A sparkling skyline, a long stretch of beach, happy crowds, boats of all shapes and sizes, tasty eateries and drinkeries close by; Is there a better place to enjoy a summer festival? Downtown has a truly amazing lineup of them, starting this month and running all the way through September. Select your fun – maybe all 21!
4TH ANNUAL LONG BEACH BBQ FESTIVAL
On Saturday and Sunday, May 23-24 you can spend the entire weekend devouring delicious BBQ prepared by SoCal’s finest pitmasters! Rainbow Lagoon Park will be alive with the sound of music as you and your people have the tastiest Memorial Weekend ever.
LONG BEACH AMPHITHEATER GRAND OPENING
A global icon – Long Beach’s own Snoop Dogg – is the inaugural headliner at this beautifully situated new open-air venue near the Queen Mary. This is a huge evening in our city’s musical history! It happens Saturday, June 6 at 7 PM.
LOS ANGELES INDEPENDENT BEER FEST
Craft beer aficionados are everywhere these days! You can join a bunch of them on Saturday, June 6 at Shoreline Aquatic Park, sampling and sipping from 75 breweries pouring 150 different beers. Dig the sunshine, live music, great food, and all that lip-smacking, thirst-quenching beer.
Celebrate Pacific Islander cultures at the Aquarium of the Pacific on Saturday and Sunday, June 6-7. This festival will feature cultural displays, artisanal craft demonstrations, live music, and dance performances. To make the experience even more immersive, make sure to visit the Aquarium’s Tropical Pacific Gallery.
This groove-forward music festival will keep the good vibes flowing at Marina Green Park, tentatively scheduled for the weekend of June 6 and 7! Artists in the realms of reggae, rock, and hip-hop are scheduled to perform. Check out the possibilities of the Beach Club, where you can upgrade to an “exclusive viewing” scenario.
An electrifying lineup of salsa and classic Latin bands is the centerpiece of this annual celebration of Puerto Rican culture. It’s at Rainbow Lagoon Park on Sunday, June 7 from 10 AM to 7 PM. Be ready to partake in traditional Puerto Rican dishes! Free children’s activities help make this a great day for the whole family.
This is actually two festivals running alongside each other from Monday June 8 through Saturday June 13. Long Beach Walls focuses on murals while Art Renzei highlights multimedia art, including sculptural installations. Be on the lookout that week for new art installations in DTLB!
If it’s all about that bass for you, the Queen Mary Waterfront is the place to be on Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20. Low end-heavy music styles such as dubstep and drum n’ bass will dominate the sonic space as grade-A zombies roam the grounds of this apocalyptic, pyrocentric festival.
V.I.P RECORDS WORLD FAMOUS BLOCK PARTY — JUNETEENTH EDITION
Reserve Saturday, June 20 and stay tuned for updates about this massive and meaningful community gathering. It’s going to happen Downtown in a location to be determined. The DJ lineup is also being formulated. Spend a day in DTLB grooving to music, feasting on local food, having a Juneteenth encore celebration, and welcoming summertime!
The uplifting, soul-healing sounds of house music will take over the Queen Mary Waterfront during this two-day festival (Saturday and Sunday, June 27 and 28). Three stages will host many of the best house DJs in the world! Craft cocktails and gourmet food trucks will keep you fueled up to get the most out of this house music celebration.
The Lighthouse Peninsula across Rainbow Harbor at Shoreline Aquatic Park is a fine place for a pirate invasion. Surrounded by hundreds of costumed buccaneers in this setting, you’ll feel transported back in time to the days of Blackbeard and Captain Kidd! This FREE two-day event (Saturday and Sunday, June 27 and 28) is absolutely filled with swashbuckling activities.
This festival at Shoreline Aquatic Park on Saturday and Sunday, July 18 and 19 features over 50 DJs and live bands on three stages serving up world-class house, techno, and bass music. It’s a multi-faceted event that includes yoga, meditation, sound healing, art installations, vendors, and food trucks. People of all ages are welcome at this holistic love fest!
This is a massive music festival – legendary, even! This year, like every year, there’s a stacked lineup of alternative, punk, rock, pop-punk, emo, and beyond with performances across multiple stages. It’s a deep dive into skate and BMX culture and a celebration of SoCal vibes. The festival happens Saturday and Sunday, July 25 and 26 at Marina Green Park.
LIL’ WAYNE: 20+ YEARS OF CARTER CLASSICS
Lil’ Wayne (birth name: Dwayne Carter Jr.), the iconic, five time Grammy-winning rapper, brings two decades of hip-hop greatness to the Long Beach Amphitheater Saturday, August 1 starting at 7 PM. Very Special Guests: The Game and 2 Chainz!
Here’s an entire summer weekend of Halloween horrors to tide you over ‘til October 31! The Midsummer Scream Halloween & Horror Convention happens Friday, Aug. 7 thru Sunday, Aug. 9 at the Long Beach Convention Center. Shop from 350 spooky vendors, see previews of upcoming Halloween events and attractions, explore the massive Hall of Shadows, and much more!
This festival, a Long Beach tradition, is returning for the 36th time to a brand-new venue, the Long Beach Amphitheater. Hear a lineup of jazz greats and fresh faces Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 8 and 9 in this awesome new outdoor setting.
LUKE BRYAN: WORD ON THE STREET TOUR
The Long Beach Amphitheater hosts its first country superstar on Saturday, Aug. 15 when Luke Bryan brings his Word On The Street Tour to town! The singer of such monster hits as “Crash My Party” and “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” is joined by special guests Lanie Gardner, Lauren Watkins, Randall King, and DJ Rock.
TASTE OF DOWNTOWN WITH KCRW SUMMER NIGHTS
The Pine Avenue air will be filled with the aroma of fantastic food and the sound of eclectic grooves as Downtown food vendors and KCRW DJs take over. The first iteration of this event happened last summer and was a massive success. The second helping on Saturday, Aug. 22 from 2 to 10 PM promises to be just as tasty!
LOS ANGELES AZULES: CUMBIA SIN FRONTERAS US TOUR
The iconic Mexican band Los Angeles Azules brings its US tour to the Long Beach Amphitheater on Saturday, Sept. 5. Originating from Iztapalapa, Mexico City, they’re worldwide leaders in the cumbia sonidera style, which blends traditional Colombian cumbia with accordion, synthesizers, and 1990s-style electronic music. Prepare for a groovy evening of outdoor dancing!
Long Beach Comic Con is a celebration of all things nerdy – like comics, toys, vintage TV, cosplay, and games! Lovers of Star Wars, LEGO, Power Rangers, Star Trek, Game of Thrones, etc. will feel right at home. It’s at the Long Beach Convention Center on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 5 and 6.
The Aquarium of the Pacific will host its twenty-fifth annual Baja Splash Cultural Festival Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26 and 27 from 9 AM to 5 PM. This is a celebration of cultures from México, Central and South America, and beyond. The event features traditional dance, live music, educational programming in English and Spanish, and booths from participating organizations.