{"id":846477,"date":"2026-06-05T16:07:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T16:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/846477\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T16:07:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T16:07:28","slug":"free-world-cup-watch-parties-kick-off-at-l-a-museums","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/846477\/","title":{"rendered":"Free World Cup watch parties kick off at L.A. museums"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The World Cup arrives in L.A. on Thursday. This marks the first time the festivities have taken place in the Southland since 1994, when Pasadena\u2019s Rose Bowl hosted the final between Brazil and Italy, which famously ended in a scoreless tie and was decided by a penalty shootout that led to Brazil winning its fourth World Cup title. (The U.S. hosted the Women\u2019s World Cup in 1999 and 2003, with the finals at the Rose Bowl and Home Depot Center [now known as Dignity Health Sports Park], respectively.)<\/p>\n

Soccer is art and art is soccer and soccer is life \u2014 and also one of the most beloved sports on the planet \u2014 and thankfully for you, dear arts lover, you can mix your passion for art and f\u00fatbol by heading to a free public viewing party at a number of local museums and cultural institutions.<\/p>\n

This year sees Spain and France as favorites, with England, Brazil, Portugal and defending champions Argentina all in the running. No matter who your team is, there is a museum watch party for you. Here are your top choices, in no particular order:<\/p>\n

The Getty <\/b>Center<\/b>: <\/b>A variety of watch parties will take place on newly installed big screens at the museum\u2019s Trellis Bar & Lounge and Garden Terrace Cafe, which will also feature themed menu items and drinks. The Getty will stay open until 9 p.m. on June 12, 19, 26 and July 3 to accommodate evening games. Normal Friday hours will resume July 10. Admission is free, but a reservation is required<\/a>. Parking is free after 5 p.m.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles County Museum of Art: <\/b>The museum is hosting two free outdoor watch parties on large screens located on its Smidt Welcome Plaza on Wilshire Boulevard. Mexico vs. Korea <\/a>can be seen from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 18; and Uruguay vs. Cape Verde will take place at 3p.m. on June 21.<\/p>\n

LACMA is also hosting a few soccer-themed events, including \u201cAndell Family Sundays: \u2018F\u00fatbol\u202fIs\u202fLife\u2019,\u201d set to take place on June 7, 14 and 28 from 12:30 to 3:30 pm<\/a>. The event features art-making workshops inspired by the museum\u2019s \u2018F\u00fatbol\u202fIs\u202fLife\u2019 exhibit featuring soccer miniatures by Lyndon J. Barrois Sr.<\/a>, and led by artists Karl Petion and Patricia Yossen. There is also an event called \u201cLet\u2019s Play: Soccer Juggling,\u201d from noon to 3 p.m. on June 21<\/a>. This is also tied to the exhibit <\/a>and offers lessons in soccer basics through a drop-in juggling and accuracy workshop led by representatives from American Youth Soccer Organization. All ages and experience levels are welcome. RSVP required<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Autry Museum of the American West: <\/b>The Autry\u2019s free Griffith Park watch party will take place at 4 p.m. June 12 when Paraguay takes on USA. The event will feature food trucks, themed cocktails, soccer-inspired games and activities, and local vendors selling specialty wares. Free, but an RSVP is required.<\/a> <\/p>\n

The Music Center: <\/b>It\u2019s not a museum, but it\u2019s one of the city\u2019s most beloved cultural centers. It\u2019s also hosting a free public screening of Spain vs. Uruguay <\/a>from 5 to 7 p.m. <\/a>on June 26 <\/a>on its lovely Jerry Moss Plaza, including family-friendly activities and themed refreshments. Bring a picnic or pick your dinner from an on-site restaurant. Stick around after the game for a free global dance party celebrating the start of the 22nd season of the Music Center\u2019s Dance DTLA.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m Arts editor Jessica Gelt putting my game face on. This is your arts and culture news for the week.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re reading Essential Arts <\/p>\n

Our critics and reporters guide you through events and happenings of L.A. <\/p>\n

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service<\/a>, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy<\/a> such as personalizing your experience and ads. <\/p>\n

The week ahead: A curated calendarFRIDAY<\/p>\n

Gustavo Dudamel: Celebrating 17 Years <\/b>
In his final concert as L.A. Phil music director at Disney Hall, the maestro joins his Venezuelan and American identities, conducting two poetry-inspired choral symphonic works. John Adams\u2019 \u201cHarmonium\u201d borrows texts from Emily Dickinson and John Donne to explore time, harmony and rhythm. \u201cCantata Criolla\u201d by composer Antonio Est\u00e9vez follows a Venezuelan troubadour who squares off against the devil.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Haunted<\/b>
In this one-act dance opera, composer Paul Salerni unites poetry and music to share a tale of doomed love entwined with a ghost story with an unexpected conclusion. Based on a libretto by former California Poet Laureate Dana Gioia.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. sierramadreplayhouse.org<\/a><\/p>\n

