Mark Stefanos
Despite what some aloof transplant who’s been in LA for five minutes will tell you on TikTok, LA is an excellent place to go out and dance. Yes, we’re biased, but as we’ve been arguing in these pages ad nauseum: factoring its abundance, diversity and weather, LA is possibly the best party city on the planet. From day parties, weekly bar nights, monthly club takeovers, to grungy downtown warehouses, pretty much any corner in LA that can fit some speakers can turn into the time of your life.
With this annual recap, we celebrate the indie festivities that are the backbone of our party scene, and give gratitude to these DIY collectives — the producers, the DJs, techs, promoters, and everyone in between — that have built these parties from scratch and make our city great.
As always, we’re zeroing in on independent parties that hit the sweet spot of quality production, openness, fun and affordability. Any upstanding individual (or normie) should be able to show up for free or buy a reasonably priced ticket, and have fun and not feel ostracized. No stupidly long lines, no bribing the doorman, no getting pushed out of the way to make room for Andy Dick or Andy D’Amelio or whatever, I wouldn’t know.
We love a distinct sound, a committed organizing principle, and consistency. It all sounds simple, but it takes an incredible amount of effort to pull off even once, let alone over and over, to build enough of a following for it to sustain and become reliably good.
The parties we honored over the last few years have raged on beautifully. We didn’t consider them for this piece, but you should add the parties from our 2023, 2024 and LGBTQ+ 2025 lists to your regular diets if you don’t frequent them already. And read about our 2025 LA DJ Icons and Favorite Party Collabs.
This year, we’re calling this list our “favorite” parties, not the “best,” to keep things a bit humble — we get it, parties are totally subjective, and there’s frankly too much city for us to cover to say what’s “best” with absolute authority, despite our best efforts. A special shoutout to the few dozen friends and late-night fiends that we consulted with to get together this list. And as always, let us know on Instagram which parties we missed.
Here are our favorite parties of 2025:
Rhonda by Gregory Alexander and Loren Granich
Rhonda (Courtesy of Rhonda International)
Rhonda wasn’t just one of the best parties in LA this year — it’s been essential LA nightlife for nearly two decades, defining the party sweet sauce recipe we harp on about above.
Born in the glow of East Hollywood’s Guatelinda in 2008, A Club Called Rhonda exploded from the visions of two club kids hell-bent on smashing the velvet ropes of exclusionary scenes. Starting out as a raw, pansexual haven fusing underground house, disco and hedonism, the Lady quickly became LA’s thumping rhythm, drawing sweat-soaked dancers — gay, bi, straight and everything in between into euphoric abandon.
Over 17 years, Rhonda’s tentacles stretched to warehouses, museums, Coachella afterparties, and over a dozen cities worldwide, birthing Rhondavous (their larger venue parties), art shows, Rhondapolis NYE, European tours, the Rhondavision “reverse telethon” broadcast during the pandemic, and all sorts of variations in flavor and scale.
Rhonda (Courtesy of Rhonda International)
This year alone, they’ve hosted over two dozen events across the map, with acts like Chappell Roan, Doechi, Purple Disco Machine, Yaeji, SG Lewis, and many more of the biggest and best in music, while still reliably holding some of the best events at our favorite sprawling but homey local venues — Los Globos, Catch One and El Cid.
Rhonda has defined LA’s club scene as a vibrant mosaic of possibility, a place to let loose, go to bed, then return home to the Lady when the next party comes around again.
LA Weekly: What are your parties all about?
Rhonda: Our parties are all about freedom. Freedom to be yourself, freedom to explore, freedom to love, freedom of expression, freedom from inhibitions, freedom to feel, and to disappear, even if just for a night.
In 2014, LA Weekly asked “Can L.A. Nightlife Institution A Club Called Rhonda Become an International Brand?” You have — how did you achieve that over the past ten-plus years?
We have friends all over the world and sometimes opportunities come that way, but It’s also been amazing and humbling to hear from venues, event producers, and artists all over the world who have just heard of Rhonda and reached out. If the vibes are right then we’re always up to explore new places and people. It’s somehow still surprising to hear from new cities and countries, and it’s been an honor to bring what we do all over the globe.
Rhonda was seemingly everywhere this year — how do you juggle it all while still throwing some of the best parties in LA?
Passion. Nightlife molded us into who we are today, and we truly love it in return. The experience, the music, and the people that come together because of it are always our favorite, whether it’s our own or others. I’m not sure if we’ll ever grow out of this feeling at this point; eventually our grandchildren might have to wheel us onto the dancefloor.
