{"id":384722,"date":"2026-07-03T07:33:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T07:33:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/384722\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T07:33:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T07:33:14","slug":"the-42-best-fourth-of-july-events-in-los-angeles-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/384722\/","title":{"rendered":"The 42 best Fourth of July events in Los Angeles 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looking for the best things to do this Fourth of July<\/a> weekend? Spend America\u2019s 250th birthday hanging out at one of the best beaches in L.A.<\/a>, eating the city\u2019s best BBQ<\/a>, cooling down with classic frozen desserts<\/a> and having fun at these Fourth of July celebrations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The best part about some of our picks? You can end the evening with a patriotic bang of dazzling fireworks in the night sky (or, as is becoming increasingly common, a drone show). From cemetery screenings to food festivals, here\u2019s what the holiday has in store (including a few picks later on in the long weekend).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just not the Fourth without fireworks. Luckily, we have details on a dozen different fireworks shows happening across the county\u2014and even one in the O.C. New this year is America\u2019s Block Party Benefiting Giving 4th<\/a>, a star-studded America 250 concert at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum that boasts sets by the Smashing Pumpkins and Chris Stapleton and\u00a0will be hosted by Queen Latifah. It will culminate in a spectacular fireworks and drone show. And tickets are super affordable (a symbolic $17.76),\u00a0with proceeds benefiting Feeding America. Another concert with a fireworks finale? July 4th Fireworks Spectacular at the Hollywood Bowl,<\/a> where headliners the Beach Boys\u00a0with special guest John Stamos will celebrate the grand ol\u2019 (Surfin\u2019) USA (July 2\u20134).\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Universal
\nPhotograph: Courtesy Universal StudiosFireworks at Universal Studios Hollywood <\/p>\n

Cinespia<\/a> also shoots off fireworks after its screenings this weekend, as does Dodger Stadium<\/a> after the Boys in Blue play the San Diego Padres on the Fourth. And all four of SoCal\u2019s major amusement parks\u2014Universal Studios Hollywood<\/a>, Six Flags Magic Mountain<\/a>, Knott\u2019s Berry Farm<\/a> and Disneyland<\/a>\u2014are offering their own pyrotechnic thrills alongside thrill rides. At Disney\u00a0California Adventure, you can be one of the first people to ride the newly unveiled Soarin\u2019 Over America, a patriotic spin on the popular high-flying ride.<\/p>\n

For free fireworks, you\u2019ll want to head to the water: Marina del Rey<\/a>, Huntington Beach and Long Beach<\/a> all host epic fireworks shows each year\u2014and this year Long Beach is upping the ante with three free, synchronized displays as part of its patriotic Sea to Shining LBC event. You can watch the spectacle for free along the coast, or pay\u00a0to board\u00a0the Queen Mary<\/a>, where\u00a0eight themed parties will fill the decks. Father inland, Torrance<\/a> hosts a show best viewed from LA Galaxy Sports Complex, and over in Woodland Hills, Warner Center Park<\/a> offers Valley dwellers a 20-minute display.<\/p>\n

\u2026or an eco-friendly drone show
\n\"Gloria
\nPhotograph: Courtesy John McCoy for Gloria Molina Grand ParkGloria Molina Grand Park’s Summer Block Party <\/p>\n

Once again this Fourth of July,\u00a0Grand Park, Pasadena, Burbank and Pacific Palisades are all opting for more fire-safe and environmentally friendly drone shows over fireworks displays. The Burbank 4th of July Drone Light Show<\/a> and Gloria Molina Grand Park\u2019s Block Party<\/a> are both free, and the DTLA celebration is complemented by food truck fare, interactive art exhibits\u2014including an AR experience inspired by the Declaration of Independence\u2014and two stages of live music. Meanwhile, at Rose Bowl Stadium, AmericaFest has been replaced for the past two years with FoodieLand<\/a>, which coincides with a drone show on the Fourth ($12). And the Pacific Palisades July 4th Celebration<\/a> kicks off with a 10K\/5K through the neighborhood in the morning and ends with a ticketed drone show and live music at Palisades Charter High School ($21).<\/p>\n

