The Top 5 Things to Do in LA This Weekend

There's always something exciting happening in Los Angeles!

From cultural events to superstar concerts and world-class sports, Discover LA is your go-to source for what's happening in Los Angeles. Be sure to follow @discoverla on Instagram and TikTok to find out even more about what to do in LA.

Read on for the best things to do in LA this weekend.

Let the wild rumpus start! With food, drinks, music, and dancing, come celebrate the imaginative worlds of Maurice Sendak at the Skirball with special late night gallery access and programming, including live music by Worn-Tin, DJ set by dublab's Ale Cohen, “Wild” Airbrush Tattoos by We Adorn You LA, food trucks and more. Tickets are $10 for General Admission, $7 for Seniors, Students and Kids; and FREE to Members.

Since opening its doors in 1980, the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC) has become one of the largest cultural art and community centers in the U.S.

Taking place at JACCC on Friday, May 10, Kingston to Tokyo: Japanese Reggae Listening Party is part of an ongoing collaborative listening series presented by JACCC and In Sheep’s Clothing. Explore the influence of Jamaican reggae and dub on the sounds of Japanese artists from the 1980s through the '90s, including Izumi "Mimi" Kobayashi, Pecker, Mute Beat, Ryojiro Furusawa, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Luv Master X and more. Listening sessions are hosted by the team behind In Sheep’s Clothing and select Japanese whiskey, beer and wine.

Screening at the Hammer Museum's Billy Wilder Theater on Friday, May 10, Golden Gate Girls (2013) by S. Louisa Wei and The World of Dong Kingman (1953) by James Wong Howe document the lives and work of Chinese American artists. Golden Gate Girls surveys the career of pioneering female filmmaker Esther Eng; and The World of Dong Kingman follows a day in the life of renowned painter Dong Kingman. These artists' careers span decades between China and the United States and are carefully depicted in these portrait documentaries. Golden Gate Girls director S. Louisa Wei will participate in a Q&A moderated by UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Professor Amy Villarejo.

Free admission, no advance reservations. Your seat will be assigned when you pick up your ticket at the box office, which opens one hour before the screening. Seats are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

As soon as the first Cruel World festival was announced in 2020, it became almost mandatory for anyone who ever wore spiked hair or a fishnet shirt and could make it to Pasadena. That first lineup of bands was such a Who’s Who of the new wave/post-punk/goth rock genres – including Morrissey, Bauhaus, Blondie and Devo – that some fans mistook the flyer for a spoof. Although postponed till 2022 due to the pandemic, it was a very real and successful gathering of some of the most enduring '80s alternative acts alongside more recent revivalists, and Cruel World has maintained a similar quality of talent ever since.

For its 2024 edition, headliners Duran Duran are joined by Interpol, returnees Blondie and Gary Numan, Simple Minds, Adam Ant, The Mission UK, and many more, plus special guests Tones on Tail. Remember to bring sunblock and preferably a hat to maintain that subculture-requisite pastiness. Passes are on sale at the Cruel World website, with options including General Admission, VIP, Clubhouse and more.

Michelle Yeoh, who is one of the 2024 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, is featured in a 4K screening of her historic Oscar-winning performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once on Sunday, May 12. Tickets are on sale at the Academy Museum website.

For the best guide to what's happening in Los Angeles, visit the Discover LA Events Calendar and book your stay today!