People view the Los Angeles River swollen by storm runoff as a powerful long-duration atmospheric river storm, the second in less than a week, continues to impact Southern California on February 5, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images North America
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Topline:
Los Angeles officials on Tuesday reported some progress in responding to the two atmospheric storms that have left the Southland saturated and still at risk of debris flows.
What's next: While the worst of the storm system has passed, officials warn the region has a ways to go in terms of clean up and recovery.
Expect more flooding, downed trees, debris flows and other hazards, particularly on roadways. That's because another period of heavy rain is expected from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday.
The danger of mudslides remains due to how saturated the ground.
Keep reading... for more details and the latest conditions.
This story is no longer updating. Get the latest on the storm:
Los Angeles officials on Tuesday reported some progress in responding to the two atmospheric storms that have left the Southland saturated and still at risk of debris flows.
The pair of record-breaking storms have shut down roads, forced mandatory evacuations and severely damaged property in landslides and debris flows.
Firefighters responded to bystander reports that a man jumped in the flowing water in pursuit of his dog. Crews responded to several bridges and access points down river and located the canine, who had managed to swim safely to the edge and escape the rapids. LAFD Air Ops lowered… pic.twitter.com/AnhhXIqE1H
And while the worst of the storm system had passed, they warned the region has a ways to go in terms of clean up and recovery.
"The road to recovery may be long and it requires an all hands approach," L.A. City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said at a news conference Tuesday evening. "We will rebuild, we will recover, and we will emerge stronger."
Mayor Karen Bass said she was preparing official requests for assistance from state and federal officials.
Power has been reported to 59,000 L.A. customers, with just over 6,600 customers remaining with lights out, mainly because of a downed tree in Brentwood.
As of Tuesday evening, Crowley said the following had been recorded in L.A.:
475 mudslides
390 fallen trees
Multiple successful water rescues
12 structure fires
919 catch basin and storm water systems cleared
441 reports of potholes recorded
From around 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, forecasters said they were expecting another burst of rain, which could prove perilous for already saturated ground.
Expect more flooding, downed trees, debris flows and other hazards as the storm system slowly makes it way southeast.
Rain and thunderstorms will be sticking around a bit longer.
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National Weather Service in Oxnard
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Mud and rock slides were especially prevalent along mountain areas that got hit by the historically heavy rain.
At around 9 p.m. Sunday, 16 residents were evacuated from nine Studio City homes after a mudslide damaged two structures on Lockridge Road. And L.A. firefighters evacuated people from at least three homes affected by debris flows on West Boris Drive in Tarzana. A landslide on Beverly Crest damaged at least six homes, forcing the evacuation of 15 people.
Culver City issued an evacuation warning for residents in Culver Crest as mudflows were reported on Cranks road and Flaxton street. At noon on Tuesday, Hacienda Road in La Habra heights was closed due to an active debris flow moving through the town.
In Santa Barbara, officials evacuated an estimated 40 people from apartment buildings due to cliff erosion.
A view of mudslide damage in Los Angeles, California.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
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There should be a lull in the rain Wednesday morning before the region has to deal with a bit more storm activity through Thursday.
A flash flood warning will likely remain in effect until Wednesday afternoon from the Santa Monica Mountains to the Hollywood Hills and Griffith Park, as well as the adjacent foothills, the cities of Malibu and and Beverly Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains in southeastern Ventura County.
Some resources to make sure you have the most up-to-date information:
"This has truly been a historic storm for Los Angeles," said Ariel Cohen, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in Oxnard, who pointed out that this has been the third wettest two-day stretch for the city since they started keeping records back in the 1870s.
People view the Los Angeles River swollen by storm runoff as a powerful long-duration atmospheric river storm, the second in less than a week, continues to impact Southern California on February 5, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images North America
)
While on Monday, downtown L.A. saw 4.1 inches of rain — breaking the previous daily rainfall record of 2.55 inches set in 1927 — stations across the Santa Monica Mountains are where the real intense rainfall was centered.
Three-day rainfall totals as of noon Tuesday:
Bel Air: 12.32 inches
Sepulveda Canyon at Mulholland: 12.01
Topanga: 11.95 inches
Woodland Hills: 11.70 inches
Mt. Baldy: 9.37 inches
Santa Fe Dam: 8.61
Downtown L.A.: 8.13 inches
Hollywood Reservoir: 7.47 inches
Santa Monica: 6.79 inches
Santa Barbara: 5.42 inches
Saticoy: 5.08 inches
To put those rainfall totals in perspective, the average annual rainfall for L.A. is usually around 14 inches or so.
Don't be surprised if more records fall.
Flood watches and warnings are in place from Santa Barbara to San Diego counties through Tuesday as hazards remain.
Long, sustained periods of rain are characteristic of El Niño storms. Warmer than normal waters off the coast — often associated with the climate phenomenon — are juicing our recent storms by sending more heat and water into the atmosphere.
UCLA has recorded nearly 12 inches of rain in the last 24 hours, a 1 in 1000-year rainfall rainfall event for Westwood.
A truly unprecedented storm in modern history for the region as an atmospheric river stalls over the region. pic.twitter.com/KA7mnDAloP
Mud inundates parts of the Hollywood Hills on Monday. Another day of steady rain is forecast Tuesday.
