Plan ahead and discover annual regional events in Southern California – local festivals, creative cultural gatherings, and seasonal celebrations, all worth the detour.

In January make time for an exhibition or some music in Los Angeles an head to Palm Springs for its 37th International Film Festival, followed by La Quinta Art Celebration at the end of February. The Mojave Experience is the desert music festival to look forward to in March and check West Hollywood’s dynamic nightlife offerings throughout the winter months. On  the calendar is the Newport International Boat show in April.

 

Special Events in Southern California: Worth the Detour

 

How to Be a Guerilla Girl
November 18 -April 12, 2026, Los Angeles

Presenting the inner workings of the anonymous feminist art collective alongside a new commission at the Getty Research Institute. Coinciding with the Guerrilla Girls’ 40th anniversary, the exhibition tells the story of their collaborative process and longstanding commitment to call for equity for women and artists of color in the art world.

Palm Springs International Film Festival
January 2-12, 2026, Palm Springs

37th Annual: World cinema comes to Palm Springs for its famous film festival, hosting filmmakers and film-lovers from across the country and around the globe.

Los Angeles Philharmonic: Mahler, Bartok and Ravel
January 29, 2026, Los Angeles

Conductor Elim Chan leads the orchestra to present Ravel’s Le tombeau de Couperain, Bartok’s Dance Suite, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 in G Major.

La Quinta Art Celebration
February 26-March 1, 2026, Palm Springs

Welcoming artists from around the United States in a lakeside setting against the backdrop of the Santa Rosa mountains. Enjoy the art as well as the bars, world-class Napa Valley wines, and local cuisine.

Mojave Experience 
March 20-21, 2026, Joshua Tree

Stellar line-up of music and art against the raw, unfiltered backdrop of the desert. Co-headlining Earthless and Dead Meadow along with John Garcia, Acid King, The Rubber Snake Charmers featuring Sean Wheeler, Ecstatic Vision, Yawning Man, Hippie Death Cult, Nick Oliveri’s Death Acoustic, The Freeks, Howling Giant, Insomniac, Soft Sun, Borracho, Artur Seay & The Riffkillers, and Early Moods.

Newport Beach International Boat Show
April 16-19, 2026, Newport Beach

Offering a new take  on the sailing world with beautiful yachts, live entertainment and land and water experiences. Also elevated dining and retail experiences in inimitable Newport style.

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Full Calendars of Events

• Death Valley National Park
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Los Angeles
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• Palm Springs
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• West Hollywood
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