Things to Do in Los Angeles 2026: Music, Beaches & Ballgames in the United States

Where to see live music in Los Angeles

Los Angeles has one of the deepest concert calendars in the country and the widest range of room sizes, from 200-capacity clubs to a 17,500-seat hillside amphitheatre. These are the venues that come up most often.

Sport in Los Angeles

Dodger Stadium is the one to prioritise. It opened in 1962 in Chavez Ravine just north of downtown, and is the third-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball after Fenway Park and Wrigley Field — a genuinely beautiful building with the San Gabriel Mountains behind the outfield. Home games run most days through the summer, so getting to one is rarely difficult.

Crypto.com Arena downtown carries the winter, with the LA Kings in the NHL and the Lakers in the NBA sharing the building. The Clippers are the exception — they moved out to their own arena, Intuit Dome in Inglewood, from the 2024-25 season. Soccer is at BMO Stadium in Exposition Park next to the Coliseum, home of LAFC, which is one of the better supporter atmospheres in American soccer and much easier to get into than the ballpark on a big date.

What to do in daylight

• Griffith Observatory — free to enter, with a ticketed planetarium show. Go late afternoon for the city view and stay for dark.
• The Getty Center — free admission (parking is paid), a hilltop museum reached by its own tram, with gardens and a view across the basin.
• The Broad — free general admission to the contemporary collection downtown; book the timed entry rather than queueing.
• Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach Boardwalk — the classic beach day, and the two are walkable from each other along the sand.
• Griffith Park — the Hollywood Sign viewpoints, hiking trails and the observatory all sit inside it; Lake Hollywood Park is the easiest sign view.
• Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame — worth an hour, not an afternoon. The historic theatres on the same stretch are the better reason to be there.

Getting around

A car or a rideshare budget is the default assumption in Los Angeles, and the distances are real: 30 to 45 minutes between neighbourhoods is normal, and worse in the late-afternoon peak. Parking at venues is usually paid and often more than the ticket.

Public transport is better than its reputation on specific corridors. The Metro E Line runs from downtown out to Santa Monica, and the B Line links downtown to Hollywood and on into the San Fernando Valley — between them they handle a surprising share of a visitor itinerary. The D Line is a different route: it runs west from downtown under Wilshire through Koreatown to the Mid-Wilshire stations, and does not reach Hollywood. LAX is the main airport, with Burbank (BUR) often a quieter option for domestic arrivals.

FAQ

What is there to do in Los Angeles in 2026?

Concerts most nights of the week — the Hollywood Bowl and the Greek Theatre through the warm months, and the Wiltern, Fonda, Belasco and Echo year-round — plus Dodgers baseball in summer, LA Kings hockey in winter and LAFC soccer. In daylight: Griffith Observatory, the Getty, The Broad and the beaches at Santa Monica and Venice.

Do you need a car in Los Angeles?

For most itineraries, yes — either a rental or a rideshare budget. The Metro E Line (downtown to Santa Monica) and the B Line (downtown to Hollywood and the Valley) cover part of a visitor route, but the city is spread out and neighbourhoods are typically 30 to 45 minutes apart.

What is the best time of year to visit Los Angeles?

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable, and they also catch the outdoor amphitheatre season at the Hollywood Bowl and Greek Theatre at either end. Summer adds baseball at Dodger Stadium; winter is mild and is when the arena calendar is busiest.

Which museums in Los Angeles are free?

The Getty Center and The Broad both have free general admission — the Getty charges for parking, and The Broad uses timed entry that is worth booking ahead. Griffith Observatory is also free to enter, with only the planetarium show ticketed.