Free, oceanside, and every Saturday night through mid-September — Santa Monica just gave locals a new reason to spend their weekends close to home this month.. The city’s Recreation & Arts Department, teaming up with local concert producer Rum & Humble, is launching Tongva Twilight: Sounds & Cinema, a brand-new outdoor series combining live music and open-air movies at Tongva Park.
What to expect from Tongva Twilight: Sounds & Cinema
The series runs six consecutive Saturdays, from August 8 through September 12, kicking off at 7pm each night on the park’s lawn. Admission is completely free, and organizers are encouraging guests to bring a picnic, blanket, or low-back chair and settle in for an evening under the stars — all within earshot of the Pacific.
Opening night on August 8 features Western Standard Time, a well-regarded ska jazz ensemble, followed by New Orleans funk group The Rumble on August 15. August 22 brings Son Mayor and a full salsa orchestra, complete with a complimentary salsa lesson before the set. Then on September 5, things shift into yacht rock territory with The Windbreakers performing sing-along ’70s classics. City officials are framing Tongva Twilight as something of a late-summer send-off — one more excuse to gather outdoors before the season winds down.
Full event schedule:
- Saturday, August 15: Concert – The Rumble – Featuring Big Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. – New Orleans Funk
- Saturday, August 22: Concert – Son Mayor – High-energy salsa band with a salsa lesson before the performance
- Saturday, August 29: Concert – Special Guest Artist – To Be Announced
- Saturday, September 5: Concert & Film – The Windbreakers – Yacht Rock band performing smooth ’70s sing-along classics + HBO Original Documentary Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentary intro by Director Garret Price
- Saturday, September 12: Concert & Film – Myra Washington – Country, Soul, Funk + screening of Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Tongva Park sits between Ocean Avenue and Main Street, offering rolling lawns, gardens, and ocean views that make it one of the city’s most scenic public spaces — and, for this summer, its liveliest.
📍 Tongva Park, 1615 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica
🎟️ Free!
