The best Christmas events in Los Angeles

Located just blocks from the ocean, Ice in downtown Santa Monica brings a bit of winter to the comfortable coastal city. The 8,000-square-foot outdoor rink runs daily from November to mid-January on the corner of Fifth Street and Arizona Avenue (less than a 10-minute walk from the E Line). Tickets for an hourlong slot ($24) include skate rentals, and you can book private parties and fire pits if you’re looking for something a bit more premium. Look out for cozy treats for sale, plus special events like classical Sunday afternoons and a sparkly shindig for Taylor Swift’s birthday (Dec 13).

If you’ll follow wherever Gilmore Girls leads, then you’re going to need to embark on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour this holiday season. For the final couple weeks of the year, the Burbank backlot is again supplementing its regular tour with the “Holidays Made Here” addition, which decks out the Stars Hollow section in festive decor, including the gazebo and Luke’s Diner, where you can sip coffee or cocoa from “Luke” actor Scott Patterson’s own brand—oh, and did we mention Patterson himself will be appearing in person each afternoon? In honor of the show’s 25th anniversary this year, the studio has further kicked things up a notch with new re-created sets, merch, a food passport add-on option and a nightly holiday light show. Holidays Made Here runs as part of all studio tours from December 18, 2025, to January 4, 2026. There’s also an event-only ticket option this year; while it’s the same price ($76), it means you can hang out in Stars Hollow all day.

This popular Santa Monica Hanukkah-inspired dinner series, which pairs a visiting chef with a local chef for a one-night-only special menu, is back for the fourth year—but this time around, it’s bittersweet. Birdie G’s, one of the city’s best restaurants, will be closing for good on December 20, so these eight dinners are some of the very last chances you’ll have to dine at the Rustic Canyon Family-helmed spot, and some nights are already completely booked out. This year, Birdie G’s guest chefs will include Vespertine and Destroyer’s Jordan Kahn; Quarter Sheets’ Aaron Lindell and pastry chef Hannah Ziskin; and Bar le Cote’s Brad Mathews. In addition to specials, an abbreviated regular menu will also be served. Note the event runs on December 1 to 4, then again December 8 to 11—meaning you’ll need to go on a weekday to enjoy these special-edition dinners.

The city of West Hollywood is once again throwing its hat into the outdoor ice-skating scene by transforming West Hollywood Park into a rink and a Winter Village with photo ops and a general store, where you can buy snacks and hot chocolate. Schedule your visit around a handful of theme nights: For the rink’s first weekend open, you can shop a festive outdoor market featuring local artists and vendors December 6 and 7 (11am–5pm). December 13 brings a WeHo Winter Wonderland and Chappell Roan-themed Pink Pony Club Skate, while Drag on Ice takes over the rink December 14. A 90-minute skating session will cost you $22. 

Don something festive and head over to Royce Hall to hear the angels sing—the Angel City Chorale, that is. The America’s Got Talent semifinalists will sing a host of holiday classics at their annual holiday concert. The 150-member group, known for its mishmash of classical, pop, world, contemporary and gospel genres, will perform silver-screen-worthy soundtrack arrangements at the holiday-film-themed show. Also promised are photo ops, carol sing-alongs and some surprises. If you can’t make it, the Sunday concert will also be livestreamed.

For timeless Christmas gifts with a side of preppy style, Ralph Lauren is popping up at 8495 Melrose Avenue with an immersive installation that will combine the brand’s signature style with some holiday magic. Stop by to step into the world of Ralph Lauren, with vintage holiday sweaters and denim for sale, plus complimentary embroidery and hand-painting customization. The one-stop holiday shop also includes a coffee truck with festive beverages and even a Christmas tree farm, with evergreens straight from Oregon (proceeds benefit the brand’s cancer prevention center). Kids can keep entertained with live music from a children’s choir, face painting and more. 