Feast at a food festival
\n\"A
\nPhotograph: Courtesy SmorgasburgSmorgasburg’s Ice Cream Alley <\/p>\n

The Fourth isn\u2019t all about bright lights and pyrotechnics. It\u2019s also a time to pack a picnic, enjoy some BBQ or treat yourself to some ice cream. The aforementioned FoodieLand has you covered with over 250 diverse vendors selling everything from deep-fried giant squid to fried-chicken sandwiches to seafood boils to ube cinnamon rolls over the holiday weekend. Meanwhile, specialty fish market Joint Seafood is hosting a free Summer Block Party<\/a> at its new DTLA location, joining forces with Porto\u2019s, Tacos 1986, Souu LA, Fly by Jing and Uoichiba Handroll Bar for an evening full of music, shopping from local vendors and even a latte-art competition on July 5. And on Sunday morning, the always-free Smorgasburg<\/a>\u2014which recently celebrated its 10th birthday in Los Angeles\u2014is bringing back Ice Cream Alley, a summertime showcase of the best independent ice cream makers. Enjoy tons of frozen treats, from Sad Girl Creamery\u2019s ice cream tacos to Italian ice to gelato.<\/p>\n

\"Cinespia\"
\nPhotograph: Courtesy Kelly Lee Barrett\/CinespiaCinespia <\/p>\n

You can watch movies outdoors all summer long (actually all year long, in L.A.), but there are a handful of fun summer blockbusters that scream \u201cUSA\u201d screening this weekend. Cinespia has two\u00a0events capped off with a fireworks show: Shrek (July 3) and Jurassic Park (July 4). On July 3, you can watch Top Gun: Maverick for free at the Culver Steps<\/a> in Culver City. And in Downtown,\u00a0Rooftop Cinema Club\u2019s<\/a> picks include the Sandlot (July 3), Independence Day and 50 First Dates (July 4) and Jaws (July 5).<\/p>\n

Cheer on a patriotic parade
\n\"Pacific
\nPhotograph: Courtesy Pacific Palisades Fourth of July CelebrationPacific Palisades Fourth of July Parade <\/p>\n

The coastal communities of Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica\u00a0each host their own wholesome parade for the Fourth. Santa Monica\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0will celebrate both America 250 and the centennial of Route 66. The procession will travel down Main Street starting at 9:30am, concluding at Main and Pico, and be followed by an afternoon after-party in Tongva Park. Pacific Palisades\u2019 parade is traveling a new route through the neighborhood starting at 4pm. And over in Orange County, Huntington Beach\u2019s Fourth of July Celebration<\/a> kicks off with a Fourth of July Parade\u2014the biggest west of the Mississippi River\u2014at 10am. The fun lasts all weekend long, actually, with a 5K Surf City Run, Pier Plaza Festival, live entertainment and carnival rides in addition to the fireworks.<\/p>\n

Enjoy the views at a rooftop party<\/p>\n

Rooftop bars take advantage of their height come the Fourth of July, hosting raucous parties and offering prime fireworks-viewing real estate.\u00a0Swimsuits & Cowboy Boots<\/a>\u00a0at Hollywood\u2019s Desert 5 Spot offers an all-day Western shindig with a cowboy cookout, live country music and dancing. Downtown has a handful of options, including La Lo La\u2019s<\/a> all-you-can-eat buffet and open bar from 34 stories above the city; newcomer Mitsi\u2019s<\/a> sushi specials and patio fireworks viewing on the edge of Chinatown; and both daytime and nighttime parties at Golden Hour<\/a> at Level 8.<\/p>\n

Expand your mind at an exhibition
\n\"\u201cThis
\nPhotograph: Michael Juliano for Time Out\u201cThis Land Is\u2026\u201d at the Huntington <\/p>\n

