Free outdoor concert series run through the summer in Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Torrance, El Segundo and Hermosa Beach. Between them you could see live music outdoors most weeks from June to mid September without paying for a ticket.
Here is who runs each one, which night it uses, and what to expect when you get there.
Where are the free summer concerts in the South Bay?
At the Redondo Beach Pier on Thursdays and Saturdays, Polliwog Park in Manhattan Beach on Sundays, Wilson Park in Torrance on selected Saturdays, Library Park in El Segundo on selected dates, and south of the Hermosa Beach pier on the two Sundays after Labor Day weekend. All of them are free. Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes runs a ticketed series of its own.
The chart shows when each series runs across the season, and the week grid under it shows which nights have music.
Which nights have music?
El Segundo and Terranea set new dates each year, so they are not on the week grid.
Dates shift every year. Each series links to its organizer below so you can confirm the current schedule.
Live MLS listings, updated through the day.
Which series has the most concerts?
Redondo Beach. 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 you do not need to pack a picnic.
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.
It is lawn seating in a natural bowl, and it fills, so arrive early if you want a spot with a sightline. People bring low chairs, blankets and food.
Polliwog Park is the largest park in Manhattan Beach and sits east of Sepulveda, so it is a drive or a long walk from the sand.
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 starts earliest, in early June, and runs into mid September. Parking is free.
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. 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.
It runs after Labor Day, when most of the other series have wrapped up, and it is the only one on the sand.
Terranea Sound Series
At Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, combining live music with the clifftop ocean setting.
This is a resort event, so expect ticketing or a minimum spend. It is the Peninsula option for live music on 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.
- 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 fills.
- Alcohol depends on the park. Check with Manhattan Beach before bringing any to Polliwog. Torrance prohibits it in city parks without a permit. See below.
Can you bring alcohol?
Manhattan Beach, Polliwog Park: check first. The City’s concert page does not address alcohol and its park rules prohibit it in municipal facilities, so confirm with Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation before bringing any. 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 that runs the park.
Alcohol is prohibited on the beach and pier throughout the Beach Cities.
Live MLS listings, updated through the day.
Continue exploring
Compiled from city parks and recreation listings and series announcements, verified September 15, 2026. Schedules, line-ups and venues change every year. Confirm with the city or organizer before making plans.
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