Beverly Hills and the Rodeo Drive Committee host this free community event to kick off the city’s holiday season. This year’s Enchanted Holiday Dreams theme takes inspiration from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. Watch as the famed palm-tree-dotted shopping street comes alive with twinkling lights, then stroll amid the glow and enjoy live music and entertainment, street performers, festive decor, wine gardens, food trucks and an appearance by Santa Claus. A fireworks show will complete the festivities.

Bob Baker Marionette Theater is back with its annual adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, which it’s performed since 1969. This year, the puppet-filled play is returning to the Sierra Madre Playhouse. From just after Thanksgiving through the beginning of the year, you can see the charming take on the classic production, with its large-scale marionettes and intricate sets, on most weekends and, closer to Christmas, select weekdays. 

Like a holiday edition of Fiesta Hermosa, this fifth annual weekend-long event transforms the coastal city’s downtown into a winter wonderland with an open house for local businesses, an artisanal pop-up marketplace on Pier Plaza and a Ferris wheel with ocean views. Also on the schedule: a letters-to-Santa station, family-friendly music fest and a kids creation market on Saturday, as well as a storytime tent, photos with Santa, tree lighting ceremony and community concert on Sunday. 

Even the grumpiest of list-makers at yuletide has to include a production of Charles Dickens’s beloved tale of becoming a better person. Each holiday season, Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott direct this merry and music-filled production, starring Elliott and his fellow resident artists of A Noise Within theater company—all ranking among L.A.’s best classical actors—staged in ANW’s spacious theater with perfect sight lines from every seat, even for the kids.

You’ve walked, donated and volunteered, all in the name of charity. Now here’s your chance to drink for those in need. Gather your friends and join other do-gooders at the annual SANTA Monica (see what they did there?) Pub Crawl. An admittance fee benefiting the Westside Food Bank allows you to participate in one of two routes around Santa Monica—although the VIP route hopper ticket gives you the best bang for your buck. Don your ugliest Christmas sweater or a Santa hat—there’s a prize for the best holiday spirit costume—and enjoy single-digit-dollar food and drink deals at some of the city’s best spots, including the Victorian and Jameson’s Irish Pub (both stops on the Main Street Route) and indoor mini golf spot Holey Moley on Third Street Promenade. Sign up online and collect a wristband on the day of the event, then crawl from spot to spot on foot. End your night at the official after-party at 1212. Plus, in celebration of Santa Monica’s 150th birthday this year, there will also be a block barty on the Promenade in the new “Entertainment Zone,” complete with live entertainment, DJs, beer gardens and wintry pop-up bars.

Spoil your furry best friend and the animal lovers in your life at this free market at the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace. The posh Playa Vista shelter will be peddling purr-fectly pet-friendly accessories and treats from more than a dozen vendors. Enjoy complimentary cookies, hot cocoa and coffee while you shop, and don’t forget to snap a pet portrait with Santa.

Step inside a Christmas tree made of lights during the return of this illuminated installation at Downtown shopping center the Bloc. Sparkle DTLA will light up the night with 18 million different hues through the end of the year, and every night you can catch its displays dance to synchronized holiday music on the hour (5–9pm). The festivities kick off December 7 with live music, photos with Santa and the Grinch, plus some surprises.

Pasadena’s South Lake Avenue transforms for the holidays during this beloved free celebration that attracts thousands of visitors each year. You’ll find free photos with Santa at Macy’s (401 S Lake Ave), a holiday artisan market and cookie decorating at the Commons (140 S Lake Ave) and ornament making at Pasarroyo (251 S Lake Ave). Businesses along the street—from Erewhon to Pie ‘N Burger to Sanrio—will be offering special promotions, and starting at 1pm, three local bands will provide a diverse soundtrack of live music while you shop. Carolers in costume will also be roaming the avenue, as well as holiday characters including Olaf, the Grinch, Frosty the Snowman and Snoopy.

