time out la: Where to see free concerts in L.A.
https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/music/free-concerts-the-best-free-live-music-in-la
Edited by Michael Juliano
Friday June 24 2022
Free concerts in L.A. aren’t hard to find. Check out our picks for the best live music and performances in the city.
Looking for free concerts in L.A.? Well, you’re in luck—music (aside from film, possibly) is the city’s most abundant form of entertainment. Whether you get your kicks dancing, at the club or along the Sunset Strip, there’s always tons of live music options—and surprisingly enough, not all of them will cost you.
Though L.A.’s clubs were once teeming with free Monday night residencies, these days you’ll find most spots charge at least a couple of bucks at the minimum—hey, your favorite venues need to pay the rent, you know? But that’s not the case during the summer months, when free alfresco shows pop up all over town. Read on for our top picks for free concerts in L.A.
RECOMMENDED: Find more free things to do in L.A.
GRAND PERFORMANCES
This epic (and free) outdoor concert series features live performances by artists from around the world at the totally overhauled California Plaza stage in DTLA, where the shallow water separating the stage from the audience has been replaced by a proper event lawn. Don’t miss a diverse and highly intriguing mix of bands, DJ sets and dance parties.
KCRW SUMMER NIGHTS
Everyone’s favorite NPR member station has a hand in a slew of summer concert slates at public plazas and beloved museums, and this summer’s schedule is particularly packed. Familiar KCRW DJs and local buzz bands will be providing free, open-air tunes on select nights from July through September at the Hammer Museum, One Colorado, CAAM, Descanso Gardens, Bowers Museum, the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, JANM and—our favorite—the party-till-midnight bashes at Chinatown Central Plaza. This year’s lineup features Ambar Lucid, Hana Vu and Mark de Clive-Lowe, among others, and KCRW DJs including Anthony Valadez, Jason Bentley, Novena Carmel and more. The details slightly differ at each spot, but you can typically expect a bunch of food trucks, beer gardens and after-hours museum admission. Regardless of the location, you really can’t go wrong with any evening spent at Summer Nights.
JAZZ AT LACMA
One of L.A.’s best free live music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its three-decade run at the museum. The beloved program is back again for the season, and so too is its open seating and picnicking format (whereas last year you needed a reservation). You’ll find the series on Friday evenings in LACMA’s welcome plaza (just behind Urban Light) starting in April.
AMERICANA IN THE PARK
It’s not quite the beachfront party of Twilight on the Pier, but Santa Monica’s newest free concert series again sees the city teaming up with the much-loved McCabe’s Guitar Shop for some outdoor shows. This September, you can catch Sunday afternoon concerts at Gandara Park (right next to Bergamot Station and the E Line) that explore the roots of Americana.
L.A. COUNTY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION
While Santa may still be working with his elves to load up his sleigh, you can relax and enjoy a pre-Christmas Eve celebration at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Gather up your friends and family and go hear L.A.’s biggest holiday show, which includes more than 20 choirs, music ensembles and dance troupes from all over the city. The free three-hour show celebrates L.A.’s multicultural observation of the holidays with everything from an all-female mariachi ensemble to a Korean dance troupe. Doors open at 2:30pm and guests are encouraged to come and go as they please throughout the show. Reservations and tickets are not necessary; parking at the Dorothy Chandler is also free. Those who still have last-minute holiday responsibilities to attend to can listen to a live stream of the concert on PBS SoCal.