10 Must-See Concerts In LA This Holiday Season

Look, the holidays in L.A. hit different. Half the city is escaping their families at concerts, the other half is dragging their out-of-town relatives to a show so they can prove we actually do have culture beyond Erewhon. Luckily, the city delivered this year. From K-pop chaos to indie sleaze revival and flat-out legendary acts, these are the 10 must-see concerts closing out 2025 and carrying us straight into the new year. Let’s get into it.

Iluka — Moroccan Lounge — Dec. 4

If desert-witch rock and emotional truth-bomb pop had a love child, it would be Iluka. She’s giving fierce lyricism, piano-driven heartbreak, and the kind of feminist bite mainstream pop wishes it had. Her new single “Hard to Love Me” scratches the current Adele-shaped hole in pop ballads, and this album release show could easily be her L.A. breakout moment. Catch her before she’s unavoidable.

KIIS-FM Jingle Ball — Intuit Dome — Dec. 5

Yes, the Jingle Ball is chaotic. Yes, it’s also stacked. This year’s lineup mixes chart darlings Alex Warren, Jessie Murph, Zara Larsson, and Reneé Rapp, with a rare holy-sht* moment: Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, aka the trio behind “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, a song currently eating the Grammy conversation alive. Add Conan Gray, Feid, Jackson Wang, Kid Laroi, and Sean Paul? L.A. loves drama, and this show is full of it.

Ben Folds — Blue Note — Dec. 11

Freshly unattached from the Kennedy Center (you know why), Ben Folds is sliding into the Blue Note for a cozy, holiday-coded piano night. Expect songs from his anti-Christmas Christmas album Sleigher plus deep-cut favorites. After the year L.A. just had, this is probably the softest landing we’re getting.

Katseye — Hollywood Palladium — Dec. 13

Katseye is having a Grammy-level glow-up, and honestly? It’s deserved. They’re structured like a K-pop group but built for Western pop dominance, choreography tight, vocals sharper than your ex’s excuses. With the Recording Academy finally taking K-pop seriously, this show is going to feel like the start of something big.

KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas — Kia Forum — Dec. 13

The top of the lineup is a nostalgic fever dream. Evanescence, Papa Roach, Rise Against, Yellowcard, but don’t sleep on the undercard. Wet Leg (UK post-punk chaos sisters) and The Paradox (Atlanta pop-punk kids blowing up off a few viral clips) are the acts that make this show worth showing up early for. Expect mosh energy with a side of time-travel.

Cameron Winter — Palace Theatre — Dec. 13 & 14

Fresh off an L.A. show attended by Bono, Beck, and Chappell Roan (yes, really), Geese frontman Cameron Winter is returning solo for two nights that already feel legendary. His album Heavy Metal is slacker-rock brilliance wrapped in art-school weirdness, and with Coachella on deck, these shows might be the last time he feels “underground.”

4 Non Blondes — Roxy — Dec. 15

“What’s Up?” refuses to die, and honestly, we’re better for it. Linda Perry resurrected the band this year for festivals, and now they’re bringing that energy to the Roxy ahead of a 2026 reunion album. With Cardi B, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, and TikTok all fighting over the song’s legacy this year, this show hits like a full-circle moment for alt-rock history.

Allman Betts Family Revival — Orpheum Theatre — Dec. 20

If you want musicianship, not spectacle, this is the pick. Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Berry Oakley, Alex Orbison… it’s basically a Southern-rock Avengers lineup. Add guest appearances from Robert Randolph, Dweezil Zappa, Jimmy Hall, and the Dickinson brothers, and you’ve got a holiday show built for guitar nerds and nostalgia junkies.

Leon Thomas — The Wiltern — Dec. 22 & 23

Leon Thomas is in his Grammy-nominated era, and The Wiltern gets to host his victory lap. Mutt blends retro R&B, alt-soul, and the kind of songwriting flex only someone who’s worked with Ariana Grande and SZA can pull off. Expect theatrical vocals, real musicianship, and a crowd full of people who absolutely brag about knowing him “before this.”

The Roots — Walt Disney Concert Hall — Dec. 31

If you want NYE plans worth bragging about, this is it. Questlove, Black Thought, a catalog deep enough to run two shows without repeats, and an L.A. crowd ready to lose it. Add Questlove’s roster of celebrity friends and the Disney Hall acoustics? This is the most musically elite way to end the year.

Whether you’re trying to dodge your holiday obligations or drag your friends into one last sonic adventure before the year resets, L.A.’s end-of-year concert calendar is stacked enough to keep you out every night. Pick your show, pick your chaos, and let the noise carry you straight into 2026.