Every weekend evening in Los Angeles is busy with dozens of sports events, concerts and theater. Friday, however, will be the most action-packed in years, if not ever, with the added excitement of the Dodgers in the World Series.
Traffic, officials are warning, will be challenging.
The first pitch of Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Yankees is set for 5:08 p.m. at Dodger Stadium.
The L.A. Lakers host the Phoenix Suns at 7 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena.
High school football takes over SoFi Stadium, with Garfield playing Roosevelt at 7:30 p.m. Also in Inglewood, classic rock fans will converge for two concerts: David Gilmour at Intuit Dome and Jeff Lynne’s ELO at Kia Forum.
The USC Trojans host Rutgers at the Memorial Coliseum at 8 p.m.
One of Southern California’s biggest rivalry high school football games, St. John Bosco vs. Mater Dei, kicks off at 7 p.m. at Santa Ana Bowl.
The only a handful of major venues, including the Hollywood Bowl, Honda Center, and BMO Stadium, aren’t hosting events.
“Our message is L.A. is ready,” L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference on Thursday. “I directed city departments to take action to prepare to ensure Angelenos are safe [and] traffic is addressed swiftly.”
Bass announced that she has directed the city’s Emergency Operations Center to activate at “Level 3” status, mobilizing city employees through the weekend to manage traffic. The move will increase the presence of LAPD officers and emergency responders on city streets.
The L.A. Department of Transportation plans to deploy over 100 traffic officers to major intersections and officials will closely monitor traffic patterns and adjust signals as needed, according to LADOT General Manager Laura Rubio-Cornejo.
“But even with these preparations, people who choose to drive will likely encounter significant congestion,” Rubio-Cornejo said.
Officials urge sports fans and concert-goers to leave early, take public transit, utilize rideshare services or carpool.
Metro will offer additional service on the A, B/D, and E lines on Friday and Saturday. Tap here for maps and schedules.
