Things to do at night in Laguna Beach

Evening at a glance

Most of what happens after dark in Laguna Beach is a scheduled event, not a place you walk into. Check the date before you go, because the Art Walk, the Pageant and the concert series run on their own calendars. Bars and restaurants have their own directory on lagunabeachhappyhour.com, a sister site to this guide, so this page leaves them out.

First Thursdays Art Walk

On the first Thursday of every month, from 6 to 9 p.m., galleries along Coast Highway between Diamond Street and Myrtle Street take part in the Art Walk. The nonprofit organizer says the event is always free to the public. The Art Walk page covers the route, the trolley and parking.

Theater at the Playhouse

The Laguna Playhouse at 606 Laguna Canyon Road runs a year-round season. As posted on October 28, 2026, The 39 Steps runs through November 22, followed by a December holiday show and concert, a Lightwire Theater show on January 30, RENT in April and May 2027 and Bonnie & Clyde in June 2027. The performing arts page lists the town’s other stages.

Live music

Laguna Beach Live! is a nonprofit that presents several series. Beth’s Tuesdays is a singer-songwriter night on the first Tuesday of each month, unless its page notes otherwise, at 7 p.m. at the Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center, 235 Forest Avenue. The next one is November 3, and as of October 2026 tickets are $22.50 in advance or $25 at the door.

Jazz Wednesdays concerts run from 6 to 8 p.m. at Ivan’z House at Mozambique, with doors at 5 p.m. The series page gives February 10 through April 24, 2027, but its own concert list runs from February 10 to April 28, so check the date of the show you want. As of October 2026 tickets are $40 plus a $2.50 service fee. Its Laguna Live! at the Museum series meets on Sunday afternoons, so it is not an evening plan.

Pageant of the Masters

In summer, the Festival of Arts stages Pageant of the Masters nightly at 8:30 p.m., from June 30 to August 28, 2027, closed July 4 and 5. Its site describes ninety minutes of living pictures in an outdoor amphitheater with an orchestra and live narration. Tickets go on sale December 1, 2026. The Pageant page has dates and rules, and the Festival of Arts page covers the daytime art show.

Sunset and the hour after

The sunset spots page lists where to watch the sunset and which spots stay open. Crescent Bay Point Park stays open until midnight, the city says, and Heisler Park closes with the other city parks at 10 p.m.

Evening low tides

Tide pools show at low tide, and evening low tides are a fall and winter event. NOAA’s predictions for Newport Bay Entrance, the closest station, which sits up the coast at Corona del Mar and not at Laguna, put 2026’s negative lows at 3 p.m. or later only in the months from October to March. From April to September, every negative low came earlier in the day. The tides panel on this page shows NOAA’s predictions for the coming days, and NOAA’s own tide page shows any date.

On some winter evenings the low comes after sunset. Check the sunset time for your date with the U.S. Naval Observatory’s sun and moon tables before you plan around a low. Laguna Ocean Foundation recommends tide pooling when the low is below +2.0 feet and says a negative low with little surf is best. The city warns that rocks are dangerous and that waves have swept beachgoers off their feet, and it notes that not every beach has a lifeguard at all times. The Foundation adds that high surf can make tide pooling dangerous even at low tide, that you should obey lifeguard directions and signs, and that a “Rocks closed” sign means no tide pooling. The tide pools page covers where the pools are and the marine reserve rules.

Beach and park hours at night

These are the city’s closing times:

• Beaches north of Aliso Creek, which include Main Beach and Crescent Bay: closed from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.
• Beaches south of Aliso Creek: closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Thousand Steps Beach: closed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• City parks: closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., except Crescent Bay Point Park, open until midnight.

The city says alcohol is not allowed on beaches, smoking is not allowed in any public area, and fires are prohibited at all city beaches. OC Parks’ wilderness parks, including the Top of the World trails, are open from 7 a.m. to sunset. The city says the open space near Alta Laguna Park closes at sunset too, so the ridge is a daytime and sunset stop.

Getting home

From September 8, 2026 to June 25, 2027, the free Coastal Route trolley runs until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, until 7 p.m. on Sunday and until 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, every 20 to 30 minutes. The city’s free on-demand Laguna Local service runs until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The trolley page and the getting around guide have the schedules and parking, and the November guide lists what is on in November. The events guide covers the evening events by season.