The Force is Strong in Los Angeles

Whether it's May the 4th (aka Star Wars Day) or any time of year, the Entertainment Capital of the World offers many ways for fans to celebrate Star Wars.

With Andor Season 2 now streaming on Disney+, Tales of the Underworld premiering on May the 4th and Season 3 of Visions on October 29, try to contain your excitement - or as Yoda said, “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

All events take place on Sunday, May 4, 2025 unless otherwise noted.

These ARE the droids you're looking for at the spectacular Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which houses more than 13 million objects in a 300,000 square-foot campus designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano.

May the 4th Celebration: Exploring the Galaxy
Is the Force strong with you? Whether you’re a Padawan, Jedi or Sith, all will unite for the May the 4th Celebration: Across the Galaxy - a fun-filled day that includes a droid meet & greet, all-ages workshop, community mural, screenings, and more in a galaxy far, far away. Be sure to dress up in your best Star Wars–inspired costumes!

SCHEDULE

• Community Mural (10:30am–2pm) - Come to the Dark Side or support the Rebellion by adding colors and drawings on a collaborative mural at the Disney Piazza inspired by the Star Wars universe.
• Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (11am) - Screening in the David Geffen Theater. This is a separate ticketed event.
• R2D2 Meet & Greet (10:30am–12pm | 2pm–4pm) - Stop by the Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby for photo ops with your favorite fan-built droids. General Admission ticket not required.
• Space and Beyond Tours (11am, 12pm, 3pm, 4pm) - Travel among the stars in the Inventing Worlds and Characters: Encounters gallery located on Level 3. Explore strange lands—known and unknown—and dive into the world-building and character development of films that transport you into space and beyond. These 30-minute, educator-led tours will showcase objects on view and stories you can only find among the stars.
• Save the Galaxy with Cosplay for Science (12pm–3pm) - Make the jump to hyperspace and join scientists as they talk about the importance of conservation on unique planets and the creatures that inhabit them through immersive Star Wars-themed activities.
• Force Training Demo (1pm) - Are you Force sensitive? Learn the ways of the Force with an interactive performance by Skywalker Temple in the Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby. All ages are welcomed.

Screenings in the David Geffen Theater are separately ticketed events.

• Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (11am)
• Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (3pm)
• Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (7:30pm)

Fanny's
On May the 4th, the museum's on-site restaurant, Fanny's is offering Star Wars-themed specials: Wookie Cookies, Lightsaber Cookies, Bantha Milk and Yoda Soda. Perfect for Jedis, rebels and droids alike!

Live out your dreams of hanging out in Mos Eisley at Scum & Villainy Cantina, a replica of Tatooine's "wretched hive" situated in the heart of Hollywood. Conspire in a corner booth, belly up for a genre-inspired cocktail, or flaunt your fandom during the Wednesday night Trivia Quest - questions written in-house by geeks, for geeks. Other weekly events include Twin Sun Taco Tuesday and Cosmic Karaoke on Thursdays. Cosplay is welcomed and encouraged, but as their FAQs states: “No projectiles!” – so no one shoots first.

May the 4th Be With You Party
Grab your lightsaber, jump in your speeder, and head over to Scum & Villainy Cantina for the annual May the 4th Be With You Party! The blast doors will open at 6am, so arrive early for the waffle bar (free with drink purchase). No reservations and you can’t win a table in a game of sabacc - seating is first-come, first-served. Door prizes every 30 minutes from 6-10am. Star Wars Trivia starts at 10am and anyone caught using Jedi mind tricks will be eliminated immediately. Think you have what it takes? Great kid, don’t get cocky. No cover, RSVP at Eventbrite.

My Valley Pass is presenting the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) on May the 4th as part of Movies on Location. The series features movies screened with state-of-the-art projection and sound at their actual filming locations, or at settings that go hand-in-hand with the curated films.

A New Hope will be screened on Saturday, May 3 in the parking lot of Neiman & Company, renowned to fans as the original location of Industrial Light & Magic, where all of the visual effects for the first Star Wars movie were produced. Doors open at 6pm, the film begins at 8pm. General Admission is $25, tours of the building are sold out.

