If you’ve ever attended a festival at Downtown’s Shoreline Aquatic Park, Marina Green or Rainbow Lagoon Park, you’re probably familiar with the magic that happens around dusk, when the Villa Riviera, International Tower and other local landmarks are lighting up, the setting sun is glowing on the sea and the boats, and whatever music you’re listening to becomes some of the best you’ve ever heard!
The parks and other Downtown venues will be hosting quite an array of festivals during the summer season (June 20 – Sept. 22), so check out our list, pick your favorites, and experience a full summer of Downtown festival magic!
MUSIC FESTIVALS
Day Trip Festival
A photo of Daytrip Festival with the DTLB skyline in the background. Courtesy of Daytrip.
Tickets are going fast for this two-day house music festival with an absolutely STACKED lineup! The Day Trip Festival, Saturday and Sunday June 22 and 23 across the water at the Queen Mary Waterfront, features international house sensations such as Kaskade, Cloonee, and Boys Noize, who will be broadcasting their beats from two spectacularly-lit stages. To get your tickets and to get an audio sampling of some of the acts, click here!
Coastal Country Jam
A photo from 2023 Coastal Country Jam. Courtesy of Coastal Country.
You’ll be down by the seaside at the Coastal Country Jam on Saturday and Sunday Sept. 21 and 22, but you may think you’re in one of the “Fly Over States” when you hear Sunday headliner Jason Aldean sing that song! Top-level country artists such as Jon Pardi, Old Dominion, and Saturday headliner Thomas Rhett will join Aldean at Marina Green Park for the final festival of the 2024 season. For more details and to get your tickets, click here.
Long Beach Jazz Festival
Photo from the 2023 Long Beach Jazz Festival. Photo Courtesy of Long Beach Jazz Festival Facebook page.
Get your tickets now for the 35th Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival, and enjoy THREE full days (Friday August 11 — Sunday August 13) of excellent music in beautiful Rainbow Lagoon Park! This year’s schedule will be announced soon; Previous headliners include Maxi Priest, Sergio Mendes, Marcus Miller, and Poncho Sanchez, among many, many other greats from the worlds of Jazz, Latin, and R & B. Click here for lineup updates and to get your tickets.
FOOD & DRINK FESTS
Long Beach BBQ Festival
BBQ is essential dining during summertime! Indulge wholeheartedly at the Second Annual Long Beach BBQ Festival, this Saturday May 25 at Shoreline Aquatic Park from noon to 9 PM. Enjoy the finest offerings from the best BBQ vendors in town while listening to live music from hot local bands. Lots more will be happening that day! To get more info and purchase your tickets, click here.
Mai Tai Festival
It can feel very tropical when you’re hanging out at the Downtown Waterfront during the summer — so, if you’re 21 or older, why not pour the ultimate tropical drink into the mix? The Mai Tai Festival, this Saturday May 25 from 2 to 9 PM at Rainbow Lagoon Park, will have plenty of ice-cold Mai Tais waiting for you, along with cultural performances and plentiful chances for dining and shopping. For the entertainment lineup and to get your tickets, click here.
LAWineFest
The 19th Annual LAWineFest — L.A.’s signature celebration of all things wine — is set to take place Saturday June 1 from 2 to 6 PM and Sunday June 2 from 1 to 5 PM at Harry Bridges Memorial Park, next to the Queen Mary. There will be plenty of craft brews and ciders available in addition to countless barrels of wine! All kinds of great food, live music, and wine education opportunities will be yours to enjoy as well. Get your general admission or VIP tickets here.
Taste of Downtown: Pine & Promenade and Waterfront
A photo from Taste of Downtown: Pine & Promenade 2023
Have an amazing culinary experience in the heart of Downtown! The Taste of Downtown: Pine & Promenade edition is set for Wednesday and Thursday, June 12 and 13 from 5 to 9 PM and will feature the kind of fabulous food that has made this event a Downtown mainstay for 15 years. Arrive hungry, have fun, leave satisfied — and already anticipating Taste of Downtown: Waterfront on Aug. 14 and 15! To get your tickets, click here.
L.A. Independent Beer Fest
Welcome the start of summer and beat the heat with an ice-cold beer or three at the L.A. Independent Beer Fest, Saturday June 15 from 1 to 5 PM (noon to 5 PM for VIPs!) at Shoreline Aquatic Park. Seventy-five independent breweries will help you celebrate during this kickoff event for the Fifteenth Annual L.A. Beer Week. Admission includes a keepsake glass and unlimited tastings from the aforementioned breweries! To see the list of brewers and to get your tickets, click here.