What’s the secret to longevity, and how do you keep things fresh?
Adaptation. The one thing we are not precious about is our own understanding of what and who is current in music and culture. Everything is always evolving and if we didn’t listen and learn to those around us, including those much younger than us, then we wouldn’t be able to adapt and weather the various changes that have come over the years. We survive by shifting to accommodate them, yet staying authentic to our intentions.
What’s next for the parties and for you?
I’m not sure. I think we both still have a few dreams to accomplish, but no matter what, as long as people are still down to dance with us, we are happy to continue providing them the space to.
Ultimately, Rhonda isn’t us, it’s very much the people that come together to form a beautiful revelrous mess on the dance floor. It is that exchange of energy that is the magic, and I think that everybody that’s ever partied hard with us has left remnants of themself that carry on with us.
Instagram @rhondaintl
Habibi Takeover by DANNA
DANNA of Habibi Takeover (Courtesy of Habibi Takeover)
In 2023, we were delighted to find DJ Habibeats’ Habibi’s House. It was the first we saw large-scale Middle Eastern music events in LA that weren’t tied to religious or family affairs. Since then, it seemed like the city caught the bug, with an influx of events boasting sounds from Morocco to Iran, with names ranging from “Yalla Habibi” to “Yallah Habibi” (we’re not kidding).
There’s a reason why a lot of these events are called Habibi. “Habibi means ‘my love’ in Arabic and Arabs refer to one another, even strangers, as habibi,” says DANNA, the mother behind Habibi Takeover, who founded it in 2024 as a safe space to celebrate her culture. “The two ways the title can be translated are ‘the habibis are taking over’ since our events invite our cultural sounds and DJs into the music scene or ‘my love is taking over’ since this concept was created during a dark time and love taking over seemed like the only answer.”
We love the idea that a party leads with love, and of all the Middle Eastern parties we visited this year, Habibi Takeover was the warmest and had the liveliest dance floor. When she isn’t DJing, DANNA walks around the party with a tray of dried fruits, hoping to meet and make a personal connection with everyone there. “Habibi culture is rich and beautiful in so many ways — our sounds, visual arts, textures, architecture, history, generosity, sophisticated ways of hosting. There’s just so much beauty in us and Habibi Takeover invites this beauty and celebrates it,” she says.
Habibi Takeover (Courtesy of Habibi Takeover)
Expect “organic, sexy, sophisticated sounds, hard, deep drum beats” that get you moving. “Organic house is pretty much the marriage of sounds between house music with the Mashriq and the Maghreb — more commonly known as the Middle East and North Africa.”
DANNA adds that Habibi Takeover “aims to preserve culture through the remix of sonic and visual rhetorics,” a space of remembrance that celebrates the indigenous. She plans to take Habibi Takeover across the U.S., and we’re looking forward to more of it in LA — their one year anniversary is this Saturday, Nov. 22. We’ll see you there, and we’ll keep pushing for more Middle Eastern parties generally and for even more Habibis, because who can say no to more love?
Instagram @habibi.takeover
Interlude by Dirty Dell, Rob Tylor and Waseel
Waseel and Dirty Dell of Interlude (Courtesy of Interlude)
If you’ve been reading our pages recently, you’re no stranger to the names above — but if not, get familiar. All three were instrumental in the LoveChild Block Party, which was covered in our Sept. 5 cover story this year, and are responsible for routinely curating some of the best vibes in the city.
Interlude has been their every-Thursday event, a celebration of R&B and dance that feels upscale, but casual enough to make it a weekly thing without tiring you out — the kind of party you can go to and not have to call in sick on Friday (maybe just a delayed 11 a.m. start). But be warned, between the exquisite music, cozy atmosphere and classy clientele, it might turn into a habit.
Rob Tylor of Interlude (Courtesy of Interlude)
“We started Interlude as a space where we could play a different sound than what was being showcased in LA at the time. A place where we could play the songs that you didn’t hear in club environments: B-sides, deep cuts, edits, throwbacks, and R&B,” they tell us. “After doing it every Thursday for over a year we started to really see the demand for it and many parties have come to life adopting the same mindset, which has been a blessing to see.”
Most recently at Blind Barber in Culver, follow Interlude to see where the party lands next, but also make sure to keep tabs on Rob, Waseel and Dell, to get the full sense of all their up to.