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David McNew
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AFP via Getty Images
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It's not uncommon for rocks and mud to flow off steep hillsides and onto roads during heavy rains. And debris flows were reported across the region over the past several days. Additional incidents are possible.
Overview of notable incidents as of Tuesday morning:
Studio City: Two homes damaged by mudflow, with a total of 16 residents evacuated from nine homes.
Tarzana: Three homes damaged by a mudflow and two people evacuated from a home.
Beverly Crest: Seven homes have been damaged by debris flow and 15 people were evacuated.
Palos Verdes: Eastbound Palos Verdes Drive south is closed due to mud.
Culver City: An evacuation warning has been issued for residents of the Culver Crest area after mudflows were seen behind multiple homes.
La Habra Heights: Hazardous levels of mud were reported along Hacienda Road at noon on Tuesday.
Coastal erosion
On Tuesday morning, Santa Barbara County officials evacuated approximately 40 people from four apartment buildings in the beachside college town of Isla Vista. Residents were later allowed to return with some of the property cordoned off.
Evacuation efforts underway on 6700 Blk of Del Playa, Isla Vista. 4 apt. Units displaced with approx. 45+ people displaced due to cliff / bluff erosion. More to come. CT9:51am pic.twitter.com/6lcYO8Z4ie
County public information officer Jackie Ruiz said officials were concerned that the columns holding up the structures could give way because of cliff erosion below the buildings.
She said no other evacuations had been issued in the area, and that safety and planning officials were assessing damages to the buildings to determine needed repairs.
Up in the mountains
So far, snow levels have been relatively high, mostly above 5,500 feet.
Winter storm warnings are in effect in both the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests until late Tuesday night.
It continues to #snow in the mountains with a snow level 5500 to 6000 feet now - Mt Baldy region has received 12 to 24 inches of snow above 6500 feet, here is an webcamera provided by Mountain High #cawx chain control in effect through Big Bear city pic.twitter.com/1BfcbKTg7l
Higher mountain peaks like San Jacinto (10,834 feet) could get around 1 to 3 feet of snow, while Mt. San Antonio (10,064 feet) could see 4 to 6 feet.
The eastern San Gabriel mountains and the San Bernardino County mountains are under a winter storm warning until 10 p.m. Tuesday for areas above 6,000 feet.
Travel is expected to be difficult, if not impossible. Higher mountains could see winds up to 70 mph, which can damage trees and knock them onto roadways. If you must head in or around these areas, pack emergency supplies in your car just in case.
The Mount Wilson observatory closed Saturday until further notice because of the weather. Mountain High Resort will reopen today starting at 9 a.m.
The Angeles National Forest is urging people to stay away from the area at least for the next few days. Very hazardous conditions are expected, including heavy rain, fast-moving landslides, snow, and flooding.
What's up with the L.A. River?
Social media has been inundated with videos of the Los Angeles River gushing with water as historic rains pummel Southern California.
Jon Sweeten, a reservoir regulation engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, said videos of the river seemingly on the verge of overflowing shouldn't necessarily be cause for alarm.
“People see a lot of water in a channel that they see that's normally dry and they go, ‘Oh my goodness, there's a lot of water,’” he said. “That's just the channel operating in the way it was designed.”
The system, Sweeten added, “is designed to hold some of the water behind the dams and release it into concrete line channels that will convey the flow very effectively to the ocean.”
Since the 51 miles of river pass through different cities, at the time the infrastructure was built, municipalities were responsible for building bridges within their respective boundaries. At the time, local officials pushed for a narrower river, so that it would be cheaper to build the bridges while also preserving more land for development.
“In order to make the system work well, they designed it so that it flowed very fast so — the system flows much faster than a natural stream would flow,” Sweeten said. “Which is why it's dangerous for people to stand on the concrete in the L.A. River, because water up to your ankle is capable of knocking you off your feet.”
Sewage spills
Avoid fecal coliform bacteria and all sorts of nasty chemicals by not going into the ocean during or right after it rains.
It's a notion that holds doubly true for Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, and every swimming area in Long Beach, as an estimated 8 million gallons of sewage have flowed down into the water.
A sanitation department spokesperson said sewer systems were so overwhelmed by rain that they backed up and spilled out into the Dominguez Channel, which leads to the Port of Long Beach, and into Compton Creek, which flows into the L.A. River.
An additional 40,000 gallons of sewage are also estimated to have spilled into the L.A. River following a backup in Commerce.
Public health officials advise people to wait at least 72 hours after significant rainfall to go into the ocean water.
Multiple evacuation orders and warnings for L.A., Ventura and Santa Barbara counties have been canceled, though it's possible as the storm progresses that additional alerts will be issued.
Los Angeles County
Topanga Canyon: Evacuation order and warning issued for the area around Santa Maria Road in the Owen Fire burn scar.
Soledad Canyon: Evacuation warning issued for the Agua Fire Burn scar east of Acton.
Juniper Hills: Evacuation warning issued for Juniper Hills and Valyermo area.
San Gabriel Mountains: Evacuation warnings are in effect for areas near the Bobcat Fire (north end) and Lake Fire burn scars.
Duarte: Evacuation warningis in effect for the area in the Fish Fire burn scar.