SATURDAY<\/p>\n

Family Fest: Pride<\/b>
A free, outdoor event celebrating love, identity and inclusivity, featuring Bob Baker Marionette Theater, Iwalani Music, Everybody Dance LA, Drag Story Time, Color Me Face Painting and more.
11 a.m.-2 p.m. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org<\/a><\/p>\n

\""Catapult" <\/p>\n

\u201cCatapult\u201d by Alex Gardner, 2025. Acrylic on canvas.
48 1\/16 x 96 1\/16 inches.<\/p>\n

(Wild Don Lewis Photography; courtesy of Alex Garden and Perrotin)<\/p>\n

Alex Gardner, Gabriel Rico and Makiko Kudo<\/b>
A trio of new exhibitions connected through the natural world and the creatures, great and small, who inhabit it: In \u201cAnimals,\u201d painter Alex Gardner explores his experience of fatherhood; Gabriel Rico\u2019s \u201cGabrielinos (I Am You And What I See Is Me),\u201d the artist\u2019s first solo show in Los Angeles, uses textile, assemblage and sculpture to encourage viewers to think about the world around them; the life and death of Japanese painter Makiko Kudo\u2019s pet cat inspired \u201cReincarnation,\u201d a series of oil paintings.
Opening reception, 6-8 p.m.; exhibitions run through July 11. Perrotin Los Angeles, 5036 W. Pico Blvd. perrotin.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Magnificent Mozart & Mahler<\/b>
Eckart Preu conducts the Long Beach Symphony in two classical masterpieces, \u201cEine Kleine Nachtmusik\u201d and Mahler\u2019s Fifth.
7:30 p.m. Long Beach Terrace Theater, 300 E. Ocean Blvd. longbeachsymphony.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum<\/b>
The summer repertory season launches with Shakespeare\u2019s \u201cRomeo and Juliet\u201d and \u201cA Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream\u201d in the great outdoors of Topanga Canyon.
\u201cRomeo and Juliet,\u201d 7:30 p.m. Saturday-Sept. 26; \u201cA Midsummer\u2019s Night Dream,\u201d Sunday-Oct. 10. Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga. theatricum.com<\/a><\/p>\n

SUNDAY<\/p>\n

Juneteenth Block Party<\/b>
Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA) hosts its annual free community celebration featuring free dance master classes, live performances, carnival rides, games, food trucks, music and a marketplace for local and minority-owned businesses. Noon-7 p.m. Debbie Allen Dance Academy, 1850 S. Manhattan Place, L.A. debbieallendanceacademy.com<\/a><\/p>\n

L\u2019Chaim America!<\/b>
The Braid theater company performs real stories of American Jewish life centered on gratitude and possibility.
2:30 p.m. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A. skirball.org<\/a><\/p>\n

MONDAY<\/b>
National Museum of the Aftermath<\/b>
The project, conceived and titled by Cauleen Smith and curated by Jon Rubin and Harrison Kinnane Smith, travels from city to city adopting a different name and form in each location. For two months, it will operate within Oxy Arts, challenging the status quo of history and speculating on the future.
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; through Aug. 8. Oxy Arts, 4757 York Blvd., L.A. oxyarts.oxy.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

WEDNESDAY \"Denise <\/p>\n

Denise Burse, from left, Charlayne Woodard and Deborah Joy Winans in rehearsal for \u201cAngry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous\u201d at Geffen Playhouse.<\/p>\n

(Isaak Berliner.)<\/p>\n

Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous<\/b>
An expat actor of a certain age returns to the U.S. primed for a comeback, only to face a new generation with very different ideas from her own. Written by Pearl Cleage and directed by LaTanya Richardson Jackson. Denise Burse, Olivia Washington, Deborah Joy Winans and Charlayne Woodard star.
Through July 12. Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave., Westwood. geffenplayhouse.org<\/a><\/p>\n

The Revolutionists<\/b>
Playwright Lauren Gunderson turns France\u2019s Reign of Terror on its ear in this raucous comedy about women fighting for \u00e9galit\u00e9. Directed by Jamie Torcellini.
Previews, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, through June 28. International City Theatre, 330 E. Seaside Way, Long Beach. https:\/\/ictlongbeach.org\/therevolutionists\/<\/a><\/p>\n

