Five free outdoor concert series run across the South Bay through the summer, in five different cities, on five different nights. Between them you could see live music outdoors most weeks from June to mid September without paying for a ticket.
This is the practical version: who runs what, which night, and what to expect when you get there.
Where are the free summer concerts in the South Bay?
| Series | Where | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Concerts on the Pier | Fisherman’s Wharf, Redondo Beach Pier | Thursdays and Saturdays, 6pm to 8pm, July into late August | Free |
| Concerts in the Park | Polliwog Park Amphitheater, Manhattan Beach | Sundays, 5pm to 7pm, early July to early September | Free |
| Torrance Summer Nights | Wilson Park Amphitheater, Torrance | Selected Saturdays, June to mid September | Free |
| Summer Concerts in the Park | Library Park, El Segundo | Selected dates, activities 4pm, music 4:30pm | Free |
| Hermosa Beach Concert Series | South of the Hermosa pier | The two Sundays after Labor Day weekend | Free |
| Terranea Sound Series | Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes | Summer season | Resort event, not free |
Dates shift every year. Each series links to its organizer below so you can confirm the current schedule.
Which series has the most concerts?
Redondo Beach, and it is not close. Summer Concerts on the Pier runs twice a week, Thursdays and Saturdays, from early July into late August at Fisherman’s Wharf on the Redondo Beach Pier.
Music runs 6pm to 8pm. No tickets, no cover. It is also the only series on this page with a weeknight option, which makes it the one you can get to without giving up a weekend.
The pier setting means food and drink are already there, so it works as an evening rather than a picnic you have to pack for.
Concerts in the Park, Manhattan Beach
Sundays from 5pm to 7pm at the Polliwog Park Amphitheater, running roughly ten Sundays from early July to early September.
This is the best known of the series and the one that fills. It is lawn seating in a natural bowl, so arrive early if you want a spot with a sightline rather than a spot at the back. People bring low chairs, blankets and food.
Polliwog Park is the largest park in Manhattan Beach and sits east of Sepulveda, which means it is a drive or a long walk from the sand rather than a beach event.
Torrance Summer Nights
Selected Saturdays from early June through mid September, mostly at the Wilson Park Amphitheater, which sits in the middle of the park behind the splash pad.
It runs the longest season of any series here, starting earliest and finishing latest. Parking is free, which is worth knowing because it is not on most of the others.
Wilson Park is the same park that holds the Torrance Certified Farmers Market on Saturdays, so a Saturday there can be both. More on that on the farmers markets page.
Summer Concerts in the Park, El Segundo
At Library Park, with activities from 4pm and music from 4:30pm on selected dates through the summer.
It starts earlier in the day than the others, which changes the character of it. There are crafts, games and giveaways at the Gazebo before the music, and food trucks line up beforehand.
Library Park is in downtown El Segundo, so Main Street is a short walk either side of the show.
Hermosa Beach Concert Series
South of the Hermosa pier, on the two Sundays following Labor Day weekend.
Short, and deliberately late. Every other series on this page has finished or is finishing by the time this one starts, which makes it the one that stretches the season into September. It is also the only one actually on the sand.
Terranea Sound Series
At Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, combining live music with the clifftop ocean setting.
Unlike everything else here this is a resort event rather than a city one, so expect ticketing or a minimum spend rather than a free lawn. Worth knowing it exists if you want the Peninsula version of a summer evening.
What should you bring?
- A low chair or a blanket. High-backed chairs block the people behind you and some venues ask you to sit at the back with them.
- Layers. These are coastal evenings. It turns cold once the sun drops, faster than visitors expect.
- Food, for the park series. Polliwog and Wilson are picnic settings. The pier and Main Street have food already.
- Time. Arrive an hour early for Polliwog if you want a good spot. It genuinely fills.
- Alcohol depends entirely on the city. Permitted at the Manhattan Beach concerts at Polliwog Park. Prohibited in Torrance city parks without a permit. See below.
Can you bring alcohol?
This is the question people get wrong most often, because the answer is opposite in the two biggest series.
Manhattan Beach, Polliwog Park: yes. Alcohol is permitted at the Concerts in the Park series. Guests bring their own food and drink. Smoking is not permitted in the park.
Torrance: no, not without a permit. The Torrance municipal code prohibits consuming alcohol in any city park at any time, unless it is within premises covered by a permit issued by the Director. That covers Wilson Park and Columbia Park, so Torrance Summer Nights is a bring-a-picnic-not-a-bottle event.
For the other series, check with the city running it rather than assuming either way. The rule follows the park, not the event, and it is enforced.
Worth holding on to the wider pattern: alcohol is prohibited on the beach and pier throughout the beach cities. A park concert in Manhattan Beach is one of the few public outdoor settings locally where it is allowed at all.
Continue exploring
Compiled from city parks and recreation listings and series announcements, verified 15 September 2026. Schedules, line-ups and venues change every year. Confirm with the city or organizer before making plans.