Annual Events in Los Angeles
January
Tournament of Roses - Pasadena
Long a beacon of sunny Southern California lifestyle to the rest of the winter world, the Tournament of Roses represents a colorful New Year's Celebration to the rest of U.S. and the world at large. The Tournament of Roses Parade, which first took place in 1890, typically draws about a million people along its five-mile route in Pasadena. First played in 1902, the Rose Bowl Game features a matchup of two of college football's best teams at the legendary Rose Bowl Stadium.
Golden Globe Awards - Beverly Hilton
Every year since 1944, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has kicked off Los Angeles' awards season with the Golden Globe Awards. An annual fixture at the Beverly Hilton since 1961, the Globes celebrate the best of both cinema and television.
Dine LA Restaurant Week - Citywide
Dine LA Restaurant Week is a 15-day biannual event that showcases the diverse and thriving LA dining scene. Hundreds of the city's top restaurants feature prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner, giving diners the opportunity to sample the best that LA has to offer. Learn more here.
February
Golden Dragon Parade
For more than a century, the Chinese Lunar New Year has been celebrated with the Golden Dragon Parade. Produced by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles, the parade typically draws more than 80,000 people along its route on Chinatown’s North Broadway. Music, drill teams, firecrackers and music all make the Golden Dragon Parade an only-in-Los Angeles event.
Grammy Awards - Crypto.com Arena
Since 1958, Los Angeles has secured its place as the center of the global music industry with the Grammy Awards. Live performances featuring established musical acts, new stars and unique musical pair-ups make the global broadcast of the event, which takes place at Crypto.com Arena, must-see viewing.
Film Independent Spirit Awards - Santa Monica Beach
The feistier alternative to the Academy Awards, the Film Independent Spirit Awards celebrates independent and underground filmmaking. The vent was founded in 1984, and notably takes place within a big tent on Santa Monica Beach.
March
Los Angeles Marathon - Citywide
Each March, Los Angeles Marathon attracts more than 25,000 runners and participants to its 26.2-mile "Stadium to the Stars" course, which begins at Dodger Stadium and ends at Century City's Avenue of the Stars. The Marathon has been held since 1986.
Academy Awards - Dolby Theatre
The oldest ceremony of LA's awards season, the Academy Awards, which celebrates the best in cinema, takes place at the Dolby Theatre in Ovation Hollywood and is broadcast to more than 225 countries worldwide. The first-ever Academy Awards, or Oscars, was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel.
April
LA Times Festival of Books - USC
Mid-April gives Angelenos and visitors alike the chance to get literary, as the LA Times's Festival of Books takes place at USC. Dating back to 1996, the Festival hosts dozens of authors and attracts more than 150,000 people each year.
Fiesta Broadway – Downtown Los Angeles
Hosting what's billed as the world's largest Cinco de Mayo celebration, LA gets a jump on the annual festivities with Fiesta Broadway in late April. Taking place in Downtown, the party includes food, games and music, among other activities.
Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire - Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area
The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire is held on Saturdays and Sundays from early April to mid-May. The event, which debuted in 1963, typically attracts more than 200,000 people to Irwindale's Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area and features music, food, constumes and more than a dozen stages of entertainment.
May
Fleet Week Memorial Day – San Pedro
Memorial Day weekend marks the annual celebration of Fleet Week at the LA Waterfront in San Pedro. A tribute to those who lost their lives serving the U.S military, Fleet Week features live music, movies and tours of iconic ships such as the Battleship IOWA.
LA County Fair - Pomona Fairplex
A Southern California tradition since 1922, the Los Angeles County Fair attracts more than one million people to the Pomona Fairplex every year. The three-week event features dozens of carnival rides and attractions, as well as a popular concert series with best-selling musical artists.
June
LA Pride
2025 marked the 55th annual LA Pride parade, one of the U.S.'s largest LGBTQIA+ celebrations. Taking place along Hollywood Boulevard, the event brings more than 100,000 people each year.
July
July 4th Fireworks Spectacular - Hollywood Bowl
One of Southern California's most popular summer traditions, the annual July 4th Fireworks Spectacular at the Hollywood Bowl features legendary music acts and incredible fireworks displays in a gorgeous outdoor setting.
Anime Expo - Los Angeles Convention Center
Each July, fans of Japanese animation flock to the Los Angeles Convention Center for the Anime Expo, which first took place in California in 1992 and has been held at the convention center since 2008. Thousands of anime fans dressed in mind-blowing costumes attend competitions, industry panels, screenings and much more.
Dine LA Restaurant Week - Citywide
Dine LA Restaurant Week is a 15-day biannual event that showcases the diverse and thriving LA dining scene. Hundreds of the city's top restaurants feature prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner, giving diners the opportunity to sample the best that LA has to offer. Learn more here.
August
Nisei Week Japanese Festival - Little Tokyo
Since 1934, Los Angeles has celebrated its Japanese American legacy with Nisei Week. The festival takes place in Downtown L.A.'s landmark Little Tokyo district and includes a queen and court, a parade, food vendors and other activities celebrating Japanese and Japanese American culture.
September
Emmy Awards - Microsoft Theater
The best of television is celebrated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with the the Primetime Emmy Awards, which is held at the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE in Downtown LA.
Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival/Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival - Watts Towers
South LA's Watts Towers puts on a two-day party each September. For more than four decades, the Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival and the Simon Rodia Jazz Festival celebrates musical forms such as jazz, gospel and R&B. The festivities also include food, arts & crafts, and kids' activities.
October
Halloween Carnaval - West Hollywood
More than half a million people attend the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval, the world's largest Halloween street party. The free, all-ages festival features a half-dozen stages of live music and entertainment.
AIDS Walk Los Angeles - West Hollywood
Each October, tens of thousands of people participate in the six-mile AIDS Walk Los Angeles, which loops through the West Hollywood area. Since its inception in 1985, AIDS Walk Los Angeles has raised nearly $90 million.
November
LA Auto Show - Los Angeles Convention Center
Founded in 1907, the LA Auto Show welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors to the heart of the car capital of the world. Taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the 10-day event highlights the latest in the auto industry with dozens of North American and global model introductions.
Dia de los Muertos - Hollywood Forever
The historic cemetery that is Hollywood Forever is the site of one of the largest U.S. celebrations of Dia de Los Muertos – the Day of the Dead. Attracting as many as 40,000 people, the event features food vendors, arts & crafts, exhibitions and more than 100 altars as well as a children’s arts project area.
USC vs. UCLA Football - Los Angeles Coliseum/Rose Bowl
Every year, UCLA's and USC's football face off, alternately at either the Los Angeles Coliseum (SC's home field) or the Rose Bowl (UCLA's home field). LA's longest-running crosstown rivalry has decided many Bowl game matchups and attracts as many as 100,000 fans.
December
Hollywood Christmas Parade - Hollywood
Since 1928, Hollywood has rung in the holiday season with the Hollywood Christmas Parade along world-famous Hollywood Boulevard. Celebrities, floats, equestrian riders, classic cars and marching bands.
LA County Holiday Celebration - Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
LA's largest holiday celebration takes place each Christmas Eve at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. A December fixture since 1959, the festivities include instrumental music, choral music and dance performances that showcase the diverse cultures and holiday traditions of LA County.
Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade - Marina del Rey
For those looking to celebrate the holiday season in true Southern California style, the Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade has hosted a cavalcade of holiday-decorated and lighted boats since 1963.
