Whether you’re looking for events to celebrate Lunar New Year or are planning ahead for Super Bowl weekend, we’ve got you covered with a list of the best things to do in and around Los Angeles.
Artists Inspired By Music: Interscope Reimagined
LACMA | 5905 Wilshire Blvd.., Los Angeles, CA 90036 | Through Feb. 13 | lacma.org
Visual artists like Cecily Brown, Lauren Halsey, Rashid Johnson, Takashi Murakami, and Ed Ruscha were tasked with selecting albums and songs from Interscope Records to create over 50 paintings inspired by musicians like Dr. Dre, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, BLACKPINK, Olivia Rodrigo and more.
Rare Books LA
Pasadena Convention Center | 300 E. Green St., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Feb. 4-6 | eventbrite.com
Booksellers and bibliophiles gather to celebrate the centenary of James Joyce’s “Ulysses” and share their love of books, including more than 100 rare book, fine print and map sellers.
Cali Vibes Fest
Marina Green Park | 400 E. Shoreline Drive, Long Beach, CA 90802 | Feb. 4-6 | calivibesfest.com
This three-day music festival will feature The Marley Brothers, Wu Tang Clan, Dirty Heads, Sublime, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Rebelution, Slightly Stoopid and many more artists.
Seed Library
Zoom | Feb. 5 | altadenalibrary.org
Join the Altadena Library and native plant enthusiasts Joe Parker and Krystal Rains from 10 a.m. to noon on a virtual exploration into the various edible plants native to California.
Van Halen, Motley Crue, KISS, Quiet Riot, Black Sabbath Tribute Night
Royal Vista Golf Club | 20055 Colima Road, Walnut, CA 91789 | Feb. 5 | eventbrite.com
Rock out to classic rock hits from Van Halen, Motley Crue, KISS, Quiet Riot and Black Sabbath courtesy of Fair Warning, Hollywood Crue, Dressed to Kill, Metal Health and Black Sabbatha, respectively.
Jazz At Naz
The Soraya | 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91330 | Feb. 5-19 | thesoraya.org
The first annual, month-long jazz Festival Jazz at Naz features five events including two major main stage performances plus three consecutive nights of The Soraya’s immersive Jazz Club – with audience and artists all hosted right on stage, an intimate and immersive experience. Jazz at Naz Festival begins with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on Feb. 5 and two-time Grammy Award-winner Gregory Porter on Feb. 10. The next weekend Jazz Club hosts Gerald Clayton Feb. 17; Gretchen Parlato Feb. 18 and Harold López-Nussa Feb. 19.
Chinese New Year Festival Admission
The Huntington | 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108 | Feb. 5-6 | huntington.org
Celebrate the Year of the Tiger at The Huntington’s Chinese Garden with lion dancers, mask-changing artists, martial arts demonstrations, music, art and craft demonstrations, food trucks, Chinese dining specials, Chinese floral art displays and much more.
Diva Royale Drag Queen Show
The North End | 6423 Yucca St., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Feb. 6 | eventbrite.com
In addition to drag queens, the show features celebrity impersonators.
Art & Beer Night Market LA
Flying Embers Taproom | 1581 Industrial St., Los Angeles, CA 90021 | Feb. 7 | eventbrite.com
Over 25 local artists will showcase their works as you grab craft beers and food.
Chewi‘s Kennel
The Bullet Bar | 10522 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601 | Feb. 8 | bulletbarla.com
This monthly puppy event hosted by Pup Chewi features a mosh pit, dog movies, black lights, specialty pup drinks, dog bowls and puppy treats.
Middle Eastern Comedy Night
Eden Garden Bar & Grill | 175 E. Holly St., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Feb. 8 | eventbrite.com
This comedy show features Iranian American Maz Jobrani of “Axis of Evil,” Jack (creator of the NoHo Comedy Festival and featured on “Laugh After Dark,” “Stand Up,” and “Sex Life”), and Vincent Oshana (“The Underground” and “Russell Simmons’s Def Comedy Jam”).
Citizen Public Market Comedy Night
Citizen Public Market | 9355 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232 | Feb. 9 | eventbrite.com
Grab food and drink from Citizen Public Market, then enjoy an outdoor pop-up comedy show from The Setup. According to event organizers, “The show will feature 5-6 different comedians of varying styles from Comedy Central, HBO, NetFlix, etc.”
Salsa Stories
Riviera 31 Lounge Bar | 8555 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048 | Feb. 9 | eventbrite.com
Spice up your midweek with Cuban and Puerto Rican rhythms from Angelo Pagan and his band. Celebrities have been known to stop by to dance the night away as well.
Motown vs. Disco Retro Dance Party
The Grand Star Jazz Club | 943 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Feb. 10 | eventbrite.com
Get an early start to your weekend and tear down the dance floor with your best disco and Motown moves.
Babes And Ballers Super Bowl Party
Academy LA | 6021 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Feb. 10 | eventbrite.com
Babes in Toyland is partnering with the NFL Alumni Association of Southern California to have their first Babes & Ballers Big Game Event in Hollywood at a venue with indoor VIP areas, 4,000-square-foot patio and state-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities. Hosted by pro football Hall of Famers Terrell Davis and Derrick Brooks, a special DJ set will be provided by Lil Jon and DJ Cool Whip. The LA Rams cheerleaders will also make an appearance as will 150 models.
