jam-packed lineup year-round in Downtown L.A. Labor Day weekend screenings include Obsession, 500 Days of Summer, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Notebook, School of Rock, Interstellar and La La Land.

The picnic-style, music and food-truck-filled screening series marks the long weekend with a showing of Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman spooky favorite Practical Magic on Saturday at the Autry.

Every Sunday you can find dozens of food vendors at this market at ROW DTLA, with a mix of much-loved pop-ups and future foodie stars. Labor Day weekend marks the last opportunity to take advantage of Ice Cream Alley, a seasonal assembly of sweets vendors.

See the marionette theater’s family-friendly take on Halloween during the two-month return of its Hallowe’en Spooktacular—a refurbished production of its long-running “boo-sical revue” where you can see over 100 silly and spooky puppets take the stage. A newer addition is the Día de los Muertos sequence that pays tribute to the holiday. Once October arrives, each show will include a costume parade, so dressing up is encouraged.

Take a break from watching cat videos on your phone and head to Eagle Rock to watch them on the big screen surrounded by like-minded feline fans. The CatVideoFest, returning to Vidiots over Labor Day weekend in the theater’s MUBI Microcinema, will screen a 70-minute compilation that’s sure to be the cat’s meow. Even better? Ticket proceeds go to local cat charities and shelters, so you’ll be doing your four-legged friends a favor. 

Catch free outdoor movies at Burton Chace Park. Bring a low-back chair to claim a first-come, first-served space. Tickets aren’t required, but RSVPs are appreciated to stay up to date on any changes. This Saturday, the feature presentation is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

For more than 50 years, this venue has drawn theater aficionados to its storied, open-air stage for engaging productions in a magical setting. The 299-seat amphitheater in Topanga Canyon hosts audiences of all ages for plays from a wide range of genres, from Shakespearean classics to folk tales. This season, catch William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as a stage version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Noël Coward’s Waiting in the Wings and The People of Pompeii, a new dark comedy Bernardo Cubría wrote in the aftermath of the 2025 wildfires.

Life imitates art, literally: Classic paintings, statues and murals take on a new dimension as real people dress and pose to re-create original masterpieces—a trick popularized by vaudeville artiste Lolita Perine at the first festival in 1932. A professional orchestra, a narrator, intricate sets and theatrical lighting help bring the works to life at the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach. This year’s theme, “The Greatest of All Time,” breathes life into arts most iconic masterpieces, from the Trevi Fountain to works by Monet, Van Gogh and Rockwell. For the season’s last performance, on September 4, expect some surprises and a Beatles tribute concert during what they’re calling “The Greatest Party of All Time.”

Five photographers who pushed their medium in new directions in the second half of the 20th century present their unique takes on the city in this Getty Center show. Influenced by techniques including social documentary practices, staged scenes and fashion, the photographs of Laura Aguilar, Reynaldo Rivera, George Rodriguez, Patssi Valdez and Ricardo Valverde expanded Chicano and Chicana representation in Los Angeles.

Just in time for silver screen starlet Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday, the Academy Museum is presenting a centennial celebration dedicated to the woman and her work, offering a look at the actress beyond her blond bombshell persona. In addition to posters, portraits, letters and rarely seen personal items—including decor from Monroe’s Brentwood home and the star’s makeup products—highlights from the exhibition include screen-worn costumes. Particularly noteworthy are the scandalous-at-the-time beaded dresses from Some Like It Hot and the rarely exhibited famous pink dress Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes—which is a show-stopper in a glitzy room of its own.

Tucked into the back corner of the galleries, you can watch a compilation of the star’s onscreen work in CinemaScope—including the iconic subway grate scene. As a whole, the show provides a thoughtful look at Norma Jeane Baker’s transformation into Marilyn Monroe, her trials and tribulations, and why her star will never fade.

It doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile—or if you’re more of a fan of the street racing and respect era or heists and hackers phase of Fast & Furious: There’s plenty of familiar motorized might to behold at this Petersen Automotive Museum exhibition honoring the high-adrenaline film franchise. You’ll find roughly 20 screen-used cars and production prototypes—including ones on loan from Vin Diesel’s private collection, as well as from the late Paul Walker—on display in the second floor of the Miracle Mile museum.