Culver City: Evacuation warning in effect through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday for areas of Culver City’s Upper Crest area due to potential mud or debris flows. The city is asking people who live above, below, or adjacent to a hillside in or below the Upper Crest neighborhood to take extra precautions.
Warnings and orders will likely remain in place until 6 p.m. Tuesday. More info about above incidents is here.
Orange County
A voluntary evacuation warning was issued for Irvine Lake, Black Star and Baker Canyon, Silverado Canyon, Williams Canyon, Modjeska Canyon, Live Oak and North Traduce Canyon, and Traduce, Rose, and Holy Jim Canyons.
Canyon residents were strongly encouraged to prepare and voluntarily evacuate on Sunday, especially those with disabilities, access and/or functional needs, and canyon residents with large animals.
Evacuation warning issued due to potential mud and debris flow in the El Dorado and Apple fire burn scars.
Schools
Los Angeles Unified School District announced that all schools will be open on Tuesday with the exception of Topanga Elementary Charter and Vinedale College Preparatory Academy. Topanga students may report to Woodland Hills Academy while Vinedale students may report to Glenwood Elementary School.
Santa Monica schools are open Tuesday; Malibu schools are closed.
Long Beach Unified schools are open Tuesday.
Santa Barbara Unified school district reopened on Tuesday.
About 62% of LAUSD students attended school on Monday. In a statement issued later that evening, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said close to 90% of teachers made it in as well.
The superintendent also noted some bus delays but said more than 90% of bus drivers reported to work and all routes were eventually completed. One bus had a breakdown that delayed students for an hour and a half.
LAist has asked the district for more details on that incident and how it's accommodating Vineland and Topanga elementary school students.
Road closures
In short, it's a mess.
Rockslides, mudslides, flooding and snow have inundated roads from Ventura to San Bernardino.
Check in with your local department of transportation for the latest updates:
Caltrans (best for highway and mountain conditions)
UCLA- Normal operations. Classes will occur as usual
USC- Normal operations. Classes will occur as usual
In person classes have resumed at Cal State Fullerton.
UC Santa Barbara campuses are set to reopen Tuesday.
Cal State Long Beach said it expects normal operations and classes to resume on Tuesday.
Cal Poly Pomona returns to normal campus operations Tuesday.
Cal State Northridge also resumes campus operations Tuesday.
Emergency proclamations and preparation
L.A. County issued an emergency proclamation Sunday night. Supervisors said that move aligned the county with the state's emergency order and would make it easier to act quickly to deploy resources.
In, L.A., Mayor Bass declared a local state of emergency on Monday.
San Bernardino County also declared a state of emergency Sunday night in anticipation of extreme rain and snow expected through Wednesday.
A man and his dog were rescued from the Pacoima Wash near Foothill Boulevard via helicopter after he jumped into the water after his pet. LAFD Fire Chief Kristen Crowley said both the man and the dog are safe.
Bass said more than 100 unhoused people had to be evacuated from a tiny home complex. She added that they’re being moved into a nearby shelter that wasn’t being used, but now will be “instantly” filled.
Bass also answered a call from President Joe Biden toward the end of Monday’s news conference and held the phone up to the microphone so he could speak to the people of Los Angeles.
“We’ll get any help on the way as soon as you guys request it, so just let me know,” Biden said.
More ahead
Residents in mountain, canyon and coastal areas should prepare for the risk of debris flows and flooding to remain at least through Tuesday.
Those in landslide prone areas like the Palos Verdes Peninsula should be on the lookout for indications of land movement, including the formation of new cracks, the fracturing of underground utilities, doors and windows falling out of plumb and sounds of creaks and groans coming from the ground.
Los Angeles County Fire Department locations also have sandbags and sand.
Sand and sandbags are available at these locations in Orange County.
Significant snowfall expected for #SoCal thru Tue.
- 2 to 4 feet above 7000 ft - 10-20 inches between 6000 and 7000 ft - Up to 10 inches between 5000 and 6000 ft - Wind gusts up to around 90 MPH -WINTER STORM WARNINGS in effect thru Tue#CAwxpic.twitter.com/iKjqJPN7Ss
Here’s an excerpt from our guide to understanding flood warnings, if any are issued:
Flood advisories are how the NWS begins to raise the alarm. The goal is to give people enough time to take action.
Flood watches are your indicators to get prepared to move.
Aflood warning is issued when a hazardous weather event is imminent or already happening. When one is issued for your area, you need to get to higher ground immediately.
A flash flood warning is issued when a flash flood is coming or in progress. Flash floods are sudden and violent floods that can start within minutes.
If you're in L.A. County and need sand bags you can find some at local fire houses.
Staying safe when the winds are high
Watch for traffic signals that may be out. Approach those intersections as four-way stops.
Make sure you have a battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they are fresh. Use flashlights for lighting during a power outage; do not use candles because they may pose a significant fire hazard.
If you’re in a vehicle with a fallen power line on it, stay in the vehicle and remain calm until help arrives. It is OK to use your cellphone to call 911. If you must leave the vehicle, remember to exit away from downed power lines and exit by jumping from the vehicle and landing with both feet together. You must not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Then proceed away from the vehicle by shuffling and not picking up your feet until you are several yards away.
Water and electricity don’t mix. Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Do not step in or enter any water that a downed power line may be touching.
