The Best of Los Angeles in 2026
Wondering where to travel next? Los Angeles is one of the world’s most dynamic cities. Even frequent visitors and longtime residents who are familiar with LA can always discover something new in this vibrant and exciting metropolis.
From arts & culture to the hottest concerts and thrilling sports events, how many of these must-sees will you scratch off your LA bucket list this year?
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift - Universal Studios Hollywood (2026)
Universal Studios Hollywood has announced its first-ever high-speed outdoor roller coaster! Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift will join the theme park family in 2026. The dynamic new thrill ride, themed to Universal Pictures’ blockbuster film saga, Fast & Furious, will elevate the guest experience with innovative and technological achievements never previously employed in a rollercoaster. Renowned for creating groundbreaking and imaginative rides and attractions, Universal Studios Hollywood will bring innovative and technological achievements never previously employed to this all-new thrill ride.
West Harbor - San Pedro (2026)
There’s always a lot going on along the San Pedro seafront, with the Port of Los Angeles busier than at any time in its 117-year history. But there’s now much more public-facing activity, with the $170-million West Harbor complex set for completion in early 2026. Occupying the former Ports O’Call site, the 42-acre West Harbor will comprise more than 350,000 square feet of retail and restaurants plus a 6,200 seat amphitheater.
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (Sep. 22, 2026)
Co-founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is opening in Exposition Park on September 22. Designed by Ma Yansong of MAD with a landscape by Mia Lehrer of Studio-MLA and Stantec as executive architect, the museum is located on an 11-acre campus that includes new green space and a 300,000 square-foot building with galleries, two theatres, a library, restaurant, café, retail store and community spaces.
The Lucas Museum’s permanent collection holds more than 40,000 works representing one of the most significant collections of narrative art. The building’s 35 galleries occupy 100,000 square feet and are named to reflect the human experience—love, family, community, work, play, sports, childhood, adventure and more. They will display familiar pieces by beloved illustrators; mural paintings of the 20th and 21st centuries; comic art, children’s book illustrations and sci-fi illustrations. The museum will also display cinematic artifacts including movie posters and show documentaries featuring artists and filmmakers.
DATALAND (Spring 2026)
“LA has long been a city that looks to the future in art, music, cinema, architecture and more, and it feels natural to open DATALAND here." ~ Refik Anadol
Refik Anadol Studio presents DATALAND, the world’s first Museum of AI Arts, which is set to open in Spring 2026 at The Grand LA, the Frank Gehry-designed development in the heart of Downtown LA. Conceived as a living museum where human imagination meets machine creativity, DATALAND boasts five distinct galleries in a 25,000-square-foot space. Hailing from Istanbul, Türkiye, DATALAND co-founders Refik Anadol and Efsun Erkılıç have cemented their deep commitment to Los Angeles by establishing the museum's flagship location in their adopted home.
Armenian American Museum (2026)
Located in Glendale, the Armenian American Museum will be a cultural campus aimed at enriching the community and educating the public on the Armenian American story. Its permanent exhibition will be devoted to the Armenian Genocide alongside temporary exhibits on diverse cultures and subject matters. Designed by Glendale-based Alajajian-Marcoosi Architects, the 60,000 square-foot facility features a striking, angular façade facing a spacious lawn. Behind, a central plaza will connect to the Glendale Central Library, the city’s adult recreation center, the Museum of Neon Art, parks, play areas and pedestrianized streets.
Arts & Culture
Along with the openings of the Lucas Museum, DATALAND and the Armenian American Museum, LA's world-class museums are presenting a wide range of exhibits in 2026, from "Sportraits" celebrating the World Cup at LACMA to the Egyptian Book of the Dead at the Getty Villa. Plus, the acclaimed Frieze art fair returns in February for its seventh edition.
