We came here early in the afternoon to see the exhibits in the museum and stayed there the entire day. While we were already there, we decided we might as well check out the show. People started camping out over an hour before the showed started with beach towels and blankets to claim their piece of real estate near the action. Many came with their picnic baskets along with a wide variety of food items. A large bar area is setup that sells beer and wine. The atmosphere is upbeat and vibrant. Tip: Line is long and the bar closes promptly at 8:30PM. Both cash and credit cards are accepted. The live music started promptly at 7:15pm, the advertised show time. Tonight's (8/24/13) band is La Santa Cecilia, a local band in Los Angeles. They performed upbeat dance-friendly tunes in both Spanish and English. The performance is cool and the crowd is enjoying it. There is a huge presence of security, almost to the extent of being intrusive. There are security guards everywhere and you are not allowed to stand in many places. There are walkways that you are not allowed to stand and take a picture and you have to keep moving. The security is excessive in what is mostly a family-oriented event inside the complex of a museum. We were in the Montreal Rock Festival just recently which is about 100 times the size of this event and we didn't see this kind of security presence. Overall it was an above-average experience, and we attended the event since we were there in the museum already. However, we probably won't drive up there just for this event. read more

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Oh my God. As a random guy walking by said to us "  this is the worst band I've ever seen. Did you enter hear of The Emperor's New Clothes? Why is everyone going along with it? "  Thank you Aco for speaking the truth. Pick better bands. read more

A neat way to spend your evening is at the Getty Center after-hours (6-9 pm) at their summer Saturdays Off the 405! College friend was celebrating her birthday and picked this place for the occasion. The Getty has a section set up for selling food and drinks (separate from their cafe and restaurant), right in close range for you to enjoy the music in the museum courtyard. I was introduced to some new music, Kuenta i Tambú, that night and saw a stunning sunset with a view unique to the Getty. If you can make it, do attend one of these events -- what a great summer LA thing to do! Event is free, but parking is not. Carpool! read more

I came here last year and really enjoyed it. They put on a nice little event. I think I went a couple of times. I actually had a pick nick out on the lawn which was nice and relaxing. People show up at all times during the evening. Eventually they have a band play and they sell alcohol. I remembered the lines being pretty long for drinks though. You can try to bring some of your own alcohol but they have grounds keepers kind of keeping an eye out for that. If you're in the area its worth getting out there and trying something new like this. read more

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I'm a huge fan. Weird music with a lot of different people and the grounds are beautiful. Throw in the fact that the exhibits are open, that there is an incredible view of the city, and that its all FREE (minus the parking) and you got a great event. I also like that its from 6pm to 9pm because it lets you go out without coming home too late, or gives you a great start for a late night. It does suck that the line for drinks is so large, but they're also cheap and a large crowd usually has that effect on drink lines. read more

I read about this event many years ago when it used to be called "Fridays off the 405" and have always wanted to go. Other reviews mentioned about the horrendous parking situation, so I went extra early to enjoy the Getty with my friends and had no problem with parking at 2:30. We packed our own food to have a picnic and kept it at the free coat check, but we ended up eating at the fancy restaurant instead before the concert. Yes, no alcohol can be brought in but our bags and cooler were never checked...*wink*wink* This event is great for friends, singles, dates, and maybe families. I was expecting the whole top plaza to be packed with thousands of people, but it wasn't as crowded and a chaotic scene as I expected. I saw Allen Stone, so maybe he doesn't have as much of a big following, which I don't see why not -- or maybe attendance is not as high. Anyway, the crowd was chill and I was able to snap a lot of pictures since weren't too many posted here. read more

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Saturdays Off the 405 summer concert series are a pretty awesome way to spend a Saturday evening in LA. In the summer time (first one usually starts in May and they run until September) once a month (and twice in July) the Getty Center will hold outdoor concerts in the main plaza of the museum. You can find out who will be performing via their website www.getty.edu under the events calender section. Or cool yelpers like my awesome CM Christina Y. will post it on yelp (like she did for this past concert). The night usually starts with a DJ and then moves into the live acts. The music section is from 6:30ish pm to 9pm. There are several bars set up in the plaza that serve up drinks (two specialty cocktails, beer and wine) and snacks (nachos, hot dogs, popcorn, candies, spiced nuts). Bars open @ 5pm or a little after and close exactly at 8:30pm with Getty security staff at each location. These bars are cash only so bring the bills. There is an ATM on site but sometimes tends to run out of money. The museum is open until 9pm on Saturday nights so it's a great spot to hear some tunes and get your culture on with some art. **museum parking is free after 5pm so it tends to be super busy at the bottom of the hill. Traffic gets backed up bad both directions on Sepulveda as well as the 405 freeway exits. Wait time just to get to park on concert nights could take up to an hour! So plan accordingly. read more