It’s a very Fast & Furious kind of year in L.A. between Universal Studios’ roller coaster and this 25th anniversary exhibition. While the Petersen’s exhibition is certainly encyclopedic (the selections here span the entirety of the franchise, with a particular focus on the first three films), it’s not overly academic: Brief labels will let you know the story behind the stunt car you’re staring at, but this is ultimately an opportunity to ogle American muscle cars and custom Japanese imports (as well as the franchise’s melodramatic quotes about family). Highlights on display include the 1993 Toyota Supra “Stunt #3” and 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) in the original film, Dominic Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) 1968 Dodge Charger R/T and 1993 Mazda RX-7, and Suki’s (Devon Aoki) very pink 2001 Honda S2000.

You may have come across Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s massive troll sculptures—which he makes from reclaimed wood and hides in nature to encourage people to get out and enjoy the outdoors—on Instagram. But you don’t need to book a trip to Denmark to see the gentle giants. The 87 acres of Palos Verdes’s South Coast Botanic Garden are currently home to 12 of the whimsical figures, and you can glimpse them all with your general admission ticket. For $33, you can take a guided walking tour of the Twelvelings (with general admission included). To see the trolls in a different light, one night a month, the gardens will host the Canopy Club—an after-hours dance party in the woods with pop-up performances, food and drinks ($34–$50).

The inimitable artist, musician and activist—and John Lennon’s other half—is the subject of the Broad’s new show, Ono’s first-ever solo museum exhibition in Southern California. Organized in collaboration with the Tate Modern in London, “Music of the Mind” is perhaps the Broad’s most participatory exhibition to date. Many of the works from the artist’s seven-decade long career invite audience engagement, all working toward a common goal of peace and connection. Hammer a nail into the wall (and hold your ears intermittently throughout the rest of your walk-through) in a re-creation of the piece that occasioned Ono and Lennon’s meeting; grab a blue marker and add your mark to a blank room anchored by a wooden boat; and listen to recordings of Ono’s music. You can even crawl into a black bag and strike a pose for Bag Piece (though no one took the plunge during my visit).

In conjunction with the show, the museum has transformed the olive trees on the outdoor East West Bank Plaza into Wish Trees for Los Angeles, where visitors can tie their own wishes on the branches. Also on display is Acorn Event (1968) and Bed Peace (1969), anti-war works of activism Ono and Lennon worked on together, as well as additional performance art pieces captured on video. The minimalist exhibition is thought-provoking and mind-expanding—though it probably won’t change whatever opinion of Ono, whether positive or negative, you hold before the show. 

Tickets for the special exhibition are $21 and available at thebroad.org. But every Thursday evening from 5 to 8pm, you can visit for free (the show will also be free all day on Juneteenth and the Fourth of July).

The Skirball’s Jack Kirby exhibition may be over, but the museum has followed it up with this expansive look at how comics came to dominate pop culture. Many of the creators of the medium were immigrants and outsiders—including Jewish Americans—who poured their experiences with struggle, aspiration and reinvention into their work. From the Great Depression through Y2K, comics reflected the national moment and in the process actually helped shape American identity. On display, you’ll find original artwork and artifacts relating to beloved comic book characters, from superheroes like Superman and Black Panther to comedic classics like Little Lulu, Archie and Alfred E. Neuman. The exhibition does a great job of tracing the entire history of the medium in an accessible and engaging way, and should satisfy both comic book lovers and history buffs alike.

Step into the story of a lovely lady in Studio City when the iconic Brady Bunch house—recently named a Historic-Cultural Monument by the city—opens its doors to the public for a fan’s fever dream. The home’s interiors have been renovated—thanks to HGTV’s A Very Brady Renovation—and meticulously decorated by the owner for a fully immersive experience. Walk up the carpeted staircase to check out the kids’ memorabilia-filled bedrooms; ogle the groovy green and orange kitchen; step into the wood-paneled study; snoop in Alice’s boudoir and more. The experience offers an interactive journey through TV history, and the intimate self-guided tours are limited to a handful of people at a time. Ticket proceeds benefit local dog rescue nonprofit Wags and Walks. The only caveat? They don’t come cheap—the $290 price tag will likely only attract die-hard BB fans, though a run of dates last November did sell out.

Walk through a pavilion of fluttering tropical butterflies you can’t normally glimpse in Southern California, and peep a chamber with pupae and caterpillars at South Coast Botanic Garden’s seasonal exhibition. For an extra $6, you can pick up a nectar “lollipop” to attract and feed the butterflies yourself. Carve out some time to explore the beautiful gardens afterward.