Happy New Year, readers.
With the difficult year that was 2025 nearly behind us, it’s officially time to look ahead at the major stories expected to fill Long Beach’s calendar over the next year.
Things aren’t likely to slow down in 2026, with ongoing concerns about federal immigration action in the city, continuing budgetary challenges, and other difficulties on the road ahead.
But it’s not all bad — this year could also bring changes to local government leadership with elections on the horizon. And Long Beach is set to celebrate some interesting entertainment-related milestones over the next several months.
Here are some major stories worth keeping up with in 2026.
Local elections
Nationwide, Americans are gearing up for the midterm elections, set for Nov. 3.
But Long Beach is also getting ready for its own elections — and a slew of key leadership positions will be up for grabs during the city’s primary election, scheduled for June 2.
Several City Council seats will be included on the ballot, including Districts 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9.
The voting center at the Walter Pyramid on the campus of Cal State Long Beach had a line during Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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The voting center at the Walter Pyramid on the campus of Cal State Long Beach had a line during Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Besides District 7 Councilmember Roberto Uranga, who is termed out, all of those district’s current representatives (Mary Zendejas, District 1; Kristina Duggan, District 3; Megan Kerr, District 5; and Joni Ricks-Oddie, District 9) can run for reelection.
Several other key city leadership positions will be on the ballot during the election, including city attorney (incumbent Dawn Mcintosh), city prosecutor (incumbent Doug Haubert) and city auditor, (incumbent Laura Doud).
Importantly, Long Beach could get a new mayor this year. Mayor Rex Richardson will be up for reelection.
The nomination period for candidates, according to the Long Beach City Clerk’s office, starts on Feb. 9 and ends on March 6.
Federal immigration enforcement
Long Beach — alongside Los Angeles proper and many other cities in Los Angeles County, and across the country — was targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal immigration agencies throughout 2025, and that’s unlikely to stop anytime soon.
The city’s varied and diverse immigrant communities have been subject to countless raids and attacks by ICE and other federal agencies since the Trump administration began acting on its stated mass deportation agenda in the LA area in early 2025.
The Trump administration has repeatedly defended the operations, saying they are necessary to make the nation safe, characterizing the people ICE arrests as dangerous criminals. But immigration advocates and officials across Los Angeles County have decried such characterizations, saying ICE is detaining hard-working members of the community — and, in some cases, U.S. citizens.
Dozens of protesters shouting anti-ICE chants march along Broadway in Long Beach on Sunday, June 8, 2025. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Dozens of protesters shouting anti-ICE chants march along Ocean Boulevard towards Bluff Park in Long Beach on Sunday, June 8, 2025. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Rex Richardson, mayor of Long Beach, speaks at a hearing to examine the unlawful detention of U.S. citizens and immigrants by federal immigration agents at the LA Metropolitan Water District on Monday, November 24, 2025. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Local community groups including the United Cambodian Community, AAPI Equity Alliance, and the Filipino Migrant Center host a “Reclaim Our Streets” rally at MacArthur Park in Long Beach on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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Dozens of protesters shouting anti-ICE chants march along Broadway in Long Beach on Sunday, June 8, 2025. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
In Long Beach, San Pedro and the Harbor Area, local community groups and nonprofits stepped up throughout 2025 to defend people being victimized by ICE. Órale, a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for immigrants’ rights and justice, serves as a rapid response organization, and offers legal and other aid to people in need.
Several community patrol groups, like the Harbor Area Peace Patrol, were also created in 2025 to monitor areas that are frequently targets of federal immigration action, report activity, and warn people who could be targeted.
Some community members and advocates for immigrant rights, though, have taken issue with how local government leaders have responded to ICE’s presence in Long Beach — arguing that the city is not doing enough to address the impacts raids are having on the city and its people.
The City Council took a vote to reaffirm and expand the Long Beach Values Act in early 2025, before ICE began conducting its full scale operations in the region. Later, Long Beach joined a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, led by the ACLU, joining several cities in the state, including Los Angeles; and partnered with the California Community Foundation to launch a fundraising campaign intended to help immigrants with basic needs.
The city also allocated about $5 million to the Defending Our Long Beach Values plan in the 2026 fiscal year budget. About $2.6 million of that money supports the Long Beach Justice Fund, which provides legal support for immigrants. Another $2.5 million was allocated to prioritize immigrant residents within the city’s larger eviction protection fund.