Do not use any equipment inside that is designed for outdoor heating or cooking. Such equipment can emit carbon monoxide and other toxic gases.
If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into it, using a heavy-duty extension cord. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates “backfeed,” which is dangerous to repair crews.
Leave the doors of your refrigerator and freezer closed to keep food as fresh as possible. Place blocks of ice inside to help keep food cold. Check food carefully for signs of spoilage.
Check on your neighbors to make sure everyone is safe.
Tips on staying warm
State law requires residential units to have heating systems that can keep indoor temperatures at a minimum of 70 degrees. That means every dwelling unit and guest room offered for rent or lease should offer heating equipment, usually central air conditioning (A/C) or a wall heater. — Caitlin Hernández
Use heat smartly to save money: Cranking things like the A/C and wall heaters can be expensive. If money is tight, be judicious about how and when you use your utilities. For example, only use heaters at night or only set the thermostat to around 70 degrees.
Open and close those vents: If you have central A/C, look at where the vents are around your home. Are any open in places where you don’t stay long? Practice opening and closing those so warm air only goes where you need it (most vents should have a small toggle lever). Humidifiers can also help you warm things up — and it’s useful to add moisture into our dry air.
Adjust your wall heaters: If you have a wall heater, you can change the output by adjusting the knob (usually at the bottom). Since wall heaters can only warm the areas where they’re placed, it’s essential to close doors to rooms you won’t be in so hot air doesn’t get wasted.
Turn on your ceiling fan (really): If you have a ceiling fan, try turning it on. This sounds counterintuitive, but there’s science behind it. The direction a fan turns can push air in different directions, and since hot air floats up, you’ll want to move that around. Your fan should spin clockwise to create an updraft to circulate. Not all fans will have this option, though.
George Kiriyama, a senior editor, is tracking the storm and adding updates along with Kevin Tidmarsh, a producer, and Fiona Ng, LAist's weekend editor. Other LAist staff members, including host Sharon McNary and associate producer Gillian Morán Pérez also kept a close eye, while other members of the newsroom have been keeping watch during the week.
This is a developing story. We fact check everything and rely only on information from credible sources (think fire, police, government officials and reporters on the ground). Sometimes, however, we make mistakes and/or initial reports turn out to be wrong. In all cases, we strive to bring you the most accurate information in real time and will update this story as new information becomes available.
Ame Oropeza (center) of Los Angeles, along with other soccer fans, watches Mexico play South Africa in a 2026 FIFA World Cup game at a watch party at Distrito Catorce in Boyle Heights on June 11.
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Gary Coronado
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The LA Local
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Topline:
World Cup fans usually know exactly who they’re rooting for. Ask around Los Angeles ahead of Thursday’s match between Mexico and South Korea, though, and you’ll find plenty of fans who would be perfectly happy if neither side won.
The backstory: The two countries will meet Thursday in one of the most anticipated group stage matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In L.A., the matchup is drawing excitement — and more than a few mixed loyalties. Some of that goodwill is simply a product of life in L.A.
It's not just soccer: The upcoming match also arrives at a moment when connections between the two countries extend well beyond soccer. Mexico is one of the largest markets for Korean pop music in the world.
Read on ... to see why so many Angelenos will be pulling for both sides.
World Cup fans usually know exactly who they’re rooting for.
Ask around Los Angeles ahead of Thursday’s match between Mexico and South Korea, though, and you’ll find plenty of fans who would be perfectly happy if neither side won.
“I think we should just tie because I think that would be the most peaceful option,” said Edmund Kim, 27, who attended South Korea’s opening match watch party in Koreatown with his girlfriend, Ruth Perez.
Perez, 25, shrugged at the question about picking a side.
“Any result would be a good result, honestly,” she said. “I just love the support amongst each other.”
The two countries will meet Thursday in one of the most anticipated group stage matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In LA, the matchup is drawing excitement — and more than a few mixed loyalties.
Carlos Martinez has no interest in picking a side. Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley, he said he was surrounded by Asian friends and developed a love for Korean food.
He’d rather not see Mexico beat South Korea at all.
“I want us to both get points and for both of us to pass on to the next stage,” the 28-year-old said last week at the watch party in Koreatown.
Some of that goodwill is simply a product of life in L.A. As Kim puts it, the two communities are “right here living with each other so there’s no way to not support each other.”
But the relationship also has a soccer origin story.
If South Korea’s World Cup opener needed drama, it got it — and fans in Koreatown matched the moment.
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Gary Coronado
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The LA Local
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In 2018, when South Korea defeated Germany 2-0 in the final match of the group stage, the upset helped send Mexico into the knockout rounds. Mexican fans responded by flooding social media with messages of gratitude, gathering outside the South Korean embassy and chanting, “Coreano, hermano, ya eres mexicano” — “Korean brother, you are already Mexican.”
Daniel Hong remembers that moment like it was yesterday.
Hong, 49, lives in Brownsville, Texas, but regularly travels to L.A. to buy merchandise for his store. On the day of the match, he was shopping at a wholesale warehouse in L.A. when South Korea scored.
“The first goal happens, and the screams from the warehouse could be heard from inside the showroom,” he recalled. “Second goal scored and pandemonium. The game finishes and everyone is losing their minds.”