The summer screening series heads indoors during the winter for its annual holiday party. This December, the historic Los Angeles Theatre Downtown will be transformed into a multi-story winter wonderland for a special screening of Elf. Expect photo ops, live music, DJ sets and a free photo booth where you can pose with Santa. Come dressed in your festive finest.

Not to be confused with Enchanted Forest of Light at Descanso Gardens, this newcomer to L.A.’s Christmas-lights scene is also located in the San Gabriel Valley—Santa Anita Park, to be precise—and claims to be the largest Christmas-lights maze in the world. In addition to its lit-up labyrinth with a 100-foot tree of lights as its centerpiece, the one-stop holiday extravaganza also boasts ice skating, an ice slide, a Ferris wheel, mini golf, a shopping village, visits with Santa and festive treats and drinks. 

Strike the harp and join the chorus with the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s annual Holiday Sing-Along at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The family-friendly seasonal program offers two performances hosted by Melissa Peterman with performances from a choir, a jazz combo and the venue’s massive pipe organ. Lyric sheets for the holiday classics will be provided, just in case you forget how many fa-la-la-la-las are in “Deck the Halls.” Show up early for complimentary cocoa and crafts for kids at 10:30am.

If you’re on the hunt for artistic gifts but don’t know your way around a lump of clay, you’re in luck. BIPOC-owned pottery studio POT is back with its eighth annual holiday market, with giftable handcrafted wares from over 50 local vendors. There’s more than just ceramics for sale, though—you’ll also find books, plants, home essentials, accessories, clothing and more. And the best part: POT has provided an exclusive code for Time Out readers to use for complimentary entry to the market (which is normally $9). Enter “TimeOutHoliday” at checkout for a free ticket that will also give you access to free beer from Boomtown Brewery, kids’ activities, ornament making, snacks, coffee and more. Note: POT had to close its Echo Park studio earlier this year, so you’ll find all the action at its Jefferson Boulevard location.

The Queen of Christmas—well, her likeness anyway—has taken over the Skybar at Mondrian this holiday season, filling the swanky poolside bar with lots of “All I want for Christmas” spirit. Sure to be a hit with both Carey fans and Christmas lovers of all candy-cane stripes, the pop-up winter wonderland boasts wall-to-wall holiday décor inspired by the singer, interactive photo ops, album backdrop re-creations, festive food, holiday cocktails and, of course, lots of merch. And forget letters to Santa—here you’ll find a dedicated “Letters to Mariah Carey” station, and “All I Want for Christmas Is You” will be played every 30 minutes. Your ticket gets you a welcome cocktail and 90-minute access to the immersive experience.

Follow Kara as she drifts from New York to globetrotting lands with a hot-chocolate-filled Nutcracker in Debbie Allen Dance Academy’s reimagining of the classic ballet, made famous in the Netflix documentary Dance Dreams. Now in its 15th year, the production trades Tchaikovsky for Arturo Sandoval and Mariah Carey. 

One of the best small-business shopping events in the country, the biannual Unique Los Angeles features clothes, accessories, wellness products, art pieces and artisanal foods from over 75 local brands. Rub elbows with the different designers and artists showcasing their work, take free holiday portraits in the Oh Snap! photo booth, and visit the DIY Den to make your own gift charms and ornaments. Unique Los Angeles is the perfect place to find, well, unique gifts for those on your list. Ticket proceeds will go to their new nonprofit, Unique World, which provides mentorship and grants to small businesses, artists and creatives.

The annual L.A. Kings ice skating rink presented by Coca-Cola once again returns to L.A. Live. Skate around the dazzling Christmas tree that stands in the middle of the outdoor rink, and take in an LED holiday light show on the huge screens around the plaza. Choose from four nightly skating sessions. Note: General admission tickets, which include skate rental, are only sold on-site, and can’t be purchased online ahead of time.

