The Academy Museum Gala, L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade, AFI Fest and more head to town
Dogtoberfest at the South Coast Botanic Garden October 5, 2024. Credit: Chuck Bennett
Pop stars, glamorous galas and art and theater show openings electrify Los Angeles in October. See what to do around town this month below.
Theater
West Side Story
Gabriella Reyes as Maria and Duke Kim as Tony in LA Opera’s 2025 production of West Side StoryCredit: Cory Weaver
Through Oct. 12
L.A. Opera commences its 40th anniversary season with a rendition of the seminal musical conducted by James Conlon. laopera.org
Art
Matthew Rolston: Vanitas
Credit: COURTESY FAHEY/KLEIN
Through Nov. 9
The photographer and artist’s exhibition Vanitas: The Palermo Portraits, at the Fahey/Klein gallery and three other L.A. venues, captures the human relationship to death through photographic compositions of mummified individuals from burial catacombs in Sicily. vanitasproject.com
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Music
Taylor Swift: The Life of a Showgirl
Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performs onstage during Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles at Staples Center on August 25Credit: (Photo by Christopher Polk/TAS/Getty Images for TAS)
Oct. 3
The Grammy-winning phenom ushers in her next era with a 12-track album written and produced in collaboration with pop masterminds Max Martin and Shellback. taylorswift.com
Concert
Rise Festival
Credit: Rise Festival
Oct. 3-5
Just south of Las Vegas, the world’s biggest sky lantern fest marks 10 years with a jam-packed musical lineup that features Rüfüs Du Sol, Calvin Harris, John Mayer and Disclosure, among others. risefestival.com
Community
L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade
Credit: Carolina Korman Photography 2024
Oct. 4
Hosted by Suzanne Goin, Caroline Styne, David Lentz and Jay and Liz Scott, the annual charity cookout returns to the Royce Quad of UCLA for an afternoon of community, renowned chefs, mixologists and wineries. alexslemonade.org
Concert
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa attends the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena.Credit: (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Oct. 4-5, 7-8
The British-Albanian superstar invigorates the Kia Forum with four highly anticipated nights of the Radical Optimism Tour. dualipa.com
Community
Dogtoberfest at South Coast Botanic Garden
Dogtoberfest at the South Coast Botanic Garden Oct. 5, 2024. Credit: Chuck Bennett
Oct. 4-26
On Saturdays and Sundays, the Bavarian-inspired celebration welcomes dogs and their humans to enjoy live music, beer and festive decor as well as canine entertainment and activities. southcoastbotanicgarden.org
Art
Hammer’s Made in L.A. 2025
Patrick Martinez, “Hold the Ice,” 2020.Credit: Courtesy of artist and Charlie James Gallery
Oct. 5 – March 1, 2026
The biennial exhibition presents contemporary works by 28 greater Los Angeles artists, whose media range from paint to choreography to sculpture and beyond. Contributors include Greg Breda, Widline Cadet, Carl Cheng, Hanna Hur, Patrick Martinez, Amanda Ross-Ho, Will Rawls and Gabriela Ruiz. hammer.ucla.edu
Food
L.A. Chef Conference
Oct. 6
The culinary and hospitality fest curated by OpenTable and host chef Neal Fraser of Redbird features panel discussions, a lunch, a cocktail party and an afterparty alongside an array of food and beverages. lachefconference.com
Sports
Los Angeles Kings Opening Night
Drew Doughty #8 of the Los Angeles Kings during the game against the New York Rangers on December 10Credit: (Photo by Rich Graessle/Getty Images)
Oct. 7
Anže Kopitar and the Kings drop the puck for the season opener against the Colorado Avalanche at Crypto.com Arena. To help set the festive mood, all fans receive a pom pom. cryptoarena.com
Theater
Les Misérables
Credit: Rudolphous via Wikimedia Commons
Oct. 7-19
The musical epic returns to Hollywood, inviting Angelenos to immerse themselves in the sweeping 19th century France-set tale of love, sacrifice, redemption and survival. broadwayinhollywood.com
Concert
Maroon 5
Credit: Courtesy Marcus Jones via Adobe Stock
Oct. 10
Adam Levine and band get the Love Is Like U.S. Fall Tour underway with a stop at the Kia Forum. maroon5.com
Concert
Chappell Roan
Elton John and Chappell Roan perform together at the 33rd Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party.Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Elton John AIDS Foundation
Oct. 10-11
Before officially saying goodbye to The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess era, the pop sensation treats Los Angeles to two pop-up shows: Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things at Brookside at The Rose Bowl. chappellroanshows.com