Throughout the night, strangers offered Hong free food, drinks and repeated declarations of affection for South Korea.
“It was such an amazing feeling to see strangers rejoicing together as if we were all family,” he said. “Celebrations lasted throughout the night in Koreatown from what I could tell from my hotel room.”
When asked whether he’d support Mexico if South Korea were knocked out first, Hong — whose son is half-Mexican — didn’t hesitate.
“That would be a hard yes,” he said.
Daniel Chung, 40, one of the founders of Tigers Supporters Group, an LAFC supporters group based in Koreatown, joked that he’ll be “chasing my shots of tequila with soju” while supporting both teams Thursday night.
“Either way, win or lose, we support each other and lift each other up,” he said.
The upcoming match also arrives at a moment when connections between the two countries extend well beyond soccer.
Mexico is one of the largest markets for Korean pop music in the world. According to Spotify, more than 14 million K-pop listeners are based in Mexico, making it the fifth-largest market globally and the largest in the Spanish-speaking world.
Biannis Angeles, who said he loves K-pop and Korean food, counts BTS among his favorite groups. The South Korean boy band is expected to headline the World Cup final halftime show alongside Madonna and Shakira.
Angeles, 27, is hoping neither side leaves disappointed.
At South Korea’s opening match watch party against Czechia last week, green Mexico jerseys popped out among the sea of red jerseys in the crowd at Liberty Park.
Venus Meza, a 28-year-old Koreatown resident, supports both teams in some way because of how things shook out in 2018.
“Obviously I’ll root a little bit more for Team Mexico, but if Korea wins, I’ll also be happy with that too,” she said.
For Leo Hernandez, an LA soccer creator known online as “El Soccer Guy,” the conflict comes down to one player: Son Heung-min.
Hernandez, who has attended LAFC matches since the club’s inaugural season, said many Mexican fans first embraced the South Korea star after the 2018 World Cup and have continued to admire him for the way he carries himself on and off the field.
“He’s a player you just can’t hate no matter what,” said Hernandez, 35. “Also because of how he’s here now, I think it really connected us to other South Koreans and the culture.”
Despite what’s at stake, Hernandez said Thursday’s match feels more like a friendly than a rivalry.
“It’s going to be hard for me to see Sonny play against my country,” he said.
Hernandez said he’d celebrate a Mexican goal, but would still hate to see Son on the losing end.
“I don’t want him to lose, but I wouldn’t want him to win. I have loyalty to both, especially because of Sonny,” he said.
Paul Kim of the Los Angeles Korean Festival Foundation, a co-host of the watch party at Seoul International Park in Koreatown, expects Thursday’s match to draw one of the largest crowds of the tournament.
“I hope people understand it’s just a game,” Kim said, “but these two communities work together well, respect each other well in this city and neighborhood. It means a lot.”
Smorgasburg L.A. celebrates its 10th anniversary this weekend.
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Peridot Photos
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Smorgasburg LA
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In this edition:
Juneteenth events, Father’s Day treats, movies at historic theaters and more of the best things to do this weekend.
Highlights:
From a family scavenger hunt on Friday to a dance party on Saturday to a sound bath and yoga meditation on Sunday, Juneteenth comes alive at the California African American Museum. I just went last week to check out the Willie Birch and Gordon Parks exhibits — both are well worth seeing, and the space is a light-filled sanctuary from the busyness of everything else happening in Expo Park with the FIFA Fan Fest.
Celebrate Dad with all his favorite L.A. treats at the 10th anniversary of Smorgasburg celebration. Get a taste of favorites from vendors like The Base, Shrimp Daddy, Bub and Grandmas, Carnitas El Momo, Ramen Burger and more. Plus, check out food specials, collabs, live music and an “I Love Micheladas” menu!
Catch the last films of the Last Remaining Seats series at the historic Million Dollar Theater on Broadway. The matinee is 9 to 5 starring Dolly Parton, and the evening pick is the Hitchcock classic North by Northwest. What a way to make a living!
It’s a big long weekend — Father’s Day, Juneteenth, the Art Parade, the World Cup and so much more. Narrowing the list for this weekend was tough!
Music-wise, there are a lot of big celebrations going on. On Friday, there’s Chance the Rapper’s Juneteenth extravaganza at the Hollywood Bowl and superstar DJ Chris Lake at L.A. State Historic Park (he’ll be there Saturday as well). Also on Saturday, there’s the official Opening Night at the Bowl with Halle Bailey, Darren Criss and more; the L.A. Block Party at Pershing Square Park with Keyshia Cole, Twista, Petey Pablo, Juelz Santana and Nivea; Red Bull Midsummer with TOKiMONSTA and many more at the Hollywood Roosevelt; and Sports Raves for All Ages at the Broad with Peanut Butter Wolf and Lucha VaVoom. Plus, the annual Venice Fest is back in Mar Vista on Saturday with multiple music stages.
Finally, the celebratory weekend wraps Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl with Reggae Night 24, featuring Ziggy Marley, Zuri Marley and Burning Spear.
Sunday, June 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Row 777 South Alameda St.,Downtown L.A. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Peridot Photos
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Celebrate Dad with all his favorite L.A. treats at the 10th anniversary of Smorgasburg celebration. Get a taste of favorites from vendors like The Base, Shrimp Daddy, Bub and Grandma's, Carnitas El Momo, Ramen Burger and more. Plus, check out food specials, collabs, live music and an “I Love Micheladas” menu!