Holiday light shows are popping up all over the city, but a free light installation is always welcome. Grand Illuminations—which features a custom 25-foot-tall LED light tree and dynamic display Lumiverse—returns for the second year on December 3. The stars are the Electric Dandelions, 28-foot-tall kinetic sculptures that look like fireworks in action, which were designed by L.A.-based art collective Liquid PXL and debuted at Burning Man in 2016, popping up in the U.K., East Coast and various festivals before arriving at the Yard at Cal Plaza. The lights will stay on all holiday season, through January 4, till 10pm nightly.

For the Record, the live production company known for transforming film soundtracks into immersive live musicals, used to pop up in Beverly Hills each holiday season for Love Actually Live. Now, it’s celebrating the season with a show made up of over 25 beloved songs from different holiday soundtracks, premiering inside FTR’s new permanent home: CineVita, the world’s largest Spiegeltent, in Inglewood. New Kids on the Block’s Joey McIntyre will host a night of numbers from films including Home Alone, Elf, White Christmas and, yes, Love Actually—all performed by a professional cast of singers, dancers and musicians. Pair your festive nostalgia with themed cocktails and seasonal treats.

Not to be confused with A Noise Within’s annual production of A Christmas Carol—though the talents involved are equally stellar—here we have the chance to see the story up close, from the POV of Dickens himself. Now in its 22nd year, this show finds David Melville displaying his classically trained, beautifully polished craft to bring the famous writer to life as he tells his classic tale of Christmastime redemption—and spars with his young American assistant—in the intimacy of Independent Shakespeare Co.’s indoor theater space.

A performing-arts staple of Los Angeles for over 40 years now, the 200-strong GMCLA brings festive cheer in its annual holiday musical extravaganza while raising awareness for important LGBTQ+ issues. This year, the chorus returns to the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills performs a “Holiday Legends”–themed show, performing iconic songs from the season, from choral classics to pop Christmas anthems to Hanukkah favorites. Chorus member Salina EsTitties, of RuPaul’s Drag Race, will make a special guest appearance.

Commuting through Union Station around the holidays? Make sure to take a detour into the station’s newly restored South Patio for the train station’s 10th annual tree lighting on November 20, with a musical performance by the Beverly Belles. You can also enjoy caroling, snowfall and arts and crafts—with a side of milk and cookies. Little ones can pose for photos with Santa. The holiday décor will stay up through Christmas.

Relive your childhood theatergoing experiences this Christmas with Uncle Drosselmeyer, Clara and her beloved Nutcracker at the L.A. Ballet. The timeless show—which gets a SoCal-setting twist here—will travel all over L.A. for the holiday season, bringing classic pirouettes and Mouse King battles to UCLA, as well as 12 performances at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, where the show will be backed by the troupe’s live orchestra.

Don’t let KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas’s dainty Christmas name fool you—the annual concert is most definitely a plugged-in affair, featuring some of the year’s top mainstream, alt-rock radio staples taking the stage at the Kia Forum. This year’s nostalgic lineup is made up of bands that’ll take you back to middle school: the All-American Rejects, Evanescence, Rise Against, Social Distortion, Third Eye Blind and Yellowcard, plus newcomers Wet Leg and the Paradox.

Join the Los Angeles Master Chorale for some your favorite holiday carols in concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Sixty-two singers, led by conductor Grant Gershon, will belt out classics from around the globe (plus traditional fixtures like “Jingle Bells,” “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “The Twelve Days of Christmas”) to get you in the festive spirit. The Disney Hall’s famed pipe organ will also make an appearance—and you never know when Santa might show up.

Stroll across the grounds of King Gillette Ranch as the Santa Monica Mountains hideaway is illuminated during Holiday Road, which returns with a nearly mile-long walking trail. The event, which comes from the same team as Night of the Jack, includes thousands of lights, festive decor like a small Christmas village, larger-than-life holiday displays and lit-up archways. Look out for Santa and Mrs. Claus, and fill up at food trucks and a holiday bar while you’re there. Prices start at $29 and go up depending on the day and time you visit.

