There are some really fun events happening in Los Angeles this month – from al fresco cinema to concerts by the beach, via film festivals and Mexican Independence Day celebrations. September has it all, but every month we produce a list of upcoming events and other activities that we think anyone here, both Angeleno and visitor, might want to do. Many of them are free, all are enjoyable and will also give you an authentic experience of Los Angeles’ food, music, art and general joie-de-vivre. Have fun, be safe and let us know what you think of our list of the 10 best things to do in LA in September.

Events & Activities in Los Angeles This Month

1. OPEN AIR CINEMA (ALL MONTH)

The weather in Los Angeles in September is perfect for watching a movie outside and there are several organizations organizing open-air cinema.

The Rooftop Cinema Club is in DTLA and has a good line-up of movies this month, including La La Land (is there a more LA movie than that?), Get Out and Sinners. More information here.

Street Food Cinema is presenting Practical Magic and Shrek. More information here.

2. BURBANK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (SEPTEMBER 2-8)

You may have heard that films – or “pictures” if you’re an old time Hollywood movie-star, as in “I was shooting a picture with Bogie at Warners” – are still made in Los Angeles. So why not go to this film festival and see work by the emerging talents who’ll be selling out the multiplex in a few years time? There are drama, comedy and feature presentations to enjoy, as well as Q and A’s with filmmakers.

More information here.

3. CELEBRATE MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY IN BOYLE HEIGHTS (SEPTEMBER 13)

Every September for the last eighty years people have lined the streets of East Los Angeles, near downtown, for a big parade to celebrate the day. There are floats, folkloric groups, mariachi bands and vaqueros riding horses and generally looking very cool.

Remember that for nearly thirty years, from 1821-1848 the Day of Independence for Mexico would have been celebrated here in Los Angeles as its very own celebration. Mexico had, and continues to have, a huge influence on the city. Mexican Independence Day is actually on September 16, but get your celebration in early: “Viva Mexico! Viva la independencia!”

More information here.

4. GO TO A THEME PARK (ALL MONTH)

Something else we sure have a lot of in Southern California is theme parks or adventure parks. Pretty much everyone knows Disneyland, but we have many others to choose from in the region:

• Knotts Berry Farm, widely considered the first theme park in the U.S. (Western themed).
• Legoland California, south of Los Angeles, near Carlsbad.
• Six Flags Magic Mountain, north of Los Angeles.
• Universal Studios Hollywood, my personal favorite.

Take your pick, they’re all awesome and always one of the best things to do in LA in any month.

5. SANTA MONICA & VENICE BIKE TOUR (ALL MONTH)

September is a great month to visit the beach neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Temperatures are a little cooler than high summer and the area is less busy than high tourist season. Our bike tour starts in Santa Monica, then we cycle down the beach to Venice (stopping at Muscle Beach), before taking in the canals and Abbot Kinney Boulevard. We finish by cycling up Santa Monica Main Street (with a quick stop for coffee or donuts, if you need it).

The tour runs every day at 10 am and tickets are $75 pp, including bike rental.

We’d have to have one of the best things to do in LA in September, right? More information here.

6. GO TO A COMEDY SHOW (ALL MONTH)

Who couldn’t do with a good laugh right now? Most of LA’s comedy have shows featuring line-ups of both household names and up-and-coming stand-ups.

Hollywood Improv has a full slate of shows and the famous Comedy Store is open almost nightly. 

Don’t Tell Comedy is an underground series of “secret” standup shows offering pop-up shows at outdoor venues, including parking lots and rooftops.

7. GO TO THE BIGGEST FLEA MARKET IN LOS ANGELES (SEPTEMBER 13)

The Rose Bowl Flea Market is the biggest and the best known such market in the whole of Southern California. There are hundreds of stalls, selling everything from perfume to antiques, electrical goods and clothes. You should go – you may pick up a bargain and who couldn’t do with one of those?

More information here.

8. GO TO A CONCERT (VARIOUS DATES)

There are always great bands coming to Los Angeles to perform. This month some of the highlights are Guns ‘N Roses, Chance the Rapper, Andre Bocelli and Lily Allen. More information here.

It’s also worth keeping an eye on the Hollywood Bowl (from Jon Batiste, to Amadeus, via Mozart’s Requiem) and the Greek Theatre (Beck?), to see what performances and artists they’ve got scheduled.

9. VISIT A LOS ANGELES MUSEUM (ALL MONTH)

We have a ton of world class museums in Los Angeles (which is to be expected really). Why not use September to get acquainted (or reacquainted) with one or two of them? Now the Metro K Line extension has reached the museums on Miracle Mile you can even take the subway there.

• Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
• Getty Center
• California Science Center
• Natural History Museum
• The Broad
• Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
• La Brea Tar Pits & Museum
• Academy Museum
• Petersen Automotive Museum
• Huntington Library
• Norton Simon Museum
• Holocaust Museum LA
• LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
• Griffith Observatory

This is not an exhaustive list, but it’s got more than enough institutions to keep you going for any month.

10. WATCH A PERFORMANCE AT THE GETTY VILLA (SEPTEMBER 10-OCTOBER 3)

Every year, in September, the Getty Villa presents a program of classical plays, usually with a modern twist, in its replica Ancient Greek theatre by the Pacific. This year it’s producing Antigone: In the Language of Kings, a new adaption of the famous Greek play by the Latino Theater Company.

Set in the vibrant world of pre-conquest Tenochtitlan, Mexico, this powerful reimagining of a classic tragedy confronts themes of loyalty, familial duty, and the clash between divine law and state edict. Weaving in pre-Hispanic music and poetry, this timeless story brings Aztec mythology to life in a rich historical tapestry that resonates across cultures, pitting love and defiance against tyranny.

The Getty Villa

The beautiful setting of the amphitheater at the Getty is the perfect place to watch such a play inspire by Greek Theatre.

More information here.

If you have any feedback on 10 Best Things to Do in LA in September please email us or reach out on social media, we’d love to hear from you.

– By Damien Blackshaw (Twitter)