May is here and Los Angeles is packed with things to do this weekend as we celebrate the start of bike month. Jazz at LACMA kicks off its 35th season with a tribute to John Coltrane, Metro Art debuts Roots and Rails bluegrass at Union Station and the Pedal to the Playa Community Ride explores the coast from Marina del Rey to Playa del Rey. Metro can get you there without burning gas or dealing with parking. Here’s what’s happening.
All Weekend
Beach Life Festival brings Duran Duran, The Chainsmokers and Sheryl Crow to Redondo Beach
The Beach Life Festival kicks off its first weekend in Redondo Beach at the California Surf Club. You can catch live shows from Duran Duran, The Chainsmokers, The Offspring, Sheryl Crow, and many others
When: Friday-Sunday
Where: 239 N. Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach
Tickets: Starting at $189+
Go Metro: Take Bus Line 232 to PCH/Diamond and walk about 10 minutes to the venue.
CORE Los Angeles makes debut at LA State Historic Park
Insomniac’s CORE festival arrives in Los Angeles for the first time this weekend, bringing an immersive electronic music experience to LA State Historic Park in Chinatown. Eric Prydz, Four Tet and Honey Dijon headline the two-day event in the heart of the city.
When: Saturday-Sunday
Where: LA State Historic Park, Chinatown
Tickets: Starting at $159.99+
Go Metro: Take the A Line to Chinatown Station and walk a short distance to LA State Historic Park.
Metro Art and Architecture Tour offer free guided look inside iconic Union Station
Metro Art is offering free 90-minute guided tours of Union Station this weekend. You’ll learn about the station’s artworks, the artists behind them, and how the art was made, while also getting to know the Metro system. The English tour is on Saturday, and the Spanish tour is on Sunday. Both tours start at the information kiosk inside the historic station. The tour moves through the building, and elevators and escalators are available.
When: Saturday, May 2 (English) and Sunday, May 3 (Spanish), 10:30 a.m.-noon
Where: Union Station, downtown Los Angeles
Admission: Free but please RSVP
Go Metro: Take the A, B, D or J Line to Union Station and walk to the information kiosk.
Friday, May 1
First Fridays at Natural History Museum
First Fridays kicks off the month at the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park with a full evening of live music, pop-up experiences, food and drinks and after-hours museum exploration. Vinyl DJ sets from Rani de Leon are joined by guest DJs Gio and El Marchante for the night.
When: 6-10 p.m.
Where: Natural History Museum, Expo Park
Tickets: $30 public / $20 for NHM Members
Go Metro: Take the E Line to Expo Park/USC Station and walk a few minutes to the museum.
Jazz at LACMA opens its 35th season with a tribute to John Coltrane in Mid-Wilshire
Jazz at LACMA launches its 35th season Friday with a special free performance from vocalist and composer Michelle Coltrane, celebrating the centennial of jazz legend John Coltrane. The outdoor concert takes place at the Smidt Welcome Plaza at LACMA on Wilshire Boulevard.
When: 6-8 p.m.
Where: Smidt Welcome Plaza at LACMA, Mid-Wilshire
Admission: Free
Go Metro: Take Bus Line 20 to the Wilshire/Curson stop and walk about six minutes to the LACMA.
Saturday, May 2
Pedal to the Playa Community Ride
Metro Bike Share hosts a free guided community ride Saturday morning along some of the coast’s most scenic cycling routes, including the Marvin Braude Bike Trail and Ballona Creek Bike Path. The rider-friendly event welcomes neighbors, friends and fellow cyclists for a guided journey from Marina del Rey to Playa del Rey.
When: 9-11 a.m.
Where: Metro Bike Share Venice & Abott Kinney Station, Marina del Rey
Admission: Free with RSVP
Go Metro: Take Bus Line 33 to the Venice/Abbot Kinney stop and walk a short distance to Metro Bike Share.
Metro Art Presents Roots & Rails
Metro Art and The Bluegrass Situation team up Saturday evening for the debut of Roots & Rails, a first-of-its-kind bluegrass experience inside Union Station’s iconic Ticket Concourse. Watkins Family Hour headlines the free concert with supporting sets from Sunny War and Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band.
When: 6:30 – 10 p.m.
Where: Union Station at the Ticket Concourse, downtown LA
Admission: Free
Go Metro: Take the A, B, D or J Line to Union Station and walk to the ticket concourse.
Music of Square Enix at The Shrine Auditorium
Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts fans have a night to look forward to as the Music of Square Enix tour stops at The Shrine Auditorium in Exposition Park. The concert features sweeping symphonic arrangements and iconic moments from some of gaming’s most beloved soundtracks.
When: 8 p.m.
Where: The Shrine Auditorium, Expo Park
Tickets: Starting at 64.36+
Go Metro: Take the E Line to Expo Park/USC Station and walk about a few minutes to The Shrine.
Night at the Library: A Century of Light
The historic Los Angeles Central Library transforms into an after-hours celebration Saturday night, marking 100 years of illumination, inspiration and community impact. Night at the Library offers a unique evening inside one of downtown LA’s most beloved landmarks.
When: 7 p.m.
Where: LA Central Library, downtown LA
Tickets: $30
Go Metro: Take the A/E Line to 7th ST/Metro Center Station or take the B/D Line to Pershing Square and walk about 10-15 minutes to the LA Central Library.
Angel City FC host Utah Royals at BMO Stadium
When: 5:45 p.m.
Where: BMO Stadium, Exposition Park
Tickets: angelcity.com
Go Metro: Take the E Line to Expo Park/USC Station or the J Line to 37th Street/USC Station and walk about 10 minutes to BMO Stadium.
The Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival returns Saturday for its 47th annual free celebration of students with all abilities at Jerry Moss Plaza in downtown Los Angeles. The inclusive event features student and professional performances, visual and performing arts workshops and a student art exhibit built around this year’s theme.
When: 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Where: Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center, downtown Los Angeles
Admission: Free
Go Metro: Take the A/E Line to Bunker Hill/Grand Ave Arts or the B/D Line to Civic Center/Grand Park and walk a short distance to The Music Center.
Go Metro Forecast
Enjoy it while it lasts, a calm and peaceful weekend is on the way for Southern California. High pressure is keeping things quiet through at least Saturday, with near-seasonal temperatures and mostly sunny afternoons. The main nuisance will be a marine layer that rolls in overnight and lingers through the morning hours along the coast and some valleys, but most areas will clear out nicely by the afternoon.
Friday is the warmest day of the stretch, with highs in the low to mid-70s for most coastal and valley areas. A breezy west to northwest wind will be noticeable at times, but nothing impactful. Saturday stays pleasant with a mix of morning clouds and afternoon sun, as temperatures ease into the mid to upper 60s.
Sunday brings a more notable cool-down, especially inland. A low-pressure system dropping south along the West Coast will push more ocean air onshore, deepening the marine layer and knocking several degrees off afternoon highs. The Antelope Valley and interior areas will feel the biggest temperature drop, and gusty west to southwest winds are expected there through the day. A few spotty showers are possible late Sunday, with slightly better rain chances carrying into Monday and Tuesday, though any rainfall looks very light at this point.
Go Metro This Weekend
To plan a transit trip, you can use Google Maps, Apple Maps, the Transit or Moovit apps or the trip planner on metro.net.
Know of a great Metro-accessible event happening in L.A.? We want to hear about it! Send us your suggestions for future weekend roundups at bryantke@metro.net or tag us on social media @metrolosangeles.
To keep up with real-time updates on our buses, rails and elevators just head to alerts.metro.net
Check back next week for another weekend roundup!
Follow us for more things to do:
Instagram @metrolosangeles
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.