The American Contemporary Ballet returns this holiday season with its fantastical take on the tale from author E.T.A. Hoffmann. Experience the seasonal classic on a snow-shrouded stage set within an immersive space in DTLA’s Bank of America Plaza. The 75-minute production includes an ensemble of live musicians performing Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, as well as an artist reception following the show. The sweet-surprise-filled show sells out every year, so grab your tickets early.

Modern-day living got you down? Travel back to the Victorian era with this holiday celebration at the Arboretum, taking place over three consecutive weekends. The front lawn of the 1880s Queen Anne Cottage, which you can step inside during a walk-through tour, will host visits with Santa, Victorian dancers and carolers, themed refreshments and a marketplace. Grab a hot cocoa or hot toddy and browse goods from local makers and artists.

The outdoor Topanga theater is already pretty magical, but on December 13 it’ll turn into a winter wonderland, with carolers and singing madrigals roaming the grounds, holiday storytelling, an artisan market selling gifts and crafts, festive food and drink, and photo ops with Santa and Mrs. Claus. After the fair, there’s a live radio play performance of It’s a Wonderful Life starring Pamela Adlon, Beau Bridges, Wendie Malick, Joe Mantegna and Missi Pyle at 5pm—you can buy a ticket as a $25 add-on.

If you’re shopping in Orange County and dreaming of a white Christmas, the open-air Irvine Spectrum Center has your answer. Located in Giant Wheel Court by Nordstrom, this Anaheim Ducks–sponsored rink offers an opportune time out from a busy shopping day. Following each 90-minute skating session, the rink is closed for resurfacing, so you’ll never have to skate on slush. Head to the adjacent Ferris wheel during the half-hour the rink is closed for nonstop fun. Tickets—$27 with skate rental, $24 if you bring your own—are available at the rink, but if you want “jump the line” tickets, you can buy them online ahead of time for $50.

Long Beach Ballet’s The Nutcracker is one of the only area productions of the holiday classic that includes not only a live full orchestra, but also a horse, a flying sleigh, magical special effects and pyrotechnics, making it a SoCal fan favorite. Sure, the story may be the same, but this production pulls out all the stops to entertain audiences year after year—including for six performances this December, when it will celebrate its 43rd anniversary.

This serene entry into the holiday-lights-at-botanic-gardens category finds the native-plant-focused California Botanic Garden lit up with twinkling strands and luminarias—lanterns made from candles in paper bags. Illuminated pathways lead to live music stages, which will be hosting three performances each night, ranging from jazz to Native American flute music. A food truck, sweet treats and hot drinks will also be on offer each night. New this year are expanded pathways and, on the first weekend only, a Night Market where you can buy plants and crafts from nature-focused vendors.

Watch a slate of classics from the past couple of decades on one of the prettiest rooftops in Hollywood at this outdoor screenings series. All movies are piped in over sets of provided wireless headphones. Though the summer season has ended, the series is returning for four holiday screenings of The Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf, Love Actually and It’s a Wonderful Life leading up to Christmas. Before showtime, make sure to hit up the bar or the on-site kitchen, Oasis, which will be serving up wagyu burgers and classic film concessions.

Westlake Village re-creates a traditional European Christmas market with Holidays in the Village, where you’ll find artisan vendors selling gift-worthy goods, as well as bakers, chocolatiers, carolers and more. You can shop into the evening, when the stalls come alive with holiday lights. Refuel with a freshly baked croissant or Aebleskiver paired with a mug of Glühwein, hot cocoa or Kinderpunsch. It’s also family-friendly: At last year’s event, kids got to mingle with Kris Kringle and the Grinch, take train and Ferris wheel rides, and hunt down teddy bears in a scavenger hunt. 