Long Beach Mushroom Fest
The Long Beach Mushroom Fest is coming to Downtown Long Beach! Join Culture Shrooms at their headquarters at 408 E 1st St., Long Beach, CA 90802 in the Historic East Village Arts District. The event will take place on Saturday, June 29, from 1 to 8 PM. The event is free and open to all ages. There will be a street closure on 1st Street with music, food, and vendors participating in the celebration! People interested in being a vendor may reach out to @myceliumatters to participate.
West Coast Taco & Beer Festival
The largest traveling taco & beer festival on the west coast will be in Long Beach on Saturday, July 13 from 3 to 6 PM at Shoreline Aquatic Park! Be at the West Coast Taco & Beer Festival and enjoy unlimited taco and beer tastings. Eat-Sip-Repeat! There will be music provided by a solid lineup of DJs, and plenty of boutique vendors for your summer shopping pleasure. Get your tickets here.
Lobster Festival
The peak of summer is the perfect time for a meal of mouthwatering, freshly grilled and steamed Maine Lobster! Make it happen at the Lobster Festival, Friday Aug. 30 Through Sunday, Sept. 1 at Rainbow Lagoon Park. This is a full-on summer event with live music, dance, games, arts, photo booth, and international food court. Definitely bring your appetite!
UNIQUE & CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
California Turkish Festival
Bring your whole family to the California Turkish Festival at Shoreline Aquatic Park on Sunday June 9 from 11 AM to 5 PM, and immerse yourselves in the feast for the senses that is Turkish culture. Enjoy fantastic kebabs and coffee made from ancient recipes while watching folk dancers give movement to stories of their ancestral homeland. Admission is FREE! Click here for more details and to see preview photos.
Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration
Steppers at Juneteenth Long Beach are always a staple at the annual celebration. Courtesy of Carl Kemp and Long Beach Juneteenth.
Join your friends for a full day of great energy and activities at the Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration, happening Saturday June 15 from 10:30 AM to 8 PM at Rainbow Lagoon Park. You’ll be immersing yourself in the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Partake in all the great food, drink, dance, crafts — and a special appearance by DJ Pee Wee, better known as world-renowned musician Anderson.Paak! Get your FREE tickets here.
Pirate Invasion Long Beach
Enjoy a weekend of summer skullduggery and set your inner buccaneer free during Pirate Invasion Long Beach, Saturday and Sunday June 29 and 30 at the Lion Lighthouse at the end of Shoreline Aquatic Park. There will be stage shows, wandering entertainers, a fire show at night, and MUCH more! For all the important details and to get your tickets, click here.
Long Beach Reggae & Food Fest
Some easy-skankin’ reggae always works as a summer soundtrack! At the Long Beach Reggae & Food Fest, Saturday July 6 from 1 to 9 PM at Shoreline Aquatic Park, there will be more than enough reggae, food, and drink to keep you feeling irie all day. For the band lineup and to get your tickets, click here.
Viva Long Beach
A photo of fans in Lincoln Park during the 2023 Viva Long Beach.
Join your compadres at the Second Annual Viva Long Beach festival, Saturday Sept. 21 from 2 to 7 PM at Lincoln Park! This event is still taking shape; If you would like to participate as a vendor or sponsor, please fill out your applications here.
Long Beach Walls & Art Renzei International Art Festival
The entire city becomes an open-air art gallery once again during the Long Beach Walls & Art Renzei International Art Festival, which takes place June 22 – 29 throughout Long Beach — including Downtown, of course. International and local artists will add to the rich collection of murals that have beautified the city since the first Long Beach Walls (originally Pow!Wow! Long Beach) in 2015. Click here to see a dazzling display of past murals and learn more about this ambitious, internationally-recognized yearly art event.
Love Long Beach Festival
The Ninth Annual Love Long Beach Festival on Saturday and Sunday July 20 and 21 at Shoreline Aquatic Park will be an eclectic and groovy happening that very much reflects the free thinking and diversity of its host city! Groove to over 50 DJs and live musicians across three stages. Take a yoga class, a sound bath, frolic with your children at Kid’s Corner, and commune with inter-tribal artists! To get your tickets to this weekend of wellness and great vibes, click here.