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Best things to do this week in Los Angeles and Southern California: February 24 - 27
Los Angeles FC fans during the match against Minnesota United at BMO Stadium on February 22, 2025.
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Shaun Clark
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Getty Images
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Our Picks
On Wednesday night, I got to witness Harry Potter-mania take over Hollywood Boulevard as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opened at the Pantages. Stripe-scarved kids and adults alike took wands in hand and made their way to their seats. The show was a great escape, with incredible magic on stage and sleek choreography to bring these now very familiar characters to life on stage. If only we had a magic wand for everything!
Our real-life magic is 80-degree weather in February and the new H&H bagels opening up in Santa Monica. I’ll take it.
For more to explore, visit LAist.com, where we’ve found the best sandwiches under $12 (yes, it is possible!), tasted your local favorite breakfast spots, and are bringing you the latest on when it will be safe to go back to the beach.
Events
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 6 p.m.
Deep Thot: Theories, Hot Takes, Observations, and Tea
Kiso Los Angeles
107 W 4th St.
Downtown L.A.
COST: $10 SUGGESTED DONATION; MORE INFO
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LAist’s own Brian de Los Santos leads a conversation about what Los Angeles would look like without immigrants and transplants (spoiler alert: unrecognizable!). Sponsored by the L.A. Public Library and DTLAPround, the happy hour is part of a new guest lecture series at downtown gay bar Kiso. The Library’s Community Engagement and Outreach Department will be on site with relevant literature, LGBTQ+ books, and onsite library card registration.
Through March 9
East West Players: Cambodian Rock Band
David Henry Hwang Theatre
120 Judge John Aiso St.
Little Tokyo
COST: FROM $15; MORE INFO
The band Dengue Fever provides the soundtrack for Cambodian Rock Band, East West Players’ first show of the season, which follows the story of a Khmer Rouge survivor as he returns to Cambodia after 30 long years.
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Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Music in the Chinese Garden
The Huntington
1151 Oxford Rd.San Marino
COST: FREE WITH GENERAL ADMISSION ($29); MORE INFO
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Courtesy The Huntington
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Relax to the sounds of classical Chinese instruments while walking through the Garden of Flowing Fragrance at the Huntington. What could be better for stress than admiring one of the area’s most beautiful gardens with a classical accompaniment? Make this your most chill lunch break ever.
Feb. 26 and Feb. 27, 8:30 p.m.
John Cameron Mitchell (featuring Amber Martin)
Catalina Bar and Grill
6725 W. Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood
COST: FROM $75; MORE INFO
John Cameron Mitchell performs during the 25th Malaga Film Festival in 2022.
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Carlos Alvarez
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Getty Images
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Broadway favorites and definitely some cheeky humor are in store when John Cameron Mitchell — creator of Hedwig and the Angry Inch — performs with cabaret great Amber Martin at the intimate Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood. The site says these dates are both sold out, but there are tickets for the Palm Springs show on Friday (including a meet-and-greet!), and it’s always worth checking back closer to the date or on third-party sites.
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Thursday Feb. 27, 8 p.m. (free pre-concert talk 7 p.m.)
Mahler Groove Fest: Dudamel conducts Mahler’s Seventh
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Ave.
Downtown L.A.
COST: FROM $99; MORE INFO
Gustavo Dudamel conducts the LA Phil for 'The Tristan Project' in three acts at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The production is directed by Peter Sellars, with video by acclaimed artist Bill Viola.
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Courtesy of the LA Phil
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Conductor Gustavo Dudamel describes Mahler’s Seventh Symphony as “a symphony of everything: from chaos to glory, sarcasm to tenderness, from a funeral march to a seductive tango. It is a cosmic symphony of perfect construction and galactic emotional scope.” Dudamel hasn’t conducted this piece here before, so take advantage, as our time with the maestro here in L.A. is waning. Before the concert, classical experts answer your questions and guide you through the event at a free conversation in the BP Hall — well worth getting downtown early to see!