“For me, the next chapter is all about ‘building,’” says Rob. “I’m opening Archive Memory, a two-level social club bar in Hollywood that I’ve been developing for over a year. It’s designed to become a clubhouse for creatives like me to have fun in a like minded environment. Alongside that, I’m launching new projects like Safe + Sound, expanding my interest into the film industry, and continuing to develop my creative studio, Special Project.”
Waseel says that his only goal “is to continue to be a connecting force in LA. Whether it’s Interlude, Hardly Home, or some other projects I’m working on, my core mission is to bring people together through the power of music.”
“Aside from continuing to be active in the LA nightlife scene and looking to expand to new cities, I’m starting a monthly party by the name of Down N Dirty,” says Dirty Dell, describing it as “a judgement free zone where people can come and be free to be as wild as they wanna be” — a moment of release, he says, “to have fun listening to high energy music.”
Do yourself a favor and stay tuned.
Instagram @interludeinterlude
Manila Sound by Susan Bystrom, Justin Domingo (MinorTwitch) and “Wee Jay” Babiano
Manila Sound (Courtesy of Manila Sound)
Anyone who’s been in LA for longer than — I dunno, thirty minutes? — knows that Filipinos are a force. They’re the largest Asian American ethnic group in California, and their cultural impact is rapidly catching up to their numbers, with their music, food and energetic festivities consistently lifting this city up. Plus, anyone who’s been to any bar’s R&B night, or is old enough to have frequented 143, knows they can get down.
Manila Sound (Kat Hanegraaf)
If you want a taste of how all that can combine into something beautiful, check out Manila Sound. “We started this daytime disco for our neighborhood and our titas,” says the Manila Sound team — who all grew up in LA and have now found their way back home — about the party they started in 2022. “We wanted to create a space to gather as we are, with friends and family, reclaim space with joy, and build a model for sustainable cultural growth through music.”
Launched at Verdugo Bar, the parties are now a monthly affair in the large beer garden of Benny Boy Brewing in Lincoln Heights. It’s a celebration of Filipino American history and culture through Manila sound — “a genre that emerged in 1970s Manila, blending disco, funk, and Filipino melodies and lyrics,” they explain. “Our DJ stylings highlight Manila sound, our namesake genre, Original Pilipino Music (OPM), and how these have influenced the sounds of today.”
Expect lit dance circles and infectiously loud singing from both the youngsters and titas and titos. Looking ahead, Manila Sound is only growing, with plans to incorporate live Filipino music artists, to be a home for Manila-based artists in LA, and to release OPM DJ edits and distribute Manila Sound music in the U.S.
Mag-Manila Sound tayo!
Instagram manilasound.la
MON€¥CAT by Ozzy Oz and Sancho
MON€¥CAT (Courtesy of MON€¥CAT)
LA has a storied history of nighttime hang spots — reliable retreats with directional names like “Alvarado,” “Agatha,” or ones found Over an archway. MON€¥CAT takes that formula and kicks it up a notch, boosting the standard of production, creativity and fun.
The brainchild of Sancho and Ozzy Oz (who’s part of the team behind Heat Check, another fav), MON€¥CAT, they tell us, “was birthed on the idea of building a community and safe haven for all people, especially those of color across the city. An idea to elevate LA nightlife and bring it back to a respectable level, creating true equity for minority artists and curators in the space.”
They’ve delivered on all fronts. As both a venue and producer, they’ve held 180 events so far this year, with 450+ DJs and artists, and collaborations with 80+ collectives, making them a pivotal production partner in the independent music scene. They’ve hosted charity events, food drives, and given rise to small businesses and brands.
MON€¥CAT (Courtesy of MON€¥CAT)
They usually program three distinct parties throughout the weekend, amounting to a whole spectrum of events throughout the month, piquing your curiosity at every turn. “At MON€¥CAT we have always focused on the music and vibe of the night,” they tell us. “We work hard to bring in all kinds of curations from every genre and background. Our main music selection is hip hop, baile funk, jersey club, Afro beats, amapiano, disco, house music, cumbia, dembo, reggaeton, but we have also done everything from late night jazz shows to steam punk, and heavy metal.”
“We are lovers of all types of music and created this to be able to give opportunities to all and their art without discrimination,” they add.
Plus, there’s usually food (always a personal highlight), and vendors, on top of the lit dance floor. Oh, did we mention there’s sometimes a bus to hang in? “This idea was more of a dream,” they tell us. “A place to spew true creativity with no limits on what we can do. We literally would dream up something and start building it in the morning.”
