Events
Joe Hisaishi Brings Studio Ghibli to the Hollywood Bowl
July 23. Few composers can summon an entire world with a melody quite like Joe Hisaishi. The Hollywood Bowl’s 2026 Composer in Focus conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic through selections from Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo and other celebrated films, accompanied by cinematic clips, guest vocalists and the CSU Fullerton University Singers. Thursday at 8 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. 2301 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles. hollywoodbowl.com
Swirl Fest
July 25. The pavement beneath the Venice Sign becomes a playground for California surf-and-skate culture as GRLSWIRL and Hydro Flask host this free community festival. The day begins with a morning paddle-out before moving into two public pop-up skateparks, a surfskate competition judged by Dogtown legends, a local makers market and an evening concert featuring live music and surprise guests. Saturday, 8 a.m.–10 p.m. 3100-2700 Ocean Front Walk, Los Angeles. surfskatefest.com
OutfestNEXT
July 23-26. Gregg Araki’s leather-and-latex fantasia I Want Your Sex, starring Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman, may be the marquee attraction, but the real pleasure lies in discovering the next great LGBTQ+ filmmaker before everyone else catches on. The four-day festival presents 20 programs of features and shorts, filmmaker conversations and six industry workshops covering financing, production, pitching, legal guidance and distribution. The lineup also includes work connected to Lilly Wachowski, Kristen Stewart, Rupert Everett, Alan Cumming and Cate Blanchett. Thursday–Sunday, showtimes vary. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles. outfest.org
Zoo After Dark
July 24. The animals may be settling in, but the party is getting started. The L.A. Zoo’s after-hours series closes with two themed nights: an ’80s dance party featuring Flashback Heart Attack. The evening include a three-channel silent disco, lawn games, food trucks, full bars and guided bat walks using acoustic detectors to hear the zoo’s wild nocturnal residents in real time. Animal viewing areas close at 8 p.m. Fridays, 6–9 p.m. Los Angeles Zoo, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles. lazoo.org
Food + Drinks
Barnsdall Fridays Wine Nights
July 24. Sunset comes with a soundtrack atop Olive Hill, where guests can sip selections from Silverlake Wine, sample rotating food trucks and explore gallery exhibitions overlooking the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory. July evenings also feature an art fair with original works from the Barnsdall Arts Center community, while limited tickets include after-hours access to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House. A $20 raffle will be offered for the chance to win VIP passes to Just Like Heaven Fest. All proceeds support Barnsdall Art Park’s cultural programming amid proposed city budget cuts. Ages 21 and older; wine tasting $55, or $90 with a Hollyhock House tour. Fridays through Sept. 11, 5:30–9 p.m. 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. barnsdall.org
Badmaash Brings Punjabi Swagger to Venice
Now Open. Badmaash has carried its spirited take on Indian dining west to Abbot Kinney. Brothers Nakul and Arjun Mahendro blend their family’s Punjabi cooking with influences from their second-generation Toronto upbringing, producing dishes such as steak frites with masala au poivre, lamb chops “laal maas” and slow-cooked lamb neck korma. The restaurant’s most polished outpost yet draws from fire, patina and 1970s Bollywood crime films, creating a lively coastal dining room with plenty of attitude. Wednesday–Sunday, 4:30–11 p.m. Badmaash Venice, 1616 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice. badmaashla.com
Melons & Mahjong at ROW DTLA
July 23. Seasonal fruit meets friendly competition as LA Mahjong League and Weiser Family Farms host an afternoon celebrating community, culture and regenerative agriculture. Each session includes a curated melon tasting, beverages and 90 minutes of Taiwanese 16-tile mahjong. Beginners can learn through guided instruction, intermediate players can sharpen their strategy and study the league’s house rules, while experienced players can join open play for a chance to win a fresh melon. Tickets start at $35. Thursday; 4:30–6 p.m. and 6:30–8 p.m. 777 S. Alameda Street, Los Angeles.
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Brick Lane Fires Up Regional Indian Cuisine in the Arts District
Now Serving. Chef Sanjay Rawat brings the refined cooking that made Kahani at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel a destination to his first independent Los Angeles restaurant. Inside a restored 1920s warehouse, Brick Lane uses a wood-fired grill, oven and tandoor to reinterpret regional Indian dishes through California ingredients. Highlights include charred sweet potato chaat with frozen yogurt, applewood-smoked butter chicken with laacha paratha and wild mushroom Hyderabadi dum biryani sealed beneath pastry. Kathryn Coker oversees the wine list, while Horacio Cortez crafts cocktails with South Asian flavors. Wednesday–Sunday, 5–10:30 p.m. Brick Lane, 1331 E. Sixth Street, Arts District. bricklanela.com
Arts + Culture
Zach Braff’s All New People in Hollywood!
Aug. 13-25. Foster Cat Productions and Tony-nominated producer Jan McAdoo (B’way: The Lost Boys, Buena Vista Social Club) team up again for the darkly hilarious All New People written by Zach Braff. A limited engagement, two weekends only. 6320 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles. fostercatproductions.com
Los Angeles Indie Book Crawl
July 24-26. Trade the bar crawl for bookshelves during L.A.’s inaugural literary trek through 13 independent bookstores, stretching from Manhattan Beach to Montrose. Start at any participating shop, spend at least $10 to receive a passport and collect a new stamp with each qualifying purchase. The farther you travel, the more prizes and exclusive merchandise you earn; complete all 13 stops to receive a commemorative tote and enter a raffle for $25 gift cards to every participating store. Author appearances and literary programming will unfold throughout the weekend. Friday–Sunday; store hours vary. Participating bookstores across Greater Los Angeles, check link for details. laindiebookcrawl.com
Friday Art Nights at LAMAG
July 24. Trade the usual Friday-night routine for a pair of paste-covered hands at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery. This week’s free, all-ages workshop explores the history and construction of papier-mâché masks, with participants creating pieces they can paint at home once dry. The evening is part of LAMAG’s summer series of artist-led workshops spanning drawing, poetry, collage, printmaking and analog media. Friday, 5–8 p.m. 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. Free; registration encouraged. lamag.org
Last Call: Jaws: The Exhibition
Until July 26. You may never feel entirely safe in the water again, but this is your final weekend to enter Amity Island. The Academy Museum’s largest-ever exhibition devoted to Jaws brings together over 200 original objects from Steven Spielberg’s landmark blockbuster, including costumes worn by its central trio, the famous dorsal fin, a re-created Orca fishing boat and the last surviving full-scale mechanical shark from production. Interactive displays let visitors recreate Chief Brody’s dolly-zoom reaction, play John Williams’ ominous two-note score and operate a replica shark. Through Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. General admission required. academymuseum.org
Photo Credit: BADMAASH photo courtesy of Diego Andrade. All images are courtesy of the venues and businesses featured.