- Desert Dreams and Coastal Currents (Feb. 14 - Mar. 29)
- Miss Velma in the City of Angels (opens March 2026)
- Life, Liberty and Los Angeles (May 30, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027)
- Promised Lands (opens September 2026)
- Takes Care of Them (opens November 2026)
- Beginnings: The Story of Creation in the Middle Ages (Jan. 27 - Apr. 19)
- Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955-1985 (Feb. 24 - Jun. 14)
- Virtue and Vice: Allegory in European Drawing (Mar. 3 - Jun. 7)
- Lost. Found. Returned. (Jun. 23 - Oct. 18)
- Odilon Redon: Otherworldly Visions (Jul. 14 - Oct. 18)
- Every Minute is History: Five Views of LA (Sep. 1, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027)
- Instante/revelación: Moments in Mexican Photography (Sep. 1, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027)
Getty Villa
- The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Mar. 4 - Nov. 30)
- Arthur Jafa: The White Album (Mar. 14 - Aug. 30)
- Space is the Place (Apr. 5 - Aug. 16)
- Several Eternities in a Day (Apr. 5 - Aug. 23)
- Hammer Projects: Mike Cloud (Apr. 5, 2026 - Jan. 7, 2027)
- Fútbol is Life (Feb. 15 - Jul. 12)
- Village Square (Feb. 22 - Jul. 5)
- Sueño Perro (Feb. 22 - Jul. 26)
- Fashioning Chinese Women (Jun. 14 - Oct. 25)
Frieze LA (Feb. 26 - Mar. 1)
The seventh edition of Frieze Los Angeles returns to Santa Monica Airport from February 26 to March 1. Frieze LA will bring together more than 95 galleries with spaces in 22 countries across the globe, featuring many of the most influential voices in contemporary art, including internationally acclaimed galleries such as Gagosian, Gladstone, Hauser & Wirth, Lisson Gallery, Pace Gallery, Perrotin, Almine Rech, Thaddaeus Ropac, White Cube, David Zwirner and more. LA's dynamic gallery community will be represented by Matthew Brown, Château Shatto, Commonwealth and Council, Anat Ebgi, David Kordansky Gallery, The Pit and Roberts Projects.
Theatre
From Broadway blockbusters to local independent venues, there is no better city in the country to experience live theatre than Los Angeles. For a roundup of current and upcoming productions, visit the Discover LA Theatre page.
Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
- Kim's Convenience (Mar 21 - Apr. 19)
- Mamma Mia! (Jun. 23 - Jul. 19)
Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
- Here Lies Love (Feb. 11 - Mar. 22)
- Primary Trust (May 20 - Jun. 28)
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
- The Enormous Crocodile (Through Jan. 4)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (Nov. 12-16)
- Stereophonic (Through Jan. 2)
- The Notebook (Jan. 6-25)
- The Book of Mormon (Feb. 3-15)
- Six (Feb. 18 - Mar. 8)
- Beetlejuice (Mar. 10-22)
- Spamalot (Mar. 24 - Apr. 12)
- Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (Apr. 14-19)
- MJ: The Musical (Apr. 21 - May 3)
- The Sound of Music (May 5-24)
- Hell's Kitchen (May 26 - Jun. 21)
- The Phantom of the Opera (Jun. 24 - Aug. 9)
- Beauty and the Beast (Aug. 12 - Sep. 6)
- Sylvia Sylvia Sylvia (Feb. 4 - Mar. 8)
- Dragon Mama (Mar. 4 - Apr. 12)
- Master Harold and the Boys (Apr. 8 - May 10)
- Angry, Raucous & Shamelessly Gorgeous (Jun. 10 - Jul. 12)
- The Great Race (Jan. 17)
- Margaret Cho: Choligarchy (Jan. 23)
- 20 Years of Los Angeles Ballet (Jan. 31)
- Compagnie Hervé Koubi (Feb. 19-21)
- English (Apr. 4-26)
- Dancing with Bob: Rauschenberg, Brown & Cunningham Onstage (May 7-9)
- BODYTRAFFIC: Ma Maison (Jun. 4-6)
- Amadeus (Feb. 11 - Mar. 8)
- Song of the North (Mar. 21-29)
- Brigadoon (May 13 - Jun. 14)
- Exodus (Jul. 8 - Aug. 2)
Concerts
Whether it's world-famous music legends or local rising stars, there are must-see performances happening every night in LA. Read on for highlights of concerts scheduled for 2026, from outdoor landmarks like the Hollywood Bowl and Greek Theatre to the state-of-the-art Intuit Dome and SoFi Stadium.