CAAM Juneteenth Events
Friday to Sunday, June 19 to 21 California African American Museum 600 State Drive, Expo Park COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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CAAM
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Courtesy Sutton Comms
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From a family scavenger hunt on Friday to a dance party on Saturday to a sound bath and yoga meditation on Sunday, Juneteenth comes alive at the California African American Museum. I just went last week to check out the Willie Birch and Gordon Parks exhibits — both are well worth seeing, and the space is a light-filled sanctuary from the busyness of everything else happening in Expo Park with the FIFA Fan Fest.
LACMA Art Parade
Saturday, June 20, 6 p.m. LACMA 5905 Wilshire Blvd.,Miracle Mile COST: FREE; MORE INFO
The weekend’s marquee event is a massive art parade to welcome the new LACMA Geffen Galleries on their official opening weekend, highlighting dozens of local artists hand-selected to participate. The parade and block party will run down Museum Mile and promise to be a moveable feast of art projects, performances, music and more in the spirit of the original art parades, envisioned by gallerist Jeffrey Deitch and held in NYC 20 years ago.
Juneteenth Improv Extravaganza
Friday, June 19, 7 p.m. UCB Franklin 5919 Franklin Ave., Hollywood COST: $10; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Friday Block Party
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Kick off your holiday weekend with some laughs at UCB. Hosted by Sean Williams and Itanza Saraz, the Juneteenth-themed show features comedians Jacquis Neal, Nnamdi Ngwe, Monique Moses, Toni Adeyemi, Courtney Theophin and many, many more. Can’t make it out to Hollywood? You can also livestream the show.
Third Annual Compton Film Festival
Saturday and Sunday, June 20 and 21 Compton College 1111 E. Artesia Blvd., Compton COST: FROM $11.52; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Compton Film Festival
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Get access to conversations with producers, filmmakers and local politicians — and check out some great new films, of course — at the third annual Compton Film Festival at Compton College. The selections this year include student films, as well as animated, documentary and narrative shorts.
LA River Arts: River Solstice Festival
Sunday, June 21, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park 2944 Gleneden St., Frogtown COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Party along the river with performances from the Bob Baker Marionettes, Mary Lattimore, San Cha and Calycosa; explore tons of art from local artists; and gain a deeper understanding of the city’s relationship to our own L.A. River at the River Solstice Festival.
Gil Scott-Heron: Bluesology
Friday to Sunday, June 19 to 21 Hollywood Fringe Hudson Theaters Main Stage 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood COST: $50; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Hollywood Fringe
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Experience the words and music of Gil Scott-Heron in a new way with this never-the-same spoken word production that comes to the Hollywood Fringe with several iterations already under its belt, plus eight NAACP Theatre Award nominations. Featuring Scott-Heron’s daughter, Gia Scott-Heron, the show reimagines works from his 17 albums using poetry, art, music and an activist spirit.
Sip of History: Baseball and Japanese American History
Friday, June 19, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Far Bar 347 1st St., Little Tokyo COST: $15, includes drink ticket; MORE INFO
Ohtani fever is in full bloom this summer, and you can learn about the deep history of Japan’s love affair with baseball at this drink-and-learn event with the Democracy Center at Far Bar in Little Tokyo. The program features a conversation with JANM’s Director of Collections Management & Access and Curator, Kristen Hayashi, about how baseball brought hope, unity and a sense of normalcy to Japanese Americans during World War II incarceration.
Last Remaining Seats: 9 to 5 and North by Northwest
Saturday, June 20, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Million Dollar Theater 307 S. Broadway,Downtown L.A. COST: $25; MORE INFO
Exterior of Orpheum theatre during the 2024 Last Remaining Seats season
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LA Conservancy
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Catch the last films of the Last Remaining Seats series at the historic Million Dollar Theater on Broadway. The matinee is 9 to 5 starring Dolly Parton, and the evening pick is the Hitchcock classic North by Northwest. What a way to make a living!
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Julia Paskin
is the local host of All Things Considered and the L.A. Report Evening Edition.
Published June 18, 2026 5:00 AM
LAist host Julia Paskin at Dataland’s Data Pavilion.
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Natalie Chudnovsky
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LAist
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Topline:
Dataland, the world’s first museum dedicated to art generated with artificial intelligence, is opening on June 20th.
Why it matters: Located at the Frank Gehry designed Grand LA building in Downtown, Dataland is positioning itself among institutions like MOCA, The Broad, and the Disney Concert Hall. But does it manage to rebrand AI art?
What you’ll see: The inaugural exhibit Machine Dreams: Rainforests is a project of museum co-founder and artist Refik Anadol, and his studio’s Large Nature Model (LNM), which Anadol describes as “ethically sourced image archives transforming into realtime art works” that span five “multi-sensory” galleries.
Read on … for a preview of the museum.
Dataland, the world’s first museum dedicated to art generated with artificial intelligence, opens Saturday. Located at the Frank Gehry designed Grand LA building in downtown, it’s positioning itself among institutions like MOCA, The Broad and the Disney Concert Hall.
