The Best Things to Do in Los Angeles During Coachella

Each year, more than 250,000 music fans descend upon the SoCal desert near Indio for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival – known simply as Coachella. This multi-genre, two-weekend juggernaut - augmented by art installations, DJs, and dining - is an annual “must” for many Angelenos and on bucket lists of music lovers worldwide.

However, like most major events, attending Coachella has its downsides - not the least of which is the cost. Then there’s the two and a half hour drive from LA that can take double that with festival traffic. Nearby accommodations can be hard to find and dramatically hike their prices during Coachella. And there’s the stress of finding (and paying for) parking and walking for miles beneath the Sonoran Desert sun to likely join a long queue for entry.

Meanwhile, back in LA, the streets are less congested during the Coachella weekends (this year April 11-13 and 18-20) and everything from restaurants to hotel pools can be a little more chill. So, forget your festival FOMO and consider some of these fun things to do in Los Angeles while your friends (and their finances) sweat it out at Coachella.

Dubbed "Localchella" by regulars, Goldenvoice Presents April is a two-week concert series that brings Coachella acts to much smaller and more convenient stages around LA, the Bay Area, and San Diego. Highlights this year include:

• The Go-Go's - The Roxy (April 9)
• Jimmy Eat World - Fox Theatre (April 10)
• Sparrow & Barbossa - Sound (April 12)
• Together Pangea - El Rey (April 14)
• GloRilla - The Novo (April 15)
• Miike Snow - The Glass House (April 15)
• Beth Gibbons - Orpheum Theatre (April 17)
• Basement Jaxx at The Fonda (April 17)

If you were considering attending Coachella for just one or a handful of acts, this “official” alternative can save you considerable time, money and sunburn.

Now on view at the GRAMMY Museum, Luther Vandross: Artistry and Elegance celebrates the extraordinary life and legacy of Luther Vandross, an eight-time GRAMMY® winner, revered songwriter, arranger, producer, performer, and one of the most gifted vocalists in music history. The exhibit offers an intimate glimpse into Vandross’ creative process and showcases his ornate stage wardrobe, exclusive performance footage from his popular tours, and a never-before-heard recording of him in the studio.

Luther Vandross first captured the spotlight in the 1970s as a sought-after backup singer, collaborating with luminaries such as David Bowie, Roberta Flack, Quincy Jones, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler and Carly Simon. As a solo artist, he became renowned for his relatable lyrics about love and mesmerizing live performances, characterized by dynamic bands, elaborate stage designs, and striking custom costumes worn by his background singers. Vandross achieved remarkable success, charting a Top 10 R&B hit every year from 1981 to 1994 and releasing 11 consecutive platinum records, with over 40 million albums sold worldwide.

Even in April, LA boasts sufficiently reliable fine weather to make outdoor movies yet another facet of the city’s lauded cultural landscape. So, your buddies out at Coachella needn’t be the only ones being entertained beneath the stars - Rooftop Cinema Club atop LEVEL DTLA is screening movies all week long, including:

• The Silence of the Lambs (April 11)
• Scarface (April 12)
• Grease Singalong (April 13)
• The Dark Knight (April 15)
• La La Land (April 16)
• Friday (April 18)
• Scream (April 19)
• The Big Lebowski (April 20)

Happening 10am to 4pm every Sunday at ROW DTLA, Smorgasburg Los Angeles is an open-air market comprising nearly 100 small businesses carefully curated to represent the next wave of SoCal’s food, beverage and shopping scenes. With its family-friendly beer garden and huge array of eats, it can be a something-for-everyone day out or spoilt-for-choice solo lunch stop. New vendors for this season include:

• Backyard Jerk
• Band Baaja Boba
• Bangkok BBQ Bowl
• Bernie's
• Breakfast Dreams
• Full Send BBQ
• Menchita's Grill
• Royal Box
• Sad Girl Creamery
• Teta
• Whole & Oat
• withBee
• Yatai Neighborhood

With a Drag Race crown on her head, Alyssa Edwards is hitting the road for a North American tour, aptly titled “Crowned.” The winner of last year’s inaugural RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars brings her story to the stage of Downtown LA’s Belasco Theatre on Sunday, April 13. Tickets at Live Nation.

The legacy of Jackie Robinson on his eponymous day every April 15, when all MLB players, coaches and managers don Robinson’s iconic No. 42. In 1997, MLB retired his number across all major league teams - Robinson was the first pro athlete in any sport to receive that honor. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of Robinson’s historic shattering of the color barrier, all of those 42s were in Dodger Blue for the first time ever in 2022.

The World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day on Tuesday, April 15 when the Boys in Blue host the Colorado Rockies. The stadium-wide giveaway will be a Jackie Robinson jersey (while supplies last). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm.

