The LA Festival Scene
Los Angeles delivers a festival lineup as diverse as the city itself, and the perfectly sunny SoCal weather lends itself to an extended festival season. As one of the biggest cities in the world when it comes to music, it just makes sense that Los Angeles and its greater area would become home to some of the nation's biggest music festivals. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people make the pilgrimage to Coachella, an annual music and arts festival in nearby Indio, CA. With some of the biggest names in music, such as Kendrick Lamar, Calvin Harris, and Drake in the past, headlining an already stacked lineup, Coachella is an unbeatable festival when it comes to music. Not to mention, they bring in some of LA's trendiest food joints for their almost as equally highly-anticipated food lineup. Amazing music AND amazing food? Coachella is unstoppable. And if that's not your thing, then laugh out loud at the LA Comedy Festival, the largest comedy festival in the nation. Bit of wine snob? Or a even a beer snob? The LAWineFest brings you fine wines from all over the globe, while the LA Beer Fest brings you the best brewers to give you unlimited samplings to tickle your taste buds. If you need a little bit more art and culture, The American Film Institute brings you their annual celebration of artistic excellence, AFI Fest, in the city that's known as the cinema of the U.S. It's complete with red-carpet events and special screenings from highly-talented international film-makers. But if you need to get away from the Hollywood glitz and glamour and need a break from the chaos of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, step aside into one of LA's neighborhoods. From upscale and high-class Beverly Hills, to the trendy Downtown LA area, and even the hipster neighborhood of Silver Lake, there are plenty of local, neighborhood festivals to check out as well.
Top Festivals in Los Angeles
Coachella Located in the Southern California desert (technically in Indio, California), Coachella is the festival giant that kicks off festival season every April. With world-class acts spanning all genres, pool parties and towering art installations over the course of two weekends, this is one of the most famous music festivals in the world.
LA Comedy Festival As the nation’s largest comedy festival, you know LA’s got side-splitting jokes for days. It’s also known as a launching pad for dozens of comedians who’ve gone on to be huge stars in the comedy game across all entertainment mediums. From stand up performances to live podcast recordings and web series screenings, you won’t want to miss the funny.
Los Angeles County Fair Los Angeles is a ginormous city and metro area, so it’s no surprise that the Los Angeles County Fair is just as massive. In fact, it’s the 4th largest fair in the United States. First established in 1922, the County Fair celebrates California’s agriculture industry with local food, petting zoos, live music performances and much more.
Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Angelenos love to bury their noses in a good book, and the Los Angeles Festival of Books is chock-full of ‘em. The festival brings literary geeks and critically acclaimed authors together to enjoy literature, comedy, art, music and food over the course of a weekend.
Playboy Jazz Festival It’s not as naughty as its name implies, but it’s one heck of a music festival. Held at the famous Hollywood Bowl, the Playboy Jazz Festival features top-notch jazz talent from all over the world, a delicious culinary program and all the good times you can have without being in the Playboy Mansion.
Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival Come on an empty stomach and treat your taste buds to LA’s finest at the Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival on Grand Avenue. Celebrity chefs whip up all kinds of savory dishes for you to sample, and there are dozens of amazing wines to along with them. This is where good eatin’ and drinkin’ happens.
California Strawberry Festival Indeed, a strawberry festival may be the most fun you’ll ever have, especially the California Strawberry Festival. Prepare for the freshest, juiciest strawberries in the form of chocolate-dipped strawberries, strawberry shortcake and many other yummy combinations. There’s also a Battle of the Bands, arts and crafts booths and even pie-eating contests, among other awesome treats.