Taste Of Inglewood Big Game Festival
Downtown Market Street from Regent Street to Hillcrest Boulevard | Feb. 10-12 | instagram.com/cityofinglewood
Ahead of the Super Bowl, the City of Inglewood is hosting this free music festival featuring Poncho Sanchez, a tribute to Vicente Fernandez, Frankie J, Mariachi de Uclatlán, Biscuits & Gravy Live, Castella, ConFunkShun, Jon B, Switch, Club Nouveau, Lenny Williams, Lakeside, Loose Ends, TeaMarrr, Tony Toni Tone and food trucks, special guest and more surprises.
Shaq’s Fun House
The Shrine Auditorium | 665 W. Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007 | Feb. 11 | shaqsfunhouse.com
Basketball superstar Shaq has recruited a lineup featuring Lil Wayne, Zedd, Diplo, Myles O’Neal, DJ Irie and more acts for this massive state fair-style carnival experience featuring the FTX Ferris Wheel, games, rides and a 6-hour open bar and complimentary gourmet bites from some of LA’s most recognizable restaurants.
Street Food Cinema at Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park | 285 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007 | Feb. 11-14 | streetfoodcinema.com
Experience some classic film favorites like “Beauty and the Beast,” “Selena,” “Aladdin,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Clueless,” “Bridesmaids,” “10 Things I Hate About You,” and “Lady and the Tramp” at this outdoor experience featuring Valentine’s Day-themed activities and food trucks.
The Smiths & Morrissey Tribute Flashback Valentine
The Mixx | 443 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Feb. 12 | themixxclub.com
Nowhere Fast takes the stage to bring you a live performance of hits from The Smiths and Morrissey. DJs will also be on hand to play hits from the ‘80s.
Doin Time – Sublime Tribute
Der Wolf | 72 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103 | Feb. 12 | eventbrite.com
Grab a draft beer or specialty cocktail and get ready to rock out to a tribute to Sublime from Doin Time. DJ Tronski will also be on hand to help with the atmosphere.
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
Ambassador Auditorium | 131 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105 | Feb. 12 | pasadenasymphony-pops.org
This ode to romance will feature the exotic rhythms of Rimsky-Korsakov and Gabriela Frank, and Russian-American conductor and Chicago Opera Theatre’s music director, Lidiya Yankovskaya, alongside Korean virtuoso Chee-Yun breathing life into Tchaikovsky’s concerto.
Big Gay Party
Los Globos | 3040 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026 | Feb. 12 | eventbrite.com
The Bachelorette’s Daniel Maguire plays cupid and host at this party featuring house, top 40s and hip-hop across two rooms until 2 a.m.
Happy Hour Paint Class
Wingwalker Brewery | 235 W. Maple Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016 | Feb. 13 | eventbrite.com
Enjoy an evening of painting and drinking with friends at Wingwalker Brewery. The first beer is included in your ticket and you are welcome to bring your own food to class.
“Full Circle: A Return To The Land”
Descanso Gardens | 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91101 | Through March 13 | descansogardens.org
This exhibition chronicles human interaction with the land in and around Descanso Gardens from the Tongva through various cultures, up to today.
Enrique Martinez Celaya ‘SEA SKY LAND: towards a map of everything’
USC Fisher Museum of Arts | 823 W. Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90089 | Through April 9 | fisher.usc.edu
This exhibit brings together 30 large-format paintings and sculptures created by Enrique Martinez Celaya. Each of the three galleries at the Fisher Museum will present the artist’s writings alongside paintings and sculptures dedicated to one of three motifs—sea, sky, and land.
Mixpantli: Space, Time, and the Indigenous Origins of Mexico
LACMA | 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 | Through May 1 | lacma.org
LACMA is marking the 500th anniversary of the fall of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital and site of Mexico City. According to LACMA, the exhibition “subverts the traditional narrative of conquest by centering the creative resilience of Indigenous artists, mapmakers, and storytellers who forged new futures and made their world anew through artistic practice.”
Tupac Shakur. Wake Me When I’m Free
The Canvas at L.A. Live | 944 Georgia St.,Los Angeles CA 90015 | Through May 1 | wakemewhenimfree
Created in collaboration with the Shakur Estate, this exhibit delves into Tupac’s activism, music and revolutionary art through technology, art and artifacts from the rapper’s personal archives.
Mapping Fiction
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens | 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108 | Through May 2 | huntington.org
This new exhibit focuses on the ways authors and mapmakers have built compelling fictional worlds. The exhibit includes a first edition of James Joyce’s “Ulysses,” early editions of Lewis Carroll’s “The Hunting of the Snark, Robert Louis Stevenson’s maps from “Treasure Island” and “Kidnapped,” J. R. R. Tolkien’s map from the trilogy “The Lord of the Rings,” and science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler’s hand-drawn maps from notes for “Parable of the Talents” (1998) and her unpublished novel “Parable of the Trickster.”