Went for my 2nd time this past Saturday to see Badbadnotgood and I gotta say that I really love this event. I can't think of a better thing to do on a date or when you're showing around out-of-towners. Amazing location, amazing views, bars, food, music, and it's FREE to get in! The ONLY major tip is that if you want to make it in to catch the Sunset, then you MUST go early. The line to get into the parking is VERY long. If you're close enough to Uber it or get dropped off, then the walk up really isn't that bad at all, but if you're driving in, the you really gotta plan ahead. Definitely check this out. It's a great start to a night out in LA or just a great even on it's own. read more

Music. Art. Dancing. Booze. Does it get any better??? (Minus a star for the strict 9:00 closing time). read more

Love this event! How can you not love a free concert + the Getty at night + the views of the Getty at night? Be aware, however, that even though the Getty advertises itself as being free, you do still have to pay for parking. I'd say it's worth it though. Definitely a cool way to check out new music. It does get crowded, so it's definitely worth it to get there on the earlier side. read more

I found about these concerts at the Getty via the do over. Never had I realized how beautiful the Getty can be cause usually I'm so focused on the things inside the museum I never just looked at the museum itself the building and it's pretty garden. First, the view of dtla from the Getty is AMAZING and that evening time around as the sun sets makes it even better. There's a lot of people but it doesn't get crowded because it's so spacious. The entrance is free. The music was good. It was just a very pleasant evening to venture around the outside of museum with a beer in your hand listening to chill music. Although parking can become a bit of a hassle so I would try to get there early and we left early so we wouldn't get caught in parking lot trying to leave either. read more

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Fun event and a good excuse to make the trek up the hill to the Getty Center. I subtracted one star just for the madness involved in fighting the crowds to get there, and the lines at the concessions stands. Big takeaway advice... GET THERE EARLY! We tried to go up there earlier in the summer at around 6:00 when the music starts... no go. Waited in line for over an hour and then they closed the parking lot and we didnt' make it in. This time we got up there around 4:30-5 and we still waited a lot but not as bad... and we got in. Second advice... bring picnic and a flask. The allow food, but they check bags for alcohol. You can either buy $7 wine and beer (standing in line forever) or you can put a flask in your pocket and be a lot happier (we did both). Three hours gives time to check out the band and view the exhibitions. There is an excellent exhibit of documentary photography there right now. read more

I've wanted to come watch a show up at The Getty for quite some time but never got a chance. This past Saturday I went to see the show featuring Denmark-based Quadron. Thanks to a couple reviews on this page I got down there around 3p to avoid traffic at the parking structure. There was some slight backup but nothing too crazy. I parked pretty quick and the wait for the tram was non existent. Looking back I would've come even earlier so I could've enjoyed the museum exhibits a bit more and then done the picnic thing. I brought picnic foods up like someone else below but my bag ended up staying in coat check the whole night cause there really wasn't time for me. It's just going to depend on how much you want to see exhibits and how much you'd rather picnic. The drink lines are ridiculous once the show starts so get it early. All in all I highly recommend this experience. read more

Just went to this over the weekend. Things to know: - We arrived at about 520pm for the 6pm start time. By the time we got through the loooooong parking line and then the looooong line for the tram, it was almost an hour before we got up to the Getty. Plan accordingly. - You can bring in food and water. The food options didn't seem very plentiful, so it was nice to bring in our own food. They do a very brief bag search when you go into the event. - They have wine, beer, coffee, soda and water for sale at many different tables. Look for tables on the outskirts of the event for the ones with no lines, as the ones closest to the stage were super busy. - Music was just ok, but the event itself is cool with a bunch of people sitting and standing around in the beautiful setting. And if you aren't that into the music, the exhibits are open so you could do that instead. - If you want to bypass the tram line, you can walk up and down. We didn't walk up, but it took us 15 minutes to walk down. It's a pretty steady incline, so walking wouldn't be an option for everyone. read more