The inaugural exhibit, Machine Dreams: Rainforests, is a project of museum co-founder and artist Refik Anadol and his studio’s Large Nature Model (LNM), which Anadol describes as “ethically sourced image archives transforming into real-time artworks” that span five “multi-sensory” galleries.
What does that all mean exactly? And would it all be worth the lowest ticket price of $49? I attended a recent press preview to find out.
Something you should know about me is that I love art. A lot. I want artists to thrive, and I don’t want AI to threaten that. At the same time, I believe in creative freedom. Who am I to say what is or isn’t a valid tool of an artist?
So I went into the museum as a curious skeptic. And in the end, while it was an enjoyable experience, I didn’t like it.
Here’s why.
Machine Dreams: Rainforests is the inaugural exhibition at Dataland.
Gearing up: Biosensor watches, scent gadgets and shoe coverings
First, the press event felt more like a tech start-up launch than a museum opening, which made sense once learning the museum is partnered with tech giants like Google Cloud and NVIDIA.
Before going in, we were given shoe coverings, making me feel like we were entering a sterile laboratory.
Inside the lobby, a large screen wall illuminated preview images of the exhibit, framed by scrolling environmental data of different rainforests. Loud ambient music –- what I can best describe as what you would hear in a futuristic spa — permeated the space, and a similar AI-generated sound design scored the whole exhibit.
The first official room of the exhibit was the “Discovery Portal,” with more data and dazzling graphics conceptualizing the environmental data captured to feed the LNM. We were each instructed to use a QR code to unlock a box, which revealed a wearable biosensor that looked like a blank digital watch, and another device to wear around our necks that emitted various scents designed by L'Oréal Luxe.
Psychedelic sensory overload
We walked down a hallway and descended an escalator into what was arguably the most impressive gallery: the “Data Pavilion.” It's a large room with curved edges, and mirrored columns and ceilings.
LAist host Julia Paskin in Dataland’s Data Pavilion Gallery.
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Natalie Chudnovsky / LAist
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Evolving images inspired by rainforest data moved quickly along the walls and floors: pink-purple lightscapes merged into yellow-blue polka-dots, and gave way to watery blue ripples, with circles of light that followed my footsteps. The exhibit is designed to react to its audience and I enjoyed seeing the images shift based on everyone’s movements, as well the sweet earthy smell released by the scent neck device. The Large Nature Model generating these experiences was trained on environmental data sets, including imagery, sound and weather data from 16 different rainforests.
“ As an artist, I believe the best way of creating work is machine-human collaboration,” said Anadol, who told me that every installation in the museum will be “human-made”. For him, the benefit of using AI is in how it can supersede human capacity.
“I will never remember a half billion images, but there's an installation here that can allow me to let visitors feel connected and listen to 50 million bird songs,” said Anadol “That is impossible to do by traditional tools.”
So did the resulting experience help me connect with nature in a radical new way?
Here’s where I have to disclose that I have sensory sensitivities. And like a lot of neurodivergent people, I crave and revel in sensory stimulation but can also find it overwhelming, and even physically painful in extreme instances. It would turn out, both experiences were true for me. After some time in the “Data Pavilion,” I found it dizzying, especially to walk while looking at a fast moving image beneath you, and my colleague was even more nauseous. (We are in our 30’s, which may also have something to do with it!)
On the bright side, I thought it was the closest experience to being on a psychedelic you can get without consuming anything.
Dataland’s Data Pavilion Gallery.
Drawings, chocolates and environmental questions
Next, was the “Latent Room” which is mostly centered on interactive stations.I tested out a touch screen panel where visitors can make a drawing and then choose a nature model to interpret it into a piece of AI art.
Frankly, I had trouble using it. I did not find the interactive stations very intuitive, and maybe it's because I’m an aging millennial.
Visitors here can also choose from one of four chocolates created by Valerie Confections, based in Glendale. The one I tried was very delicious but the connection to the rest of the exhibit was lost on me.
This is where the scent started to be too much and I took it off and kind of held it at arm’s length.
At this point, I had started to wonder about the museum’s promises of creating environmentally friendly artificial intelligence, claiming the energy required to render the visuals for each visitor equals the energy used to charge a cell phone. This is based on Google Cloud’s low-CO2 compute zone which operates on carbon-free energy. Most A.I. isn’t structured this way, consuming exorbitant amounts of energy and water. But I wondered if masking all the chips and wires behind the exhibit's walls erases the fact that it does take machinery and energy to create artificial intelligence.
To Anadol, though, hiding the tech is the point: “I didn't want to get excited about some cables and computers. It's not about truly that, but it's more about becoming part of a new art form.”
Personally, I was hoping for something more as important as the environmental impact of AI in an exhibit about connecting to rainforests.
67 percent emotionality
The penultimate experience is called the “Infinity Room,” which was truly the most immersive animation I have seen, also the most dizzying.
You stand in a mirrored cube space, watching an eight-minute long semi-AI generated film with video-game like nature graphics, inspired by an Amazonian folktale about a glass hummingbird and wisdom tree. The story had a moral and felt like a call to action, but to what, was unclear to me based on the exhibit alone.
Dataland's Infinity Room.
The final room, called “The Sanctuary,” is where your biometric data — like your temperature, heart rate, and skin conductivity — is displayed on the wall, before transforming into a visualization of the collective visitors’ experiences, a colorful abstraction of swirling sand.