- Calibash 2026 (Jan. 17)
- Banda MS de Sergio Lizarraga (Feb. 13)
- Alex Warren: Little Orphan Alex Live (Jun. 6)
- Louis Tomlinson (Jun. 11)
- Ariana Grande: The Eternal Sunshine Tour (Jun. 13-14)
- Olivia Dean (Jul. 14-15)
- Neil Forever: 50 Years of Neil Diamond's Love at The Greek (Apr. 25)
- Raye (May 12-13)
- Puscifer (May 14)
- Alejandro Sanz (May 15)
- Echo & The Bunnymen (May 17)
- Russell Dickerson (May 20)
- Yungblud (May 22)
- Felipe Esparza (Jun. 13)
- Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band (Jun. 14)
- Parker McCollum (Jun. 19)
- Matte Rife (Jul. 11-12)
- Rainbow Kitten Surprise (Jul. 21)
- O.A.R. Three Decades Tour (Aug. 8)
- Train (Aug. 24)
- Lewis Capaldi (May 2)
- Rod Stewart (Jun. 10)
- Opening Night at the Bowl (Jun. 20)
- A Roots Picnic Experience (Jun. 27)
- July Fourth Fireworks Spectacular feat. The Beach Boys (Jul. 2-4)
- Smokey Robinson & Gladys Knight (Jul. 24-25)
- Smooth Summer Jazz (Aug. 30)
- Movie Night (Sep. 6)
- A Tribute to ABBA (Sep. 25)
- Jack Johnson (Oct. 10-11)
- My Chemical Romance (Oct. 21, 23-24, 30-31)
- Mike Sherm (Jan. 3)
- Galantis (Jan. 9-10)
- Whether (Jan. 24)
- Jade (Feb. 2)
- Aleman & Gera MX (Feb. 6)
- JSTJR (Feb. 7)
- BBNO$ (Feb. 18)
- Snow Stripper (Feb. 20)
- LEVEL UP x ZINGARA (Feb. 21)
- Artemas (Feb. 26)
- Kream (Mar. 7)
- Rich Brian (Mar. 14)
- Mariah The Scientist (Mar. 28-29)
- Ruel (Apr. 8)
- Sticky Fingers (Apr. 9)
- Masayoshi Takanaka (Apr. 12-13)
- Health x Carpenter Brut (May 1)
- The Midnight (May 15)
- Touché Amoré (May 15-16)
- Slide Away 2026 (May 29-30)
- Belle & Sebastian (Jun. 5-6)
- Peter Hook & The Light (Sep. 19)
- Los Tigres del Norte (Feb. 21)
- Ghost (Feb. 23)
- Ricardo Arjona (Feb. 28)
- LANY (Apr. 4)
- Three Days Grace (Nov. 22)
- iHeartRadio Alter Ego '26 (Jan. 17)
- Twice (Jan. 21-22, 24-25)
- New Edition (Jan. 31)
- Cardi B (Feb. 15-16)
- Lady Gaga (Feb. 18-19, 22-23)
- Sabaton (Feb. 20)
- Brandi Carlile (Feb. 27)
- Miguel (Mar. 13)
- Conan Gray (Mar. 20)
- B2K & Bow Wow (Mar. 22)
- Bad Omens (Mar. 26)
- Electric Callboy (Apr. 21)
- Third Day (Apr. 24)
- Lorde (May 14-15)
- Demi Lovato (May 16)
- Florence + The Machine (May 19-20)
- Rush (Jun. 7, 9, 11, 13)
- Ariana Grande (Jun. 17, 19-20)
- 5 Seconds of Summer (Jul. 11)
- Meghan Trainor (Aug. 15)
- The Neighbourhood (Oct. 9)
- Doja Cat (Oct. 22)
- Los Bukis (Feb. 20)
- Ed Sheeran (Aug. 8)
- Seth MacFarlane (Feb. 17)
- Vertigo in Concert (Mar. 21)
- Herbie Hancock (Apr. 14)
- Ichiko Aoba (Apr. 24)
- Pat Metheny (May 4)
- Waxahatchee & MJ Lenderman (May 6)
Dine LA Restaurant Week (Jan. 23 - Feb. 6)
The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board presents Dine LA Restaurant Week from January 23 to February 6 and again in summer 2026. The 15-day event invites visitors and locals alike to experience the diverse culinary offerings available throughout Los Angeles and L.A. County. One of the largest restaurant weeks in the country, Dine LA features a lineup of more than 400 restaurants across the city offering special prix fixe lunch and dinner menus spanning a wide range of global cuisines.
"I truly fell in love with Los Angeles." ~ René Redzepi, Noma
Noma (Spring 2026)
Acclaimed Danish chef René Redzepi and his inspired team of chefs, foragers and fermenters from Copenhagen’s three-Michelin Star Noma restaurant will be in Los Angeles for a planned 5-6 months of hugely anticipated pop-ups.