Academy Award winning visual effects artist Dennis Muren will introduce the film and sign a limited number of autographs from 6pm to 8pm. Autograph tickets are $30 and entitle guests to have up to two items signed by Muren.

Mayhem Events presents the second annual May the 4th Be With You Rave, taking place at the legendary Catch One on Saturday, May 3. Blast into Star Wars Day with a special midnight countdown that will make you feel like you're partying on Tatooine, Endor and Coruscant all at once. Bounce between stages playing your favorite EDM styles, from deep space house to lightspeed techno and bass that hits harder than a Wookiee. With lasers, lightsabers and immersive visuals, you'll feel like you're in a galaxy far, far away. Whether you're rocking a Jedi robe, Sith cloak, or stormtrooper gear, this night is about Peace, Love, Unity and Respect. Everyone is welcome, everyone is family. Tickets are on sale at Eventbrite and going fast!

One of LA's most popular outdoor movie series, Rooftop Cinema Club offers a premier cinematic experience at LEVEL in Downtown LA. RCC presents two screenings of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope on May the 4th; and Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back on Monday, May 5.

The World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers will host the A's for a three-game home stand, May 13-15. Promotional giveaways include a Mookie Betts Bobblehead on Tuesday, May 13; and on Thursday a Shohei Ohtani 50/50 Bobblehead that commemorates his historic first season with the Dodgers.

On Wednesday, May 14, the Dodgers are celebrating Star Wars Night with an exclusive light-up Death Star/Dodger Stadium. NOTE: The Death Star/Dodger Stadium is only available with purchase of the special event ticket package, this is not a stadium-wide promotion.

Every summer, the music of legendary film composer John Williams is performed by the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl, accompanied by clips from the Star Wars franchise and other classics. Featuring conductor David Newman, the 2025 edition of Maestro of the Movies is taking place over three nights, August 22-24.

Co-founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is currently under construction in Exposition Park and scheduled to open in 2026. Much more than a "Star Wars museum" - though of course there will be artifacts from the Star Wars universe - the Lucas Museum believes in the power of illustrated stories to connect us, with the mission to inspire people and encourage discussions about how these stories shape popular beliefs.

The museum was designed by renowned architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects with Stantec as executive architect. An 11-acre campus with extensive new green space designed by Studio-MLA will embrace the museum’s 300,000-square-foot building, which will feature expansive galleries, two state-of-the-art theatres, and dedicated spaces for learning and engagement, dining, retail and events.

Carrie Fisher was posthumously honored with the 2,754th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Star Wars Day in 2023. Billie Lourd accepted the star on behalf of her late mother. Fisher's star, in the category of Motion Pictures, was unveiled at 6840 Hollywood Blvd. near the El Capitan Theatre and just a few feet from Mark Hamill's star (6834 Hollywood Blvd). Walk a few blocks east to Harrison Ford’s star on the north side of Hollywood Boulevard, in front of Musso & Frank Grill (6667 Hollywood Blvd).

Step back in time to the Star Wars premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre (then called Mann’s Chinese Theatre) on May 25, 1977 and measure your feet against the footprints of R2-D2, C-3PO and Darth Vader at the Forecourt of the Stars off Hollywood Boulevard.

Opened in November 2019, Funko Hollywood is a 40,000 square-foot wonderland of pop culture, spanning the Star Wars, Marvel and DC Universes; Disney/Pixar, sports, music and much more. There are photo ops galore with life-size Funkos, from a Star Wars landspeeder ("These aren't the droids you're looking for") to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the Justice League and Jurassic Park. You can even Pop! Yourself and create a custom Funko of yourself, complete with your name on the box!

Superfans can take a 4.5-hour road trip from LA to Nevada’s Death Valley, where many scenes for Episode IV - A New Hope and Episode VI - Return of the Jedi were shot. Bring your Jawa and Tusken Raider action figures to recreate some of your favorite scenes - and don’t forget the sunscreen! After all, "Tatooine" has two suns and the heat can be unforgiving.