While my data was only identifiable through the initials on my biometric device, and Dataland says visitor biometrics are not saved, nor tied to a specific person, I started to feel funny about having my data recorded at all.
I was also puzzled by how my biometrics were being interpreted into engagement and emotionality (at one point, mine was displayed as 67 percent).
“The percentages are not medical or diagnostic measurements,” said a museum representative, when we followed up over email. “They are artistic interpretations generated from the visitor’s interaction with the exhibition. The system may respond to signals such as movement, duration of the visitor’s stay, and physiological patterns gathered through the wearable experience.These signals are translated into a poetic profile of the visitor’s journey through the exhibition.”
But it was the very concept of poeticising artificial intelligence that was nagging at me the whole time.
Virtual trees and touching actual grass
After the press preview, I drove from DTLA up to the Arroyo Seco near the LAist office without much thinking. By that point, I was so overstimulated by the press tour that I just needed some peace and a little actual nature.
I sat in my car, with the window rolled down, on a quiet street, staring at the rows of trees along the narrow canyon that provides urban Pasadena with a bastion of green space.
I did get the impression Anadol and his team at Dataland are interested in critical discourse and artistic evolution, and I’m curious to see if future exhibits may more deeply explore the complexity of incorporating A.I. into art.
But as I decompressed in the quiet of the Arroyo, I wondered — if the exhibit’s purpose is to connect visitors to the natural world, what's the advantage of machine driven visualizations, as opposed to being in nature?
When asked over email, a rep replied that “nothing can replace being in nature.”
“We ask whether data can help us perceive aspects of nature that are usually invisible to human senses [...] Dataland is not an alternative to nature. It is an invitation to experience nature differently. People may leave the exhibition with a renewed desire to visit, study, listen to, or preserve the natural world.”
After work, locals gather here to play in the late afternoon.
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Jordan Rynning
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LAist
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Topline:
As the 2026 men’s World Cup continues to unfold, L.A. soccer lovers weigh in on how MacArthur Park has nurtured generations of players.
Why it matters: While it’s true that the park in L.A.’s historic Westlake neighborhood grapples with organized crime and drug use, it’s also true that the site has long been a place where locals gather for recreation and to build community.
The backstory: Last summer, federal agents and the National Guard descended on MacArthur Park as part of the Trump administration’s militarized mass deportation project. More recently, local and federal agents staged a crackdown on open-air drug sales at the park.
Read on… for what players at MacArthur Park have to say about the tournament.
Since last summer, when federal agents and National Guard troops descended on MacArthur Park as part of the Trump administration’s militarized mass deportation project, the site continues to make headlines as a place where crime runs rampant.
Following a recent crackdown on open-air drug sales at the park, L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said that on Labor Day he plans to have a picnic there with his family.
The beleaguered park “is going to be safe enough to have that picnic,” he promised, inviting federal agents, the LAPD, city officials and everyone else to join him.
But picnics at MacArthur Park are not a novelty.
It’s true the park grapples with organized crime and drug use. It’s also true that the site has long been a place where locals gather for recreation and to build community.
It is here, for instance, that cumbia legend Celso Piña gave a free concert to Angelenos in the historic Westlake neighborhood, just months before dying. It is here that parents push their children on swing sets and treat them to ice pops. And it is here that, virtually every day of the week, soccer lovers of all ages come together to play the beautiful game.
Police vehicles made several rounds at the park during a recent FIFA World Cup watch party.
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Jordan Rynning
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LAist
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Generations of soccer players
José, who hails from El Salvador, has been going to pick-up games at MacArthur Park since the 80s. (He declined to share his last name because of the seemingly constant presence of law enforcement personnel in the area.)
Back then, he told LAist, the northern part of the park, where soccer players usually gather, didn’t have goal posts or artificial grass.
“We used to play in the dirt,” he said. But to him, the palm tree-lined park, with downtown L.A. in the background, has always been beautiful.
After work, José and his colleagues would leave their restaurant jobs and head to the park, where they sometimes played for several hours. José was usually a midfielder or a forward. Now that he’s in his late 60s, he mostly comes to watch others play. As the 2026 World Cup continues to unfold, José said he feels torn. He’s equally rooting for Argentina, Brazil and Portugal.
From the left: 10-year-old Max poses with members of his soccer league, including Cristofer, Skylarr and Aníbal.
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Jordan Rynning
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LAist
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MacArthur Park is also home to local youth leagues, where years-long friendships are forged. That’s how Skylarr met Aníbal.
Skylarr, a 14-year-old who prefers playing left wing, hopes Portugal will take the World Cup. He looks up to the team’s star, Cristiano Ronaldo, because the celebrated player “grew from the projects and made it out, through hard work,” he said.
Aníbal, a 13-year-old midfielder, wants France to win. “They have a stacked team,” he said in reference to Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise and other world-class talent.
The City of L.A. brought new netting for the goal posts at MacArthur Park's soccer field during a FIFA World Cup broadcast on June 15, 2026.
On Monday, Angelenos gathered on the grass turf and neighboring hills to watch Saudi Arabia tie with Uruguay. Then, some stuck around for the next match. Skylarr, Aníbal and their friends practiced rainbow flicks during halftime.