Fun once you're up there, but SUCH a HUGE pain to get to. Tips: 1. IF YOU'RE DRIVING UP THE 405 NORTHBOUND, DO NOT EXIT MORAGA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111 We exited Morago, turned left and waited in this HUUUGE line of cars thinking we'd be able to turn left into the Getty Center parking lot. NOPE! A traffic guy waved us on and didn't let us turn in after waiting for over a half hour. We were SOOOO mad. We had to drive past an even huger line of cars heading south (from exiting Getty Center Dr.), turn around, and then get in that huge line to wait again! Seriously, there needed to be better traffic announcements about this. We almost turned around and left after that, but we persisted. 2. Go WAY WAY WAY early. We got to the area around 5:30ish, and then it took us well over an hour to get into the parking lot, get parked, and tram it up. So, we really didn't get to enjoy being up there before the band went on. We wanted to be able to look around the museum more before the show. 3. Bring a picnic. Food and drinks up there are expensive, so again, go early, bring dinner (and a flask) and enjoy. They check purses on the way in, but not well, and they don't check pockets. I would go again (maybe) if a great band were playing, but only if I had enough time in my day to get there around 3 or 4 p.m. read more

Five Stars!!! Well at least the concept is really cool. Free concert with a KCRW type band ( I heard Dawes ) possibly picnic and drink in the center courtyard open to a great summer night and clear amazing view of the city at sunset. Yea soundS like could be amazing. I had June gloom in July light sprinkles and clouds covering the sunset. Still I really liked it. even with a slow one hour wait to get in to park and a long wait. For the tram and/ or waLk to get up hill . Getting out we walked down. So ladies may want to not wear heels like me. The parking is free after 5 , the museum is open, the view is great. Just plan ahead and plan patience and hope for good weather. It's a must do when in LA!!! Check the schedule on the Getty site because it is sporadic. The concert is 6-9. read more

Some minor things have changed since my first summer in '08. I am excited to see that they are still going strong! I haven't been this summer (yet) but after looking through the website, see that the only thing that has changed is the price of parking. $10 vs. $5. Still not a bad deal but better if you carpool with a bunch of your buddies. While you can't bring any alcohol on the premises, you are allowed to bring some lite bites while laying out on their museum lawn. Not a bad trade off if you ask me! Don't forget your blanket. The museum use to have select areas with different acts/ dj's performing so I wonder if that's still the case. If so, you may be in the mood for some salsa, electronic or both! A great environment for a casual evening out to spend with friends, your significant other or with your family. I even saw a father dancing with his tot in a baby carrier. Awesome! Saturday's off the 405 is a great, inexpensive, cultural event that is lots of fun, perfect for those summer nights! Note: Make it full circle experience and take in any of the museum presentations throughout the evening. Don't forget the spectacular views of the city. read more

Art Remixed - of course!!! Why not keep a hip and popular museum open at dusk on a Friday so people can come and drink and listen to house music!!! Who could have thought that up? Whoever it was, was a genius! Some friends and I checked this place out last night for the first time and I was curious to see if it was going to be the same disappointing experience I had at the MOCA after dark event I had gone to two years ago. Boy, was I wrong...first and foremost there were a lot of really young hip looking househeads and then some. There was a big crowd when we got there (about 6:30pm or so) and we had to skip the tram ride to take one of the shuttles up the hill to the Getty. There are a few bars, food, they keep some of the exhibits open and they featured two minimal house DJs. I don't like minimal house myself, but we are at a museum, so what else are you going to expect. I had a really good time. It's a good place to go on a Friday after work to pre-party to make that easy transition from the work week to the all out let loose weekend. I also met some really cool people there. Oh, and if you like cute artsy boys - GO. This event is only hosted every now and then at the Getty Museum by Flavorpill magazine & KCRW. The Getty website usually has updates on when the next event will be. read more

Surfer blood and free parking! Saturdays off the 405 is an incredible event. As angelenos, I feel that we are spoiled with the amount of art and culture around us. Events like these create community and bring people together. Let's continue to support this amazing series. Besides, it's a great excuse to go visit the Getty! Concert's are held outside (beautifully uplit stage) so bring a jacket and a sweatshirt (sweatshirt for yourself and a jacket for that special someone). At the surfer blood show, I was the "special someone," and my friend Samoan Joe was the gentleman that offered me his jacket. What a class act, and completely irrelevant. read more

