Music festivals in Los Angeles

The two festivals most people plan around aren't in LA at all. Coachella and Stagecoach share the Empire Polo Club in Indio, about 125 miles east of the city - Coachella over two consecutive weekends in April with the same lineup both times, Stagecoach and its country crowd on the same grounds the weekend after. From LA that is a two-hour-plus drive that can run much longer on Friday afternoon, which is why most people camp or book a stay in the Coachella Valley instead of doing it as a day trip. Desert days are hot and nights get cold, so bring water, sun protection and a layer for after dark.

Back in town, August belongs to the bigger one-off weekends. HARD Summer is the city's long-running dance music festival; it has moved around a lot over the years, from Los Angeles State Historic Park to the speedway in Fontana, San Bernardino, the Coliseum and SoFi Stadium, so check the current venue before you plan transport. Just Like Heaven is a one-day festival at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in late August - the easy way in is the Metro A Line to Memorial Park and the free shuttle from the Parsons lot in Old Town. In November, Tyler, the Creator's Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival takes over Dodger Stadium for a weekend of hip-hop and carnival rides; rain has pushed it back a week before, so keep an eye on updates.

Then there is the Hollywood Bowl, which works less like a festival and more like a season: the summer home of the LA Phil and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, with classical, jazz, pop and rock nights, Fourth of July fireworks and a picnic culture that makes an evening of it, running into October. The LA Phil also presents the Blue Note Jazz Festival there. Across all of these, age rules vary by festival - check each one - and bars card for 21+. The list here shows the festivals and outdoor concerts on sale in and around LA right now.