The beloved Bob Baker Marionette Theater’s year-end production, formerly known as Holiday on Strings, has been reimagined as a holiday special complete with puppets in party clothes singing carols. Head to the troupe’s Highland Park location for the hour-long show, which follows host Demitrius Nova Twinklestar III on a tour of BBMT’s holiday traditions: You’ll see sledding slopes, caroling penguins, Santa’s workshop and more. For a sensory-friendly version, book tickets to the 4:30pm show on Saturday, December 20.

If the words “Disney” and “sing-along” normally make you think of mini-vans and Frozen, rethink your word associations and head to the Walt Disney Concert Hall for the annual Messiah Sing-Along. The event allows the 2,200-member audience to sing their hearts out and try to hit the high notes alongside the Los Angeles Master Chorale, conducted by artistic director Grant Gershon. Songs will be performed by the professional orchestra and a quartet of professional soloists—the audience fills in as the chorus. Show up early on December 22 and warm up at the free Carols on the Plaza, a holiday sing-along on Jerry Moss Plaza at 6pm.

Riverside’s stunningly beautiful Mission Inn is bathed in over 10 million twinkly lights during the annual Festival of Lights, which has lit up the city for 33 years now. The free, six-week-long holiday tradition runs from late November to early January and typically features more than 400 festive, animated figures. Having been voted the “Best Public Lights Display” by USA Today, the festival attracts over 500,000 visitors each year. The spectacle will kick off with a Switch On Ceremony on November 22, followed by live music from Matt Mauser and the Tijuana Dogs, and there’ll be holiday-themed kiddie rides outside the hotel all season long.

Mexican folk dance company Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles is taking the Soraya stage in Northridge once again for the 10th anniversary of this mariachi-infused holiday show, which celebrates the different regions of Mexico. The four music- and dance-filled shows will also feature the talents of Mexican actress and Grammy-nominated Ximena Sariñana.

American Ballet Theatre is returning to Orange County with its production of The Nutcracker for the 10th year running. The show will feature larger-than-life scenery, a Christmas tree, over 100 performers, and sets and costumes designed by Tony Award winner Richard Hudson (the visionary behind the sets of the stage version of The Lion King). The Pacific Symphony will perform Tchaikovsky’s score live.

This Christmas-themed Costa Mesa event has been turning Orange County into a veritable winter wonderland for 11 years now. Expect a Forest of Lights walk-through, snow play, ice tubing and photo ops, visits with Santa and a new falling snow area and themed entertainment zones with live music. Upgrade your experience with carnival rides, ice skating, bounce houses, “polar putt-putt” golf and fireside igloos. Hot cocoa and seasonal treats will help keep things cozy. 

Like an Angelyne billboard on Sunset Boulevard, the Hollywood Christmas Parade is an essential part of L.A. kitsch. The nine-decade-old parade will feature floats, balloons, marching bands, equestrians and celebrities (of a sort) as they ride in a U-shaped route that begins at Hollywood and Orange and ends up at Sunset and Orange. Reserved grandstand seats can be purchased, with proceeds going to Toys for Tots, but free curbside seating is also available.

Nope, that’s not some sort of catastrophic explosion in the center of the city—that sound’s just the arrival of Christmas at the Grove. Brace yourself: L.A.’s shopping mall metropolis lights up its Christmas tree with a dazzling drone show, snowfall and a slew of special guests, including Santa himself (may we humbly suggest that you ask Santa this year for a prime spot in that mammoth parking garage). Lance Bass hosts this year’s show, with performances by Nick Carter, Dasha, Natalie Jane, Loud Luxury, Kevin Woo and Straight No Chaser. Stick around for the fireworks finale .

Broadway star and Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award Ben Platt may not have reprised his starring role in Dear Evan Hansen for its L.A. run, but the singer-actor will be gracing the Ahmanson stage after all this holiday season, performing his own hits along with classic showtunes—joined by star-studded special guests—during a two-week residency at the theater.