The last time I had been here it was Fridays off the 405 a few years ago, so I figured it was time to check it out again. Despite being in Pasadena at 5pm and running through a torrential downpour mid-city, I got there about 6 and all the parking was totally full. Going with the against all odds theme of the evening, I actually found free parking down the hill in Bel-Air by the Chevron station and just walked up (its less than a mile.) NO OUTSIDE ALCOHOL and CASH BAR I somehow missed this. :( So gone a bottle of wine. I was with a French guy and he said, If we were in France the security guard would ask what kind of wine we had [and not make us throw it out.] Haha! So many reasons to move to France . . . The way you get drinks is you get a bracelet and you can get ONE DRINK at a time. The drinks are priced fine, they had a couple of cocktails, I got the elderflower margarita which was awesome, red and white wine and beer, priced $7-10. This whole process was a pain in the ass since no one in my group had cash and their single ATM was rejecting every other card and we each had to go up for a drink, which just makes the line longer--so that was annoying, although it was my fault for not realizing I shouldn't bring my own alcohol and I should bring my own cash. However, the Getty is just so beautiful. It has a great view. It gets misty and rainy up there so they provide complimentary umbrellas. The band I saw was Dawes, and there were great. I didn't get a chance to walk around the ground bc by the time we got situated and ate, it was dark and the band was playing, but I had forgotten how romantic the Getty is. This is a great date night! After the band, we checked out one of the galleries. The floor turns into an awkward dance party we bailed on. I do really recommend this, but I wish they allowed people to get more than one drink at a time and something was a little funky with the ATM last night at least. I will be coming back during the day. read more

Very cool concept. Live outdoor show surrounded by one of California's best architectural environments. read more

Saturdays Off The 405 - Cut Chemist and VJ Pimpadelic Wonderland - Local Flavor Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Visiting the Getty around sunset is beautiful. Sadly, this summer has been plagued by constant evening fog, but even the fog added a mystical quality to the garden. There was a mix couples, friends, and families picnicking on the grounds and listening to live music. I think that most of the artists that perform are up-and-coming - but the event for me wasn't about the just about the music, but the total package: good music, venue, and food (some brought and some bought there). Normally, I would recommend staying off the 405 freeway on the weekend. However, if you can stomach a bit of traffic this a great free summer concert. read more

During my courtship with the Getty Cafe, I got to see some of the Fridays off the 405 concerts. I didn't have to pay for parking so that was great. And I always got there before the rush of people. The Getty has bars and little carts set up all over the place to keep the concert goes drunk and full. I saw a band from Brazil and some bands I've never heard of play here. The sound was good and the people who knew the music were really getting into the beat. Leaving after it's all said and down is a challenge though. I would say to wander around and let the thousands of people who try to leave at once all leave. There's lots to do up there until security kicks you out. read more

I was surprised to see so many people at this event. We got there at around 7:30 and it took a while to find parking, we took a shuttle up instead of having to wait for a tram and once we got there had some white wine that was reasonably priced at $5 or $7 (can't remember since I am not the one that bought it) At 7:30 there was a good amount of people but by 8:30 there was a whole lot of people! It was great to see little kids with their parents trying to dance to house music. Pretty nice vibe to meet up with friends here, chill, listen to some music and be home by 9:30 p.m or to go off to another spot for the rest of the night. read more

As of Summer 2009, the Getty has changed this event to "Saturdays Off the 405". This event is fabulous. It happens once a month (from 6-9pm), and is basically a fabulous evening at the Getty. The mix of art and entertainment (live music and cash bars) makes for a perfect place to mix and mingle with beautiful Angelenos in the central courtyard of the museum. Glasses of wine are $7, and there are multiple snack vendors. Tons of people come out and its the perfect setting to socialize and network. I often plan meetup events here and everyone always has a good time. Guaranteed. Parking is usually $10.00, but after 5pm on the weekends, parking is free! Nothing is better than a FREE night out at a fabulous venue. read more

Art, music, fun, dance, drinks...what more can you ask for. It is definitely a great place to bring friends to mingle or go on a date. I had a grand time. Too bad it ends at 9pm. read more

One of LA's true gems -- You take the most beautiful place we have to offer. Throw in a calm ocean breeze. Cocktails. Wonderful people who seem to have open minds. That and they usually have great, experimental, forward-thinking music. Fridays Off the 405 makes me happy to be an Angeleno. _C$ read more