See The Big Lebowski with The Dude himself when Jeff Bridges heads to The Orpheum Theatre in Downtown LA to share stories, pictures and more with the audience following the April 16 screening of the cult classic. Tickets for the Wednesday night event are on sale at Ticketmaster and going fast!

Anime series Naruto has endured as a pop culture phenomenon long after its initial run in the ‘00s. On Thursday night, fans of the show’s score, composed by Toshio Masuda, can hear it, as well as the series’ opening and closing themes, performed by an orchestra against a backdrop of footage compiled from 220 Naruto episodes.

GRAMMY-nominated musician and composer Ravi Coltrane heads to REDCAT on Friday, April 18, where the saxophonist will be joined by Adam Rogers (guitar), Scott Colley (bass) and Jeff “Tain” Watts (drums). The performance coincides with Alice Coltrane: Monument Eternal (see below), the Hammer Museum’s exhibition focusing on the influential musician, who is also Ravi Coltrane’s mother.

Natural History Museum (April 19)
Celebrate our planet at the Natural History Museum's annual Earth Day Festival! Taking place in the Nature Gardens on Saturday, April 19, the day-long event includes live musical performances, hands-on activities, up-close encounters with behind-the-scenes Museum collections, a Science of SpongeBob exploration with help from our partners at Nickelodeon, and much more. Free with paid Museum admission and Members.

Wild for the Planet - LA Zoo (Apr. 18-20, 2025)
The LA Zoo presents the annual Wild for the Planet, a weekend celebration of our precious planet and its rich biodiversity. Taking place from 10am to 4pm on April 18-20, Wild for the Planet includes fun and inspiring activities, entertainment, and presentations focused on conservation, sustainability and community. For extra springtime fun, cuddly long-eared friend Big Bunny will be available for professional photos over the holiday weekend (additional fee).

London-based artist George Townley will be at Exhibit A Gallery on Saturday, April 19 to sign his upcoming book Golden Hour: The Art of George Townley. Along with a retrospective of his LA-inspired work, Townley will be signing copies of the book - which he describes as "a heartfelt tribute to the City of Angels" - featuring a limited edition dust jacket available only at the show.

Hip-hop festival Krush Groove returns to Kia Forum on Saturday, April 19, with a stacked lineup led by The Game, who’s celebrating the 20th anniversary of debut The Documentary. Also on the bill are Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - with all five members of the group appearing - as well as Redman and Method Man, Baby Mash, MC Magic, Lil Rob, Paul Wall and Cali Swag District. Tickets at Ticketmaster.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famers AC/DC are back in black for their first U.S. tour in nine years! The North American leg of the Power Up Tour, named for their hit 2020 album, will continue the band’s trek across some of the world’s most venerable stadiums. For their only LA date, they’ll play Pasadena’s landmark Rose Bowl Stadium. Don’t miss out, tickets at Ticketmaster.

Now on view at the Skirball Cultural Center, Diane von Furstenberg: Woman Before Fashion explores the remarkable life and work of fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. This expansive, multidisciplinary exhibition, enriched by a lavishly illustrated catalogue featuring interviews and scholarly essays, invites visitors to discover von Furstenberg's extraordinary career, from the 1970s to the present day.

Organized in four thematic sections, Diane von Furstenberg includes a selection of more than sixty pieces drawn from the DVF archives along with ephemera, fabric swatches, media pieces, and information on her philanthropic work. The Skirball’s presentation of this exhibition will also include new images and audio that shed light on von Furstenberg’s personal biography as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and a war refugee, offering additional perspective on the factors that shaped her life and work.

On view at the Hammer Museum through May 4, Alice Coltrane, Monument Eternal is inspired by the life and legacy of jazz musician, devotional leader and mother Alice Coltrane. The title takes its name from her book Monument Eternal (1977), which reflected her newfound spiritual beliefs; the loss of her husband, the saxophonist John Coltrane; and the path to healing and self-discovery. The exhibition presents works by contemporary American artists paired with ephemera from Coltrane’s personal archive. Featuring a range of mediums including video, installation, performance, and sculpture together with Coltrane’s archival handwritten sheet music, unreleased audio recordings, and rarely seen video footage, Alice Coltrane, Monument Eternal explores themes including spiritual transcendence, sonic innovation, and architectural intimacy to honor Coltrane’s cultural output and practice.

A legend on the turntables, Mix Master Mike is a founding member of the influential DJ collective Invisibl Skratch Piklz who came to wider acclaim for his work on Beastie Boys albums like Hello Nasty and as the band’s touring DJ. Catch him on the decks at The Venice West on Sunday night. Tickets at Tixr, VIP table reservations are available.