The Music Center Will Host VERY SPECIAL ARTS FESTIVAL: FAMILY DAY in 2026

Creativity will take center stage in Downtown L.A. when The Music Center presents The Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day on Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. The free outdoor festival invites families of all ages and abilities from across Los Angeles to experience a dynamic fusion of live music and dance performances, interactive art-making activities and a magic show—all happening in a vibrant, inclusive atmosphere.

An expansion of the beloved The Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival: School Day, which has inspired Los Angeles County students for more than four decades, Family Day transforms Jerry Moss Plaza into a high-energy space for artistic discovery, self-expression and joyful connection for the broader community. The theme of this year's festival “United & Inspired” sets the tone for all families to connect and discover their creative potential at L.A.'s performing arts center.

“The Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day celebrates the boundless creativity that lives within every person. When families gather to experience music, dance and art all together, their imagination takes flight and their bonds strengthen,” said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. “This festival reflects our deep commitment to ensuring the arts are accessible to everyone, regardless of age or ability. We are proud to create a space where everyone feels seen, welcomed and inspired to express the artist within and experience joy.”

Scheduled performers for The Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day include:

• Ability First
• Ballet for All / TLC Youth Orchestra
• Down for Dance
• DrumatiX
• Free 2 Be Me Dance
• Illusions by Allen
• Korean Classical Music & Dance Company
• Little Tokyo Service Center
• The Miracle Project
• Straight Up Abilities

On Friday, April 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (the day before The Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day), thousands of local students will gather at The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Jerry Moss Plaza to participate in The Music Center's 47th Annual Very Special Arts Festival: School Day, which is exclusively geared to students of all abilities. Presented in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Office of Education, School Day is open to all grade levels and offers students the exciting opportunity to perform in front of an audience, showcase their artwork and enjoy hands-on artmaking, among other activities. The student-focused festival on Friday is part of The Music Center's enduring multi-faceted arts learning program that serves more than 150,000 students and educators annually throughout Los Angeles County.

Both The Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day and The Music Center's 47th Annual Very Special Arts Festival: School Day will be hosted by actor and Music Center Teaching and Performing Artist David Prather and mezzo-soprano opera Suzanna Guzmán. The Music Center will provide an ASL interpreter on both days.

“The arts have the powerful ability to uplift, unite and expand what we believe is possible. The Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day is designed to be an extraordinary experience, where multiple generations can explore creativity side-by-side and discover their own talents,” said The Music Center Associate Vice President of Education Keith Wyffels. “We hope our festival not only creates lasting memories, but also sparks a lifelong relationship with the arts.”

During Family Day, The Music Center encourages families to expand their creative and artistic experiences by visiting Gloria Molina Grand Park, located directly across the street from Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center, for its annual Gloria Molina Grand Park's Easy Mornings. Celebrating Earth Day weekend, the event transforms the “park for everyone,” from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., into a green landscape featuring eco-friendly printmaking, interactive storytelling, planting workshops, face painting, family yoga, a dedicated space for mindfulness and restorative discovery known as the “Zen Den” and so much more. Together, The Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day and Gloria Molina Grand Park's Easy Mornings create an expanded participatory artistic landscape, where families can wander and wonder, as well as delight in, their creative discoveries.

The Music Center's 47th Annual Very Special Arts Festival: School Day and The Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day are made possible by generous support from Mimi Song; LSMK Investments; Margaret Sheehy Collins; Ring-Miscikowski Foundation/The Ring Foundation; The Robert Nelson Foundation; the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs; Honda; and U.S. Bank. Media sponsor is KTLA 5.

To RSVP for the festival's Family Day, visit musiccenter.org/familyday.