Know before you go

• Confirm the date and ticket rules on the school's commencement page: guest tickets are often limited.
• Book the celebration dinner when you book the hotel. Every restaurant in town is full that weekend.

Airport to Pauley Pavilion and Drake Stadium, Westwood

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.

Westwood is far from transit; use rideshare or campus parking.

Public transport directions to Pauley Pavilion and Drake Stadium, Westwood

Where to stay by budget

Three hotels we would book

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

Links search the nights from 10 June to 12 June. 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.

Day plans for the free hours

Built around the usual graduation weekend schedule for Friday, 11 June 2027. Session times change: check the official timetable and move the blocks around.

Family-friendly picks

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

Evening and day-trip tours

After dark

• Hollywood rooftops, Silver Lake bars.

Ten tours worth booking for UCLA

Event weeks sell out. Book tours with free cancellation as soon as the session times are published.

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

Reserve dinner for the nights around the event: restaurants near the venue fill up days ahead.

Rainy-day backups

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

Getting around on event days

• 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.

Day trips from Los Angeles

• Malibu: 1 hour
• Catalina: 1 hour by ferry
• Santa Barbara: 2 hours

Questions people ask

When is UCLA Commencement 2027?

The next edition is Friday, 11 June 2027, following the usual pattern. The organiser has not confirmed it yet.

How do I get from the airport to Pauley Pavilion and Drake Stadium, Westwood?

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. Westwood is far from transit; use rideshare or campus parking.

Where should I stay for UCLA Commencement?

For most visitors the best base is Downtown and Santa Monica: Downtown for venues, Santa Monica for the beach.

What else can we do around UCLA Commencement?

Good short outings in Los Angeles include Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood, Hollywood sign hike, Celebrity homes tour. See the day plans on this page for a full schedule.

What is there for kids and families near UCLA Commencement?

Family-friendly picks: Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood, Hollywood sign hike. California Science Center (Space Shuttle).

How far is Pauley Pavilion and Drake Stadium, Westwood from Los Angeles centre?

About 19 km in a straight line. Westwood is far from transit; use rideshare or campus parking.

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