But some say there’s more Long Beach could do as ICE and other federal agencies continue to ramp up their presence in the city and across the region — which will certainly be a story to watch this year.
New year, new budget
Speaking of money, the budget development process for fiscal year 2027 is already underway — with community budget meetings slated to begin this month.
As in years past, Long Beach is once again grappling with a looming general fund deficit of $60.5 million through the 2031 fiscal year. Though the 2026 fiscal year budget was balanced when adopted, avoiding a 16.9 million general fund shortfall with one-time funds, the city will face similar budgetary challenges moving forward.
That’s because Long Beach is continuing to move away from oil revenue, costs of labor are continuing to rise, and because of both state and federal funding challenges. The Trump Administration, throughout 2025, issued several Executive Orders changing the criteria for grant funding — putting many local and state programs at risk.
Long Beach unveils proposed $3.7 billion fiscal budget on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at the North Long Beach Higher Education Center. (Photo courtesy of Dorian Bonner/City of Long Beach)
Advocacy groups hold a rally about perceived gaps in the city’s proposed budget at Long Beach City Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
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Long Beach unveils proposed $3.7 billion fiscal budget on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at the North Long Beach Higher Education Center. (Photo courtesy of Dorian Bonner/City of Long Beach)
In Long Beach, at least three Department of Health and Human Services programs were shuttered after their historical federal funding was lost as a result of those changes. Federal dollars support a lot in the city, ranging from capital improvement projects to homeless outreach and services.
“From the federal level, certain funding streams for cities have already been reduced or eliminated, and we will likely see more as time goes by,” the city says on its website. “While we do not yet know the full scope of the impact, we are closely monitoring the situation.”
With that new challenge in place, Long Beach’s existing budgetary challenges could certainly be worsened — though the city says it’s committed to finding alternative funding for critical services and programs when possible.
Long Beach’s first community budget meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Jan. 22 at the McBride Park Cal Rec Community Center, 1550 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. Several others will follow throughout January and February. Check out longbeach.gov/FY27 to get involved.
Entertainment
On a lighter note, there will certainly be some more fun happenings to look forward to in 2026.
One major change coming to the city — which will certainly boost local options for a fun night out — will include the construction of the Long Beach Amphitheater, which is expected to be finished early this year.
The temporary amphitheater will encompass about five to six acres along Queens Highway, adjacent to the Queen Mary and Harry Bridges Memorial Park. It’s expected to host up to 40 events annually and feature seating for up to 12,000 people, including floor and box seats, as well as a pit configuration, VIP sections, food and beverage concessions and more.
Mayor Rex Richardson shared a preview of Long Beach’s new Amphitheater during the annual State of the City Address on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. The amphitheater is set to open fall 2025. (Photo courtesy of the City of Long Beach)
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Mayor Rex Richardson shared a preview of Long Beach’s new Amphitheater during the annual State of the City Address on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. The amphitheater is set to open fall 2025. (Photo courtesy of the City of Long Beach)
Several concerts at the new venue have already been announced, including a Mötley Crüe show in September, and a performance by TOTO, Christopher Cross, and The Romantics in August.
In other entertainment news, Long Beach’s very own professional baseball team — the aptly named Long Beach Baseball Club — will also play its inaugural season in 2026. The schedule features 96 games, including 52 which will be at Blair Field.
Warped Tour will also be back in Long Beach this year, after its long-awaited return to the waterfront in 2025. The musical festival will get underway on July 25 and 26 this year. Though the official lineup has yet to be announced, organizers say attendees can expect a mix of rock, punk, alternative, pop punk, emo, ska, and more.
And finally, while the Grand Prix of Long Beach celebrated a major milestone in 2025 — its 50th anniversary — this year’s event may be an interesting one as well.
That’s because it’ll be the first with Penske Entertainment’s full involvement since the racing giant acquired the Long Beach Grand Prix in late 2024, just months before the 50th edition race got underway.
Penske CEO and President Mark Miles, in a press conference after the deal was announced, said they were hoping to make investments in the race and be stewards of the Long Beach Grand Prix’s continuing growth moving forward.
This year’s three-day racing spectacular will take place from April 17 to 19, and tickets are already on sale.