Sports
NBA All-Star Weekend (Feb. 13-15)
The NBA All-Star Game is returning to Inglewood for the first time in over forty years! Hosted by the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome on February 15, it’s the focus of an entire All-Star weekend of hoops-related events. The fun starts on Friday, February 13 with NBA Rising Stars, which showcases the skills of top rookies and second-year NBA players. On Saturday, the State Farm All-Star Saturday Night will feature the Kia Skills Challenge, the Starry 3-Point Challenge and AT&T Slam Dunk. Of course, these are just appetizers for the All-Star Game itself on Sunday, an exhibition contest for two dozen of the NBA’s top players that is marking its 75th annual edition at the Intuit Dome and its seventh time in Los Angeles.
U.S. Women’s Open Golf Championship (Jun. 2-7)
The U.S. Women’s Open Golf Championship comes to the nearly century-old course at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, renowned for its natural layout and new challenges at every hole - Arnold Palmer dubbed it “one of the great tests of golf.” The Riviera’s course will also host men’s and women’s golf competitions at the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
FIFA World Cup™ (Jun. 11- Jul. 19)
Globally recognized as the world’s most prestigious soccer competition, FIFA World Cup™ is also the most widely viewed and followed sporting event on the planet. The 2026 tournament is marking a huge expansion from its traditional 32 national teams to 48. This has required joint hosting by 16 cities across three countries: the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Los Angeles is a host city, with the opening match for the U.S. team (who as hosts qualify automatically) on June 12; four group stage matches; two knockout matches; and a quarterfinal all being played at Inglewood’s 70,000-capacity SoFi Stadium.
Festivals
Celebrate LA's diverse communities at festivals taking place across the city all year long.
Oshogatsu Family Festival - Little Tokyo (Jan. 11)
Hosted by the Japanese American National Museum, the annual Oshogatsu Family Festival welcomes the Year of the Horse with cultural performances, crafts, and activities for families and kids of all ages.
127th Golden Dragon Parade (Feb. 21)
Chinatown's Lunar New Year festivities will culminate with the 127th Annual Golden Dragon Parade and festival on Saturday, February 21, with more than 100,000 spectators lining the route to watch floats, marching bands, entertainers, local business leaders and cultural groups. The Golden Dragon Parade is the oldest celebration of its kind in the U.S.
Skyline - Gloria Maria Grand Park (Feb. 28 - Mar. 1)
For EDM fans, the place to be is Skyline, which will transform Downtown LA's Gloria Molina Grand Park into a vibrant, pulsating playground for music and art lovers alike. The weekend festival will celebrate LA's creative underground with top DJs, bold murals and immersive digital installations.
Festival of Books - USC (Apr. 18-19)
Since 1996, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books has gathered writers, poets, artists, filmmakers, musicians and emerging storytellers for a weekend celebration of the written word. Taking place at USC, the festival is the largest event of its kind in the country.
TCM Classic Film Festival (Apr. 30 - May 3)
Held over four days in the heart of Hollywood, the TCM Classic Film Festival welcomes movie lovers from around the world to gather and watch classic movies as they were meant to be experienced: on the big screen, in historic venues, with the people who made them.
LA Fleet Week - LA Waterfront (May 22-25)
LA Fleet Week is an annual celebration of our nation’s Sea Services held on the LA Waterfront at the Port of Los Angeles over Memorial Day Weekend. Public events include active duty ship tours; military displays and equipment demos; aircraft flyovers, live entertainment and the ever-popular Galley Wars, a cook-off competition between Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Army teams.
Anime Expo - LACC (Jul. 2-5)
The largest anime convention in North America, the Anime Expo (AX) is held annually over July 4th Weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Downtown LA. Each year, the four-day AX welcomes more than 100,000 fans to celebrate Japanese pop culture and experience the Masquerade, Anime Music Video Contest, concerts, and the epic Fashion Show. There's also late-night programming such as dance, video screenings, tabletop and electronic gaming, and open-mic karaoke.
Nisei Week (Aug. 15-23)
Spanning two weekends and nine days of family-friendly events in Little Tokyo, Nisei Week includes the Grand Parade, Plaza Festival, Car Show, and traditional performances of Taiko and Ondo.