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m.
LAFC vs Colorado
BMO Stadium
3939 S. Figueroa St.
University Park
COST: FROM $44; MORE INFO
LAFC fans during the match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Los Angeles FC at Dignity Health Sports Park on April 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles FC won the match 3-2.
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Shaun Clark
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Getty Images
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Sponsored message
These early weeks of LAFC’s new season are a great time to score tickets, enjoy the cool weather, and see some great soccer. LAFC takes on the Colorado Rapids in Tuesday’s match-up.
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 5 p.m.
Rick Springfield Acoustic Mini Set & Album Signing
Amoeba Hollywood
6200 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood
COST: FREE, MORE INFO
Rick Springfield performs at Ryman Auditorium on February 19, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Mickey Bernal
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Getty Images
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From “Jessie’s Girl” to starring opposite Meryl Streep, '80s heartthrob Rick Springfield has made his mark in Hollywood. He’s celebrating a new hits collection — Big Hits: Rick Springfield's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 — with a solo acoustic mini-set and album signing at Amoeba. Get there early and dance to the hits; buy the album to attend the meet-and-greet signing.
Through July 13
Fire Kinship: Southern California Native Ecology and ArtFowler UCLA
308 Charles E. Young Dr N.
Westwood
COST: FREE, MORE INFO
The Fire Kinship show, part of PST: Art and Science Collide, was postponed when the fires hit, but the irony hasn’t been lost on the Fowler Museum. Eons before wildfires ravaged the Los Angeles area this January, native inhabitants of California were learning how to live in symbiosis with our area’s most violent predator. This show looks at native ecology, art, and our ongoing relationship with fire. ArtNews has a great interview with curator Daisy Ocampo Diaz about the exhibit.
Viewing Pick
Through March 1
Oscar shorts selections
Multiple locations
COST: VARIES, MORE INFO
An Oscar statue stands as preparations are made along the red carpet ahead of the Academy Awards.
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Getty Images
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It’s that time of year again. The Oscars are next Sunday, March 2, and you have just over a week to sneak in all your movie-watching and get that party ballot done. Fortunately, we have access to so many more independent films and shorts with all the streaming services, but I always find it fun (and a great way to support indie filmmakers!) to see the full selection of Oscar short films in the theaters. I’m particularly excited about the Mindy Kaling-produced Anuja, and the New Yorker’s I’m Not a Robot. Several area locations are showing the live-action, animated, and documentary shorts, so head to your closest and check them out!
Dining & Drink Deals
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 4 p.m.
Fishwife Cookbook launch party
Barra Santos
1215 Cypress Ave.
Highland Park
COST: VARIES, MORE INFO
If tinned fish enthusiasts had a cult, Fishwife would be their leader. Check out the new cookbook and some great eats from Fishwife CEO Becca Milstein and illustrator Danny Miller at Portuguese favorite Barra Santos, hosted by Now Serving. The first 75 folks to arrive get a free Fishwife tote bag.
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m.
Mezcal cocktail dinner
Wood & Salt
4262 Atlantic Ave.
Long Beach
COST: $95, MORE INFO
A mezcal cocktail.
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Jakob Layman
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Enjoy four courses at Wood & Salt in Long Beach, paired with mezcals from the Derrumbes Mezcal distillery. Each dish will have a complimentary cocktail alongside it from bar manager Gabriel Ducharme and Executive Chef Jordan Borlaza.
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
$6 Wine Wednesday
Rodeo Public Market
3430 E. Ontario Ranch Rd.
Ontario
COST: $6, MORE INFO
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Scott Warman
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Unsplash
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In a city where the cost of a glass of wine seems to creep up over $15 by the minute, this is a steal. Enjoy $6 wine pours all month long at Brewhaven inside Rodeo X on Wednesday nights till 10 p.m.
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Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
