Los Angeles event weekends: what to do between sessions

Beaches, studios, museums and taco trucks across a huge basin. Host of the 2028 Olympics and the 2027 Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium.

Events we cover in Los Angeles

Arriving

LAX is 30 to 60 minutes from most areas; the LAX/Metro Transit Center links to the K and C lines. Burbank (BUR) and Long Beach (LGB) are easier for some venues.

Where to stay

Three hotels we would book

• Budget: Line LA
• Mid-range: Hotel Figueroa
• Splurge: The Beverly Hills Hotel

Event weekends sell out early and prices rise as the date gets closer: book a cancellable room as soon as you know you are going.

Tours

Where to eat

• Grand Central Market Downtown food hall
• Guelaguetza Oaxacan in Koreatown
• Langer's Deli Pastrami
• Leo's Tacos Al pastor truck
• Philippe the Original French dip since 1908
• Park's BBQ Korean BBQ

With kids

• California Science Center (Space Shuttle).
• Natural History Museum.
• Santa Monica Pier.

Rainy-day backups

• LACMA.
• Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
• Petersen Automotive Museum.

Free things to do

• Griffith Observatory.
• The Getty and the Broad (book free tickets).
• Venice boardwalk.

Getting around

• Metro rail and buses take TAP cards or contactless; trains are useful for downtown, Exposition Park, Inglewood (K Line), Long Beach (A Line) and Pasadena (A Line).
• Distances are long: allow 45 to 90 minutes between venues at peak hours.
• Uber and Lyft are the default; ask about event-day pickup zones.