Events
Sunday Sessions at the Malibu Pier
Aug. 9. Live music and vinyl DJ sets stretch from afternoon into night across four beachside stages at Malibu Pier, Aviator Nation Dreamland and The Surfrider Malibu. The lineup features Grace Enger, Louella, Worn-Tin, Kate Bollinger and Chaparelle, alongside food, drinks and Pacific Ocean views. General admission is free and open to all ages; VIP passes for guests 21 and older include access to private lounge and rooftop experiences. Sunday, noon–11 p.m. 23000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. malibupier.com
L.A. RiverFest
Aug. 9. Art, ecology and community meet beside the Los Angeles River during Friends of the L.A. River’s fifth annual open-air festival. Explore an environmental art gallery, catch live performances, join interactive eco-activities and browse a marketplace of local vendors, with food trucks serving throughout the afternoon. Admission is free with advance registration. Sunday, 2:30–7 p.m. 1245 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles. Get Tickets Now
Tongva Twilight: Sounds & Cinema
Aug. 8-12. Live music and open-air films take over Tongva Park for six Saturday evenings near the ocean. Produced by Rum & Humble, the free series features ska-jazz ensemble Western Standard Time, New Orleans funk band The Rumble, salsa orchestra Son Mayor and yacht-rock favorites The Windbreakers, with free popcorn on select movie nights. Pack a picnic, blanket or low-back chair. Saturdays, 7–9:30 p.m. 1615 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica. santamonica.gov
Head in the Clouds Music and Arts Festival
Aug. 8. Asian music, food and culture take center stage at Brookside for a one-day festival headlined by KATSEYE, with performances from XG, Rich Brian, Dabin.kr, UMI, LNGSHOT and KiiiKiii. Between sets, explore the Toyota Music Den, Sephora K-Beauty Marketplace and Asian-centric food vendors including Bang Bang Noodles, Chimmelier, Kogi, Bone Kettle and Burger She Wrote. All ages are welcome. Saturday, 1–11 p.m. 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena. Get Tickets Now
Food + Drinks
La Nena Cantina Opens at Walt Disney Concert Hall
Now Open. Modern Mexican cooking arrives at The Music Center with handmade tortillas, tableside guacamole and dishes including mole negro, hamachi tiradito, Tacos Malibu and the shareable La Nena molcajete. Restaurateur Vicente Del Rio’s 150-seat dining room also serves handcrafted cocktails and special pre-show menus, welcoming concertgoers and downtown diners for lunch and dinner. Monday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m. 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. lanenacantina.com
New Arrival Supper Club: A Syrian Dinner in Highland Park
Aug. 9. A shared table becomes common ground as newly arrived chefs Maysaa and Abdul Kanjo prepare an intimate Syrian dinner centered on food, conversation and cultural exchange. Hosted by Miry’s List and Scribble, the evening connects Angelenos with refugee families rebuilding their lives in Southern California, with proceeds supporting Miry’s List’s resettlement work. Sunday, 6-8 p.m. 5541 York Blvd., Highland Park. Get Tickets Now
Romer House Waikīkī x Lei’d Cookies Launch The Romer Duo
Aug. 8. Hawaiian comfort food gets a playful bakery makeover through two limited-edition creations celebrating National SPAM Musubi Day. The SPAM musubi cookie layers black sesame, sticky rice and SPAM with shoyu-pineapple glaze, while the POG cookie—drawing on passion fruit, orange and guava—is filled with guava li hing mui mochi. Guests can also order the POG cookie “A Lei Mode” with Sad Girl Creamery’s guava jam cheesecake ice cream. Saturday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. 8588 Washington Blvd., Culver City. leidcookies.com
A $40 Bar Meal at Firstborn
Now Serving. Chef Anthony Wang’s new bar set delivers three courses for $40, beginning with a choice of Weiser Farm melons, Wagyu beef tongue carpaccio or tomato-and-plum tartare. The meal continues with the restaurant’s signature fried chicken in morita chile crisp jus and closes with a seasonal dessert. Available only at the bar, seating is first-come, first-served. Wednesday–Thursday and Sunday, 5–9 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 5–9:30 p.m. 978 N. Broadway, Los Angeles. firstborn.la
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
Ed Sheeran at SoFi Stadium
Aug. 8. The English singer-songwriter brings his signature live-looping performance to Inglewood with songs from Playalongside stadium-sized hits including “Shape of You,” “Perfect” and “Bad Habits.” Myles Smith, Sigrid and Aaron Rowe open the show. Saturday at 5:30 p.m. 1001 S. Stadium Drive, Inglewood. edsheeran.com
How to Train Your Dragon in Concert
Aug. 9. Hiccup and Toothless take flight across the Hollywood Bowl’s screens as the original 2010 animated adventure plays in HD. David Newman conducts the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra in a live performance of John Powell’s Oscar-nominated score. Sunday, at 7:30 p.m. 2301 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles. hollywoodbowl.com
Midsummer Scream
Aug. 7-9. Halloween arrives early as horror fans, celebrity guests and hundreds of macabre vendors take over the Long Beach Convention Center. This year’s highlights include haunted walk-throughs in the Hall of Shadows and a 30th-anniversary Scream celebration featuring Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Jamie Kennedy, Roger L. Jackson and other franchise veterans, plus panels, autograph signings and photo opportunities. Friday, 6–10 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. midsummerscream.org
Photo Credit: Ed Sheeran courtesy of edsheeran.com. All images are courtesy of the venues and businesses featured.