Community Building
Hello Sunshine’s Shine Away
Credit: Presley Ann/Getty Images for Hello Sunshine
Oct. 11-12
Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine takes over the Universal Studios Lot with a weekend of panels, workshops, networking and programming from its brands like The Home Edit and Reese’s Book Club as well as film, TV and music projects. hello-sunshine.com
Theater
Adam Pascal & Anthony Rapp
Credit: Michael Allan Galvez
Oct. 16-18
The original stars of Rent toast to 30 years of friendship with an evening of music and stories at the Samueli Theater at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. scfta.org
Film
Newport Beach Film Festival
Courtesy Newport Beach Film FestivalCredit: Courtesy Newport Beach Film Festival
Oct. 16-23
This luxury lifestyle film fest brings a curated lineup of movie screenings to Orange County. newportbeachfilmfest.com
Gala
Academy Museum Gala
The BossCredit: Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images
Hollywood A-listers converge on the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures for a night devoted to celebrating, advancing and preserving cinema. This year’s honorees are Penélope Cruz, Walter Salles, Bruce Springsteen and SNL’s Bowen Yang. academymuseum.org
Gala
Chrysalis Butterfly Ball
Credit: Conrad Khalil
Oct. 18
Toasting Academy Award winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, entrepreneurial leaders in entertainment, real estate and other area businesses come together at the Beehive in South Los Angeles to raise funds for Chrysalis’ work-force development programs that aid Southern Californians experiencing work insecurity. changelives.org
Food
Off the Hook Santa Monica Seafood Festival
Credit: Tiffany Rose Photography
Oct. 19
Celebrate National Seafood Month at the Santa Monica Pier with an evening that includes seafood bites, wine tastings, beer gardens, live music and an oyster-shucking competition. Part of the proceeds benefit environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay. offthehookseafoodfest.com
Food
The Chef Assembly
Credit: Neal Santos
Oct. 20
Mike Traud’s hospitality platform presents a lineup of panel discussions and talks by trailblazing hospitality professionals at ChowNow headquarters in Culver City. thechefassembly.com
Sports
Los Angeles Lakers Opening Night
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers in action against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on March 31
Oct. 21
Luka Dončić, LeBron James and the Lakers tip off their NBA season against Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and the Golden State Warriors. cryptoarena.com
Theater
Hadestown
Pantages Theatre Credit: Rudolphous via Wikimedia Commons
Oct. 21- Nov. 2
The Tony- and Grammy-winning musical is back in Los Angeles for a two-week engagement, bringing its acclaimed interpretation of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice to the Pantages Theatre. broadwayinhollywood.com
Culture
AFI Fest
Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen in 20th Century Studios’ SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE. Photo by Macall Polay. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.Credit: Focus Features
Oct. 22-26
Opening with 20th Century Studios’ Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, the American Film Institute’s annual film festival features a thought-provoking curation of red-carpet premieres, special screenings, world cinema, documentaries and shorts at the TCL Chinese Theatre. fest.afi .com
TV
Nobody Wants This
Nobody Wants This. (L to R) Adam Brody as Noah, Kristen Bell as Joanne in episode 201 of Nobody Wants This.Credit: Erin Simkin/Netflix
Oct. 23
Season 2 of the Netflix romantic comedy from Erin Foster sees the relationship between Kristen Bell’s dating podcaster Joanne and Adam Brody’s rabbi Noah deepen as their lives get more complicated. netflix.com
Dance
LA Dance Project: Gems
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly HillsCredit: Photo by BHCVB-Brandon Wise
Oct. 23-25
With support from Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels, Gems, by choreographer Benjamin Millepied, showcases a contemporary ballet trilogy built on the convergence of dance, music and visual art. thewallis.org
Concert
Twenty-One Pilots
Credit: Courtesy Twenty One Pilots/ Elektra Records
Oct. 25-26
Rockers Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun slide into Los Angeles to close The Clancy Tour: Breach 2025 with two nights at BMO Stadium in Exposition Park. twentyonepilots.com