A handful of eye-opening exhibitions seem especially fitting for this Fourth of July weekend (just make sure to check each museum\u2019s holiday hours before visiting). The Huntington\u2019s \u201cThis Land Is\u2026\u201d<\/a> is inspired by Woody Guthrie\u2019s folk anthem and displays relics tied to American land, from a cross section of an oak tree that stood on the grounds of the Huntington for 250 years to one of Guthrie\u2019s guitars, with \u201cthis machine kills fascists\u201d scratched into the back. Meanwhile, at the Autry, L.A.-centric exhibition \u201cLife, Liberty, and Los Angeles\u201d<\/a>\u00a0looks at how the Declaration of Independence\u2019s promise has been fulfilled\u2014or not\u2014throughout the city\u2019s development, via\u00a0the stories of diverse Angelenos. And the just-opened multimedia exhibition \u201cWe the People\u201d<\/a> reimagines the story of America through Black, Brown, Indigenous, immigrant and LGBTQ+ perspectives at LADC Studios in South L.A.<\/p>\n

For a dose of pop culture, the Skirball Cultural Center traces the history of the uniquely American art form of comics in \u201cInventing America: The Comic Book Revolution.\u201d<\/a> And if you haven\u2019t yet checked out the Academy Museum\u2019s exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jaws<\/a>\u2014the original summer blockbuster\u2014you should catch it before it closes on July 26.<\/p>\n

\"A
\nPhotograph: Courtesy Brandon Estrada for Plaza Mexico\u201dGolazo Fest\u201c World Cup Watch Party <\/p>\n

Just because it\u2019s a holiday weekend doesn\u2019t mean the FIFA World Cup is slowing down. On July 5, Brazil and Norway go head to head, then Mexico looks to defend its winning streak against England. You can catch the action alongside a crowd of f\u00fatbol fans at the Getty Center<\/a>, the Hammer Museum<\/a> or at Plaza Mexico, which is hosting a huge \u201cGolazo Fest\u201d<\/a> in Lynwood, complete with live music and a mercado.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Anime
\nPhotograph: Riley CarithersAnime Expo <\/p>\n

The annual Anime Expo<\/a> returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center for four days of panels, special events and plenty of cosplay July 2 to 5. Each year, thousands of fans come to celebrate the quirky art and culture of anime as figureheads and stars of the industry visit to speak and sign autographs. A massive wing of the convention is set aside specifically for gaming\u2014both electronic and card-based\u2014plus there are designated chill zones, karaoke, a beer garden and add-ons including a ticketed J-pop music showcase.<\/p>\n

Lots of one-off Fourth celebrations have DJ sets and music from local artists, but L.A. is rich in free summer concerts all season long. Jazz at LACMA<\/a> continues on Friday with Ray Charles Alumni Band\u2014made up of musicians who used to play with Charles. And\u00a0Free Concerts on the Pier<\/a> kicks off its season in Redondo Beach this week, as does the Summer of Sounds<\/a> series in West Hollywood\u2019s Plummer Park, which welcomes \u00c9 Arenas of Chicano Batman and DJ Que Madre on July 5.<\/p>\n

\u2026or an alfresco performance of Shakespeare<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re feeling dramatic, you can watch a free production of one of the Bard\u2019s plays: Will Geer\u2019s Theatricum Botanicum<\/a> in Topanga Canyon presents both A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream and Romeo and Juliet on July 5. The Independent Shakespeare Co.<\/a> continues its production of Coriolanus above the Griffith Park Zoo all weekend; and Shakespeare by the Sea\u2019s<\/a> actors perform Macbeth at the Sepulveda Garden Center on Friday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Looking for the best things to do this Fourth of July weekend? Spend America\u2019s 250th birthday hanging out…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":384723,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[7579,36732,48,52,51,47,50,49,7995,420],"class_list":["post-384722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-categories-things-to-do","tag-contributor-michael-juliano","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news","tag-news-events-festivals","tag-things-to-do"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384722\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}