THURSDAY<\/p>\n

Double Take: Photographs in Pairs<\/b>
An intriguing exhibition matching photographs based on their formal qualities: the angle of a body, the geometry of a space, the relationship between figures and the interpretation of color. Photographers featured include Diane Arbus, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Lauren Greenfield, Mary Ellen Mark, Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, Herb Ritts, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Bruce Weber and Bastiaan Woudt.
Opening reception 7-9 p.m. Thursday; exhibition runs through July 18. Fahey\/Klein Gallery, 148 N. La Brea Ave. faheykleingallery.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Esa-Pekka <\/p>\n

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2025.<\/p>\n

(David Swanson\/For The Times)<\/p>\n

Ojai Music Festival<\/b>
This year\u2019s music director, Esa-Pekka Salonen, is in the spotlight as a composer with the U.S. premiere of his new work for violin and cello and the first complete performance of his \u201cSix Preludes\u201d for piano, and other works; Salonen also conducts the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening concerts. In its 80th year, the festival pays tribute to its defining musical figures and welcomes L.A. Phil New Music Group, Colburn Orchestra, L.A. Dance Project and many other noteworthy artists.
Through June 14, 2026. Libbey Bowl, 210 S Signal St., Ojai. ojaifestival.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Rheology<\/b>
This experimental play by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie winner Shayok Misha Chowdhury is a collaboration with his mother, physicist Bulbul Chakraborty, filled with dramatic urgency.
8 p.m. Thursday, and June 12-13. REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown L.A. redcat.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Thursday Night Jazz<\/b>
Weekly series featuring guest musicians backed by the Jack Lieberman Trio. Upcoming guests include the Tyler Hammond Jazz Experience (June 11); Ido Eylon and Willem Jochems (June 18); and Joey Du Bois with Kahlil Childs (June 25).
8 p.m. Thursdays. The Spotlight, 1601 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. thespotlight.la<\/a><\/p>\n

Arts anywhere<\/p>\n

New and recent releases of arts-related media.<\/p>\n

\"Illustration <\/p>\n

Ann Patchett and her novel \u201cWhistler.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Los Angeles Times illustration; images from Emily Dorio, Harper)<\/p>\n

Ann Patchett, \u2018Whistler\u2019<\/b>
What does a literary novelist have to do with the performing and visual arts? In Patchett\u2019s stories, the past is often inextricably entwined with the present and within those threaded timeframes lie traces of genetic code leading to the arts and art-adjacent worlds. In \u201cTaft\u201d (1994), the protagonist is a former jazz musician turned Memphis bar owner; \u201cThe Magician\u2019s Assistant\u201d (1997) finds the title character unraveling the illusions of her own life; \u201cBel Canto\u201d (2021) features a famous American soprano at the center of a hostage crisis; and \u201cTom Lake\u201d (2023) revolves around a Michigan woman\u2019s long ago love affair with a soon to be famous actor during a summer stock production of Thornton Wilder\u2019s \u201cOur Town.\u201d Of the writer\u2019s latest book, \u201cWhistler,\u201d Times contributor Leigh Haber wrote<\/a>, \u201cThis exquisite writer has once again delivered an incandescent work of fiction \u2014 sweet, but never sentimental, infinitely wise and suffused with love. It\u2019s also an ode to New York City itself.\u201d And that ode notably begins with the protagonist and her husband at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A place that Haber notes, \u201cone gets the sense, they know by heart.\u201d This connection to art may prove to be tangential \u2014 I\u2019ve only read a quarter of the book \u2014 but Patchett\u2019s appreciation of these worlds is anything but.
Harper: 304 pages, $30<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Kevin Crust<\/p>\n

Culture news and the SoCal scene \"Jeff <\/p>\n

Jeff LeBeau, left, and Tim Cummings in the West Coast premiere of Samuel D. Hunter\u2019s \u201cGrangeville\u201d at the Ruskin Group Theatre Arts Center, dairected by John Perrin Flynn.<\/p>\n

(John Perrin Flynn)<\/p>\n

Times theater critic Charles McNulty reviewed the West Coast premiere of playwright Samuel D. Hunter\u2019s \u201cGrangeville,\u201d <\/a>directed by John Perrin Flynn, at the Ruskin Group Theatre. The play, which explores the lives of two estranged half brothers from a small Idaho town, is \u201cbeautifully acted,\u201d McNulty writes, adding, that Hunter, \u201cthe bard of Idaho,\u201d is \u201cone of the theater\u2019s outstanding American realists.\u201d<\/p>\n

