Twelve Free L.A. Events This Weekend. The Ticketed Ones Start at $5.

The August 21-23, 2026 slate as listed by We Like L.A.: Hollywood Bowl seats from $28, a $32.75 jazz festival in Gardena, free admission from Little Tokyo to Long Beach.

Twelve events across Los Angeles County this weekend are listed at free admission, and the cheapest ticketed one on the slate is $5. The count comes from the August 21-23, 2026 roundup published by the listings site We Like L.A.. The site posted that roundup on August 20, 2026, and the tally here is of the entries the page tags as free. What the page does not carry: a full street address for every venue, or any same-day confirmation that a show has not sold out or moved.

So plan around it. Call the venue before you drive if the drive is long, and treat start times as the operator's, not this desk's.

Free, and mostly outdoors

Friday, August 21, opens with two free options. Ivy Station in Culver City runs its monthly outdoor Salsa Night from 6:30 p.m., with a beginner lesson led by instructor Pepe Gonzalez and live music from Fermin Fusion Salsa. The main garage validates two hours of parking, per the We Like L.A. listing. Barnsdall Art Park hosts TAPE LA's Friday Art Night, a free video-focused takeover with a tape swap and an interactive TV wall.

Saturday, August 22, carries most of the weekend:

• KCRW Summer Nights with Taste of Downtown Long Beach — Pine Avenue and The Promenade, 2 to 10 p.m., free entry. Taste tickets for food and drink are sold on site at $1 each.
• Grand Performances: Ritchie Forever — a free tribute from 6 to 10 p.m. It marks the 85th birthday of Pacoima-raised rock 'n' roll pioneer Ritchie Valens, with Shannon Shaw, Irene Diaz and Joey Quiñones on the bill.
• LA Street Poetry Festival — free at East Los Angeles College, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is the third annual edition, organized by the LA Poet Society.
• Marina Movie Night — "The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants" at Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey, 8 p.m., free. Seating is first-come. Bring a blanket for the coastal breeze.
• Tongva Twilight — salsa from Son Mayor at Tongva Park in Santa Monica, 7 p.m., free, with a short lesson first.
• El Segundo Art Walk — self-guided through downtown El Segundo, 3 to 9 p.m., free.
• Metro Bike Share's 10th Year Birthday Ride — 9 a.m. to noon from the Compton and Slauson station, free registration. The route runs a 4.5-mile leg, an E Line train ride and an 8.5-mile finish into Downtown Santa Monica.

The Getty's Off the 405 series closes Saturday with Detroit-born electronic composer Laurel Halo. Admission is free but requires advance registration. Parking runs $10 after 6 p.m. on Saturdays, the outlet reported.

Two free events run more than one day. The Whittier Narrows Artisan Market & Festival opens at 10 a.m. Friday through Sunday at Whittier Narrows Recreation Area. The Nisei Week Plaza Festival returns to the JACCC Plaza in Little Tokyo at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, with taiko drumming and community vendors.

What the ticketed slate costs

The Hollywood Bowl's "Celebrating Gustavo" run honors music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel's final summer residency, with tickets starting between $28 and $44. Los Tigres del Norte and Lila Downs play Friday. The Foo Fighters join the LA Phil on Saturday, and Sunday closes with a benefit for Venezuela.

Sunday, August 23, adds the 23rd Annual Gardena Jazz Festival at Rowley Memorial Park. The day runs 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with Lalah Hathaway headlining. Tickets start at $32.75, and children 2 and under enter free. Wellness on the Westside at Santa Monica Place runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. General admission there is $40. The Santa Monica Antique & Vintage Market at Santa Monica Airport is $5 at the gate.

Two more, both on the clock. Drunk Theatre marks its 200th Los Angeles show Saturday at Dynasty Typewriter. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 day-of. Doors are at 8:30 p.m. And this is the final weekend for Christian Marclay's "The Clock" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, on view since July 26. It is included with general admission, which starts at $25 for adults.

Source: welikela.com, retrieved August 22, 2026.