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If cities had mood boards, Los Angeles in 2025 would be a dazzling pastiche of Pride floats, roller coasters, moon landings, ancient fossils, and Michelin stars. It’s the kind of place where a churro cart can exist within metres of a Frank Gehry masterpiece and nobody blinks because this is LA — never shy, never still, and never short of something new.

While the hotel lobbies fluff their pillows and chefs perfect their soufflés, another chapter of the LA story is unfolding across its galleries, green spaces, transit tunnels and star-studded streets.

ARTS, ANNIVERSARIES & ARCHITECTURAL AMBITIONS

2025 is a banner year for LA’s art and cultural institutions. Start with the stars:

Griffith Observatory turns 90 this May. Expect lunar-themed soirées and telescope-toting festivities.
LACMA celebrates its 60th anniversary with the grand opening of the David Geffen Galleries, featuring live performances by Kamasi Washington and a retrospective that explores the digital revolution in photography and film.
The Broad has broken ground on a $100 million expansion — because clearly, its kaleidoscopic vision outgrew its walls.

Meanwhile, the Hammer Museum honours the late Noah Davis with a powerful retrospective, and the Natural History Museum has unveiled its NHM Commons — 75,000 square feet of dino bones, murals, and community science.

FESTIVALS, FANDOMS & FABULOUS FLOATS

You haven’t lived until you’ve stood amid the confetti at LA Pride. This June, the LGBTQ+ extravaganza returns in full technicolour, with events spanning West Hollywood, Dodger Stadium, and OUTLOUD Fest. If you’re in town, wear something fabulous — glitter optional but encouraged.

Across town, Hollywood Park is hosting music festivals from EDM to soul, and The Gallery in DTLA delivers immersive dining shows with theatrical twists. At the same time, Warner Bros. Studio rolls out a brand-new Superman Exhibit.

COMING ATTRACTIONS WORTH THE QUEUE

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens 2026: think Star Wars meets scholarly cool.
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift (Universal Studios): a high-speed rollercoaster launching in 2026.
Dataland (Downtown): a new Museum of AI Arts by Refik Anadol, debuting late 2025.
West Harbor (San Pedro): 1.2km of waterfront retail and dining set to open in 2026.

AIRPORTS, TRAINS & THE FUTURE OF GETTING AROUND

The $15 billion LAX transformation continues at full throttle:

Automated People Mover (APM) debuts January 2026
LAX/Metro Connector Station opens June 2025

Meanwhile, Metro is extending the D Line subway to Westwood by 2027, and Hollywood Boulevard’s “Access to Hollywood” project is making sidewalks wider, crossings safer, and cyclists feel like first-class citizens.

WELLNESS, GREEN SPACES & OUTDOOR CULTURE

Wellness is no longer a trend — it’s a lifestyle. Just ask anyone plunging into 5°C water at Likeminded Studios in Venice or booking AI-personalised workouts at Fred Fitness in Santa Monica. Meanwhile, the Guerlain Wellness Centre is bringing French spa glamour to Santa Monica Beach.

Over in Exposition Park, the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is assembling a vertical display of the space shuttle Endeavour. Yes, vertical. And by 2025’s end, La Brea Tar Pits will reveal new pedestrian loops, fossil digs, and shaded gardens.

COMMUNITY & CULTURAL MOMENTS IN MOTION

Destination Crenshaw: the most extensive public Black art program in the US
CicLAvia: a celebration of people-powered mobility returns with six open-street events
The Lawn (Brentwood): outdoor retail, office space and leafy leisure
Vogue World: Hollywood (Oct 26): fashion meets film on the Paramount backlot

BOOKS, BEATS & BOULEVARDS

The Last Bookstore (Studio City): LA’s literary landmark has a second home, just in time for the city’s cultural renaissance. Here, records meet rare books, and every corner begs to be browsed.
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures adds exhibitions on Bong Joon Ho and the cinematic artistry of Greenwood & Spencer.
Autry Museum’s American Indian Arts Festival (June 7–8): the most popular event in the museum’s calendar returns to celebrate contemporary and traditional Native artistry.

DISCOVER LA: THE NEIGHBOURHOOD SERIES

Whether you’re into beachside brunches or downtown grit, LA’s tourism bureau wants you to experience the city like a local. Their “Discover LA” campaign dives into:

Hollywood & Griffith Park: Iconic walks and cinematic legends.
San Fernando Valley: Sunshine, studios and suburban secrets.
Beach Cities: Surf, sun and street tacos.
Downtown LA: From Chinatown to the Arts District, a cultural crossroads.

These deep dives are more than maps — they’re invitations to wander with curiosity and a reusable coffee cup.