A Summer Adventure in Los Angeles - Music, Art, and Outdoor Escapes

For listeners planning a Los Angeles adventure, summer in LA is a blend of iconic highlights, creative happenings, and uniquely local gems. Here’s what awaits this weekend and beyond. Tonight, head to Summer Nights at the La Brea Tar Pits for a truly laid-back and interactive evening. Free from 6 to 9 pm, stroll the prehistoric grounds, enjoy live DJ sets from Beat Junkies Institute of Sound, check out the Fossil Lab, indulge in hands-on science activities, and savor drinks at the Tar Bar or treats from top food trucks. The Tar Pits' fossil-rich park in the middle of LA sets the scene for socializing with science and music as the sun sets. Music lovers have no shortage of choices. At The Spotlight in Hollywood from 10 pm to 2 am, DJ and producer Sinego hosts a dance party that infuses Latin spirit into remixes of beloved Mexican ballads—a tribute to Joan Sebastian with modern beats. Prefer world-class concert settings? The Getty Center’s Off the 405 series continues this Saturday, July 26, with a sunset performance by Empress Of on the open-air terrace—admission is free with a required time slot reservation, and the venue’s art-filled grounds and sweeping city views elevate the whole experience. For a global sound, A.R. Rahman’s Wonderment Tour stops at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater on July 26, promising a vibrant fusion of contemporary and classical Indian music. Los Angeles turns every weekend into a celebration of the arts. Downtown Long Beach comes alive July 25-27 with the Art + Design Walk. Take in public art installations, guided mural tours, and a closing party for the “Stand Strong” exhibition at Lincoln Park skate park. Join the Moonlight Mash Bike Mural Tour for another way to see the city’s creative core after dark. If movies are your passion, legendary outdoor venue The Ford hosts “The Natural World of Studio Ghibli” through July 27: watch *The Boy and the Heron*, *Howl’s Moving Castle*, or *The Wind Rises* under the stars, with trivia and prizes nightly. Sports fans, don't miss the Lexus U.S. Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach July 26–August 3. Watch elite surf pros and up-and-comers compete on the waves, catch concerts from bands like Common Kings, and soak up surf culture steps from the LA coast—all with a festival-like atmosphere that’s free to watch from the sand. In the heart of downtown, palatial Crypto.com Arena runs daily VIP tours July 27 for those wanting a behind-the-scenes look at legendary sports and concert history. For outdoor adventures, LA’s secret side can be found on its less-traveled hiking trails. Topanga State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains just might be the world’s largest wildland within a city, with 36 miles of trails winding through grassy hills and shady oak groves. LAist notes some of the shadiest trails help you escape the summer sun—you can use sun and slope maps to discover canyons with cool tree cover near you. At El Capitán State Beach, about a 90-minute drive north, tide pools, fishing, surf This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.