McNulty also loved the Alicia Keys jukebox musical, \u201cHell\u2019s Kitchen,\u201d which staged its L.A. debut last week at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. <\/a>The musical tells the story of Key\u2019s upbringing in the Manhattan neighborhood of the show\u2019s title, but the story isn\u2019t where the show shines, writes McNulty, noting that the joy comes from the way Keys\u2019 music is seamlessly integrated into the narrative.<\/p>\n

\" <\/p>\n

Yo-Yo Ma plays the solo for the premiere of Angelica Negron\u2019s \u201cMudillo\u201d on Thursday, May 28, 2026.<\/p>\n

(Jason Armond \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

\u201cOur streets are garlanded with \u2018Gracias, Gustavo\u2019 banners and billboards. The Walt Disney Concert Hall shop has become a Dudamel-torium, aisles bursting with Gustavo T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, refrigerator magnets and this and that,\u201d writes Times classical music critic Mark Swed in a review of Dudamel\u2019s penultimate weekend at Walt Disney Concert Hall, <\/a>including one featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma.<\/p>\n

\"Dancers <\/p>\n

Dancers from choreographer Benjamin Millepied\u2019s L.A. Dance Project rehearse at LACMA\u2019s David Geffen Galleries on Friday, May 22, 2026, in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

(Carlin Stiehl \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

Benjamin Millepied\u2019s L.A. Dance Project is staging a free, two-week-long series of public shows called \u201cCity of Dance\u201d <\/a>which take place at nine Southern California landmarks, including LACMA, Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Tongva Park and Stearns Wharf. Read all about how the project came to be, including its use of Philip Glass\u2019 score from the critically acclaimed 1982 documentary film, \u201cKoyaanisqatsi.\u201d<\/p>\n

Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times<\/p>\n

Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Wallis <\/p>\n

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts announced its 2026-27 season.<\/p>\n

(Jason Kempin \/ Getty Images for Wallis Annenber)<\/p>\n

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts has unveiled its 2026-27 season, its first under the leadership of its new executive director and CEO, Jean Davidson. Highlights include music by Joshua Redman Quartet; Ronald K. Brown and his dance company Evidence, comedy and cabaret by performers including Sandra Bernhard and designer Isaac Mizrahi; recitals by L.A. Opera, concerts featuring Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and much more. \u201cAt the heart of this season is a belief in the power of live performance to connect people to ideas, to one another, and to the shared human experience. We are proud to support artists who spark curiosity, foster empathy, and invite dialogue, while continuing to strengthen The Wallis as a vibrant gathering place for all audiences,\u201d said Davidson in a news release. See the full schedule here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pacific Jazz Orchestra also announced its 2026-27 season led by composer, arranger and conductor Chris Walden. The 40-piece string orchestra and big band hybrid is entering its fourth season with five programs dedicated to jazz, swing, soul R&B, Broadway and pop, staged in six venues across the region, including in Beverly Hills, Irvine, Northridge, Palm Desert, Santa Barbara and Ventura. Featured guest artists include Broadway star Sutton Foster, pianist David Benoit and vocalist Nayanna Holley. See the full schedule here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

UCLA\u2019s Center for the Art of Performance has announced \u201cFar Away, Here,\u201d a new multiyear international opera initiative <\/a>that will launch in the 2026-27 season with the U.S. premiere of a new adaptation of \u201cKafka\u2019s Letter to His Father, \u201c scheduled to run Nov. 12-14 at the UCLA Nimoy Theater. The initiative will continue to present U.S. premieres of under-the-radar operas by artists from around the world, and is curated and produced by tenor Timur Bekbosunov, in collaboration with CAP UCLA\u2019s executive and artistic director, Edgar Miramontes.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jessica Gelt<\/p>\n

And last but not least<\/p>\n

I told you where to watch the World Cup at area museums, but here\u2019s a list for folks who would like to watch the old-fashioned way, at restaurants and bars.<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The World Cup arrives in L.A. on Thursday. This marks the first time the festivities have taken place…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":846478,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5123],"tags":[1582,276,18282,18286,18287,18283,2961,224,2444,5337,18284,18278,18280,18281,18285,18279,4370,645,2452,8066],"class_list":["post-846477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-ca","tag-california","tag-design-columnist-carolina-a-miranda","tag-existential-questions","tag-group-show","tag-l-a-museum","tag-la","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-times","tag-losangeles","tag-matthew-lopez","tag-opera","tag-pauline","tag-performance","tag-private-jet","tag-schindler-house","tag-show","tag-story","tag-week","tag-work"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116698366209893741","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=846477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846477\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/846478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=846477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=846477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=846477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}