If this all sounds kind of ambiguous, that’s because MON€¥CAT is the kind of place you have to seek out and experience for yourself to see if it’s a mutual fit. But if you feel snug and tucked in, you will be going back to the cat for more.
Instagram @themoney.cat
Noche Romántica by José y José with LA resident DJs Que Madre, Dave Salvaje and Sonido Sapo
Noche Romántica (Flores de Otay)
In the heart of Chinatown, every third Saturday of the month, Melody Lounge transforms into a celebration of Latin American memory. For more than seven years, Noche Romántica has held its long-running residency at the intimate venue, drawing generations of dancers who come to sway, laugh, cry and sing together.
“Noche Romántica is about romance, nostalgia, and family expressed through music. The focus is on the songs that raised us, which include románticas, baladas, boleros, cumbia, oldies, Chicano soul, and Latin American classics, all intentionally played,” the Noche Romántica LA team tells us. “Every party centers the feeling of coming home: the warmth, the heartbreak, the joy, and the cultural memory embedded in these sounds.”
What began in 2011 as a small gathering inside a former 49ers bar in San Francisco’s Mission District, created by two friends both named José, has blossomed into one of the most beloved Latin music nights in this city, with additional outposts in New York and Barcelona.
Noche Romántica (Flores de Otay)
Attendees range from abuelos in pressed shirts to twenty-somethings discovering their parents’ favorite songs for the first time, all moving together under dim red lights while the DJs pull from decades of carefully collected crates. “Our parties intentionally blend nostalgia with the evolution of our musical identities,” they tell us about the community centered night. “We prioritize Latine DJs, vinyl culture, and underrepresented selectors across the diaspora.”
While Noche Romántica remains strictly analog, its sister event Noche Sonidera offers a hybrid evolution: “It’s a sister event that blends classic cumbias on vinyl and modern sonidero edits and digital tracks. It wasn’t necessarily a ‘non-vinyl version’ but rather an expansion and space where both formats coexist to tell a fuller story of Cumbia’s evolution, migration, and global impact.” Together, the two parties tell a story of how Latin music travels, mutates and endures.
After seven years, Noche Romántica shows no signs of slowing. “Looking ahead, we want to continue nurturing that home base while also expanding our hybrid events across LA and beyond,” they tell us. In a town full of fleeting pop-ups, this one feels permanent: a community-centered night where the past spins forward, one 45 at a time.
Instagram @cometonocheromantica
Secret Service LBC by Ciara and Sal Lopez AKA Freaky Deaky
Ciara and Sal Lopez AKA Freaky Deaky of Secret Service LBC (Courtesy of Secret Service LBC)
ALERT: there are poppin parties outside of the 10 square mile area of central LA.
Secret Service LBC (Courtesy of Secret Service LBC)
In 2019, Ciara and Sal Lopez, intent on bringing nightlife and dance to Long Beach, gave birth to Secret Service LBC — their exquisitely produced, upbeat ode to house, dance, funk and techno, that mixes in live art and vendors for a celebration of community in LA’s most endearing enclave. They started at (the now defunct) Federal gastropub in downtown, and have kept moving to larger rooms to keep pace with demand.
“When we started this it was purely because we felt the LBC would benefit from the music and the culture.” the Freaky Deaky DJs tell us. “Now looking back, we still can’t believe the dream we have lived. Partnering up with Day Trip and major festivals and artists to bring some of the biggest shows to Long Beach has been a treat!”
They continue to do four to six free shows a month, intent on “growing the scene in a city that hasn’t had a strong music identity since Snoop or Sublime.” Ciara and Sal run the whole dang thing and do it out of love.
“Looking ahead we really feel Long Beach can be an electronic music hub — curating and incubating the future of the genres, like a Chicago.” Anyone who’s spent some time in Long Beach knows that it’s the big-little-city that could. Long Beach, Ciara and Sal say, “loves and supports their own and we are grateful to be at the forefront of musical push! It’s bigger than us (Freaky Deaky) or any one DJ — it’s about the larger group, always!!”
Up next the couple DJ team will be releasing some music they’re producing, and will venture into new markets like OC and Las Vegas. But Long Beach will always be at their core. It might just be about time to get in your car and hop on the 110, my 818 and 323 friends!
secretservicelbc.com | Instagram @secretservicelbc