This is truly awesome. You don't pay for parking after 5:00 pm. There's no cost to get in the Getty Center. They have live bands, food, and beer & wine. The exhibits are open until 9:00 pm so you can stroll through the art. The views of the city and ocean at night are fantastic. I knocked off a start only for the traffic. It took us about 45 minutes to drive into the parking structure. read more

i'm known in my circles as "getty girl." i've done an incredible amount of PR for these events, which leaves me a little embittered that they didn't hire me for their PR position. while i remain unpaid, i am loyal still--i won't take a star away. it's a diverse crowd that shows up. there are so few spaces where people gather, where you can people watch, and where you can see angelenos in all their motley glory. of course, this is because many of them are ON the 405. make an effort to drive there. the view (depending on the air quality, of course) and sunset can be breathtaking. bring a sweater, though. we are a weak people. because of the proximity to the ocean and the elevation of the museum, evening temperatures drop significantly. i don't know what it is exactly but somehow their hot dogs are quite tasty. i'm not down with dogs. but i find myself eating them here nearly every time. my friends and i--from all corners of l.a.--often meet there to get out the kinks of our work weeks. it's whatever you want to make it--high energy or low energy. read more

This is pretty great. I just discovered it and now it is ending until next year...Fuc@#@!! There are a ton of people to meet plus you can wander all over the Getty. I was surprised at the amount of Germans here. I don't mind Germans but la Germans seem to really like this event. There are a couple bars set up and maybe two bands play plus live DJ. There is one problem...getting out of the place. It ends at 9:00 but you will have to wait for a tram. There are like 8000 people here and only one tram..good luck. read more

Friday's Off the 405 are held at the Getty Center once a month during the spring and summer months. Sipping on a cocktail, listening to live music, dancing under the night sky, perusing the art galleries, walking the grounds, and looking at the wonderful view of the entire city (even Catalina Island on a clear day) really makes me love this place. Events such as this increase the saccharin level in my bittersweet relationship with Los Angeles. It's free (only $8 for parking) so there really is no excuse not to go. Every Los Angelino needs to check it out. read more

Nice event... Awesome music and drinks. I would love to come back.. Make sure to bring a jacket.. It got super cold and foggy up there!

More fun than you can shake a stick at. Good vibe, great music, excellent view. This is what LA should be about. Cash only bar, and $8 for parking. Bring some food to picnic with, and enjoy. read more

If you go, go EARLY. We headed towards the Getty around the starting time, and were sitting in traffic for 20minutes just trying to get into the parking lot. Once you get in, it is nice, they have live bands and food for you. Make sure you look at everything you want to look at because they also close right at 9pm without any warning. The guards will just shoo you out, so keep an eye on the time. read more

I had never been to one of these Saturday events at the Getty before, but I came last night for a networking mixer. Overall, I have mixed feelings about my experience. Had my specific mixer not been fun, I am not sure that I'd ever go again on my own. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of this event. However, good luck with traffic getting into the Getty's parking area, which clogs up the car flow for at least a half a mile, maybe more. It took me about a half hour to drive that half a mile or so leading up to the Getty. I'm not saying that I can't be convinced to go, but it would have to be for a very particular reason or event.. read more

love this event. captures the essence of LA at its finest - an outdoor event, interesting art + music combined with dynamic people. All this and the event is completely free = a must-do ! I echo what a lot of others have said - get there early because it's it's a very popular event, and pack some food for yourself, and come with friends. We like Saturday's off the 405 so much that we hardly visit getty anymore except for these events. Do yoursel read more

The Getty Center alone is quite spectacular. Now tack on free concerts?!?! Talk about being cultured. Talk about groovy live music. Talk about relaxing with a watermelon mojito imbibement under a warm June sunset. Talk about sexytime. There just aren't enough Saturdays in the summer!!! read more

Saturdays off the 405 is one of our favorite events. You get to relax with a glass of wine while walking through the getty grounds and taking in the amazing views of LA all while live music plays in the background. There is not one thing I'd change about the event. Because there is one way in and one way out it gets busy at the peak times of 6 and 9. Parking is $10 after 5 and $15 before 5. For $5, I'd recommend coming a bit early to avoid the crowd which could be as heavy as taking an hour to park. Plus it will give you extra time to check out some of the galleries. The tram also gets crowded when heading out, but as an alternative you can walk down the hill which is quite nice. The drink lines can get crowded, but aren't always so. We've waited for 45 mins and walked right up. 45 mins is excessive, but at least the lines are in the middle of everything so you don't miss too much. We look forward to this event series every summer. read more