From light shows in gardens to boat processions, Los Angeles every year becomes a winter wonderland. Need some family outing or will you make it an intimate night under lights, here is your final list of the most convenient way of enjoying the best Christmas light shows in Los Angeles in 2025 that would leave a lively and memorable prolongation at a memorable timetable. Where to See Best Christmas Light Shows in Los Angeles Below are the 10 best Christmas Light Experiences in & Around LA - part iconic city favorites, part must see SoCal events from the list. 1. Holiday Road, Calabasas photo from holidayroadusa.com Location: 26800 Mulholland Hwy, Calabasas, CA 91302 Dates: 11/28/25 – 12/27/25 Walk off at Holiday Road, one of the most raved-about, walk through Christmas light displays in LA. Wander through a mile-long trail laden with icicle-lit tree canopies, oversized ornaments statuary of reindeer as well as a cute Christmas village. The event includes themed cocktails, food trucks and family photo ops galore. Meet Santa and Mrs Claus, walk past fields of candy canes and be struck by larger-than-life holiday installations at every corner. Ideal for families, friends or company celebrations, Holiday Road sends King Gillette Ranch into a festive wonderland that you're going to want every year. 2. LA Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow photo from lazoo.org Location: 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA Dates: November 13 - January 11, 2026 This popular zoo is transformed into a shimmering jungle with more than one million twinkling lights, 3D projections of animals and music-filled tunnels. The eco-friendly LED installations make it a sustainable but spectacular show. Bring the kids to the indications to see glowing giraffes, elephants and butterflies. In 2025 the event puts forward all-new lantern sculptures of the "weird and wonderful world of plants and pollinators", as well as glowing wildlife from South East Asia and Africa. Guests can walk through a giant walk-in kaleidoscope, eat hot cocoa or spiked drinks from credit card bars and take pictures with Santa. It can also be called one of the most inclusive and magical years of holidays in LA using special community nights (such as Sensory-Inclusive Zoo Lights and Pride Night). 3. The Grove Christmas Spectacular photo from thegrovela.com Location: 189 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles, CA Dates: November 17, 2025 – Early January 2026 The annual holiday kick-off at the Grove includes LA's tallest tree (100 feet!) as well as snowfall shows, live performances and fireworks. The festive atmosphere lasts through the entire season, so it is a must-see for all those that want a picture-perfect Christmas night. In 2025, The Grove celebrates 22nd annual "Christmas at The Grove," pouring a fresh trillion dollars- all new-into a complete revamp of the annual event that's an all-new Celestial drone show, with 100s of synchronized drones forming dazzling holiday's animations across the sky. The event brings thousands of visitors to see the iconic white fir tree being lit each year - a true LA tradition. With music, lights and holiday cheer in every nook and cranny, this award-winning shopping and lifestyle destination is turned into a winter wonderland right in the heart of Los Angeles. 4. Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration photo from Rodeo Drive Location: Wilshire Blvd. to Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills Date: November 13, 2025 – January 5, 2026 Luxury meets holiday glamour as Rodeo Drive glitters with golden light arches, palmed-up LEDs and a breathtaking fireworks show. This year's celebration will have some live performances as a celebrity guest host kicks off the lighting ceremony with Enchanted Holiday Dreams, this year's theme which transforms iconic shopping street into a ballerina ornaments dreamland of shimmering rose bushes and cascading lights. Visitors can enjoy shows by international artists, Sugarplum skaters and stilt ballerinas pirouetting along the boulevard. Santa makes his godly entrance with the night ending in a fabulous fireworks finale, leaving you stunned and amazed as one of the most brilliant of Christmas light festivals in Los Angeles. 5. Annual Lighting Ceremony at Christmas Tree Lane – Altadena photo from christmastreelane.net Location: Corner of Santa Rosa Avenue & Mariposa Street, Altadena, CA Dates: December 6, 2025 – 6:00 PM Step into a century old LA tradition at Christmas Tree Lane where more than 10,000 twinkling lights light up nearly a mile of majestic deodoros along Santa Rosa Avenue. Annual Lighting Ceremony is what kicks off the season every Christmas Eve and the annual event which brings crowds from across Southern California. Expect the joy of having live performances by the local choirs and marching bands and guest appearance and even giving of spoils to be given by Santa Claus. Altadena turns into a magical tunnel filled with the magic of Christmas: a must-go for all-seekers of nostalgia in their hearts. Families can enjoy food stalls, community booths and cozy hot cocoa stands which make the experience feel like a small-town Christmas celebration in the middle of LA. It is not merely a marketing spectacle it is a cherished custom of over 100 years that has brought holiday cheer to millions. 6. Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade photo from mdrboatparade.org Location: Marina del Rey Harbor, CA Dates: December 13, 2025 Welcome To the 63rd Annual Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade, one of the main dazzling holiday traditions of Los Angeles! The Break Free Box HQ is taking you to an amazing and amazing night this Wednesday December 13th 2025 with this year's theme, A Nightmare Before Christmas. Festivities commence from Burton Chace Park (4-8 PM) with family friendly entertainment followed by a 15-minute display of lights from 5.45 PM and the 2-hour parade from 6 PM. Expect to view boats loaded with moist Frye lights, theme decor, tunes and live acts as the locals and visitors close in on the waterfront for this unparalleled holiday. Untie ropes, and sever moorings and watch tugs, and dinghies cross the bay, yachts, sailboats and dinghies, exploit made floating galleries of pinpoint artistry. The reflections on the water create a magic mirror of color and movement, and transforms Marina del Rey into a coastal magic. Fireworks round out the night, and it is one of the most picture perfect (and happy) of all Southern California holidays. 7. Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ at Universal Studios Hollywood photo from universalstudioshollywood.com Location: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608 Dates: November 24, 2025 – January 4, 2026 Step inside one of the most spell winding holidays says Hogwarts™ Castle lights up, in one dazzling fireworks with music/color combinations. The streets of Hogsmeade™ twinkle with the holiday studs and fascinate the shopping windows, the smell of sweets. Enjoy a Butterbeer out of the can as you listen to special holiday performances by Frog Choir to put a special magic spin on Christmas classics. It also has a lot of exclusive seasonal merchandise - perfect for Harry Potter fans who want a little bit of Harry Potter holiday magic in their homes. This type of Christmas light show at Universal Studios Hollywood’s thematic park is one of the most magical sights, either if you are five years old or fifty years old. Families can also avail themselves of the nightly "Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle" projection show as the snowflakes dance about the towers and the owls fly through the light-filled night sky. It's a breathtaking celebration with cinematic sense and fun blend of the holidays. 8. Citadel Outlets Christmas Tree Lighting Concert photo from citadeloutlets.com Location: 100 Citadel Drive, Commerce, CA 90040 Dates: November 8, 2025 Experience the holidays at the 24th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Concert at the Citadel Outlets, which is more special with the live entertainment, Santa's big show and light the World's Tallest Live Cut Christmas Tree by Carbonite Co.'s world-leading brand, COACH. The kick-off event in the season's run of family-friendly free events, this free event features an exciting lineup - including rising R&B group SZN4, Pressley and Full Circle Boys - from 5pm. The evening concludes with a magic snow show; turning sunny Los Angeles into a winter wonderland. In addition, guests can enjoy holiday shopping deals, various Santa greetings, the Great Gingerbread Man Hunt, snow falls nightly and 24 Days of Giveaways that make Citadel Outlets one of the most festive places to be in Southern California this Christmas. 9. Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade and Ring of Lights photo from christmasparadeboats.com Location: 309 Palm St, Newport Beach, CA Dates: December 17–21, 2025 Get ready for one of the best fairs that exists in Southern California! The 117th Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, the proud flagship event of the Commodores club (& Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce), turns the harbor into a carnival of lights floating commodores club. Watch the festive display competition as yachts, sailboats and even kayaks dazzle sporting some home decorating. Don’t Miss: A breathtaking fireworks display launches from Newport Pier on opening night (Dec 17, 6:15 p.m.) Family-friendly viewing at Marina Park (1600 W Balboa Blvd) — open to the public, free admission! Register your own boat or home so that you can take part and win special awards and commemorative prizes It's a unique seaside scene of a coastal village of warming blend of coastal charm, community spirit and pure Christmas magic - that's perfect for family and visitors to enjoy. 10. Enchant Christmas — The World’s Largest Light Maze at Santa Anita Park photo from enchantchristmas.com Location: Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, CA Dates: November 21 – December 28, 2025 Enchant Christmas - The World's Largest Christmas Light Maze Transforms Santa Anita Park into a storybook land of pathway glitter trails, spiraling mechanized tunnels and gigantic photomontages from holiday lights into a storybook world. This breath-taking spectacle is not only about lights - it is an experience. Skate on real ice - skating trail, visit the Christmas village market and take a picture with Santa Claus under the bright stars. New for 2025 theme nights and snow slides plus sunless gardens and beautiful lounge bars and bars offer a much more cheerful evening entertaining program. Don't forget to check out with the Snow Globe Party Suites, which are ideally suited for private celebrations equally and surrounded with millions of lights. Create a Stunning Christmas Light Show at Your Home Want to make a similar experience happen at home, recreating a garden city LA theme? Use Govee christmas lights for year-round color displays. These smart RGBIC lights can replicate professional-grade shows in vivid colors with dynamic effects. How to Create a Christmas Light Show with Govee Holiday Lights: FAQs about LA Christmas Lights 1. What city in California has the best Christmas lights? Los Angeles has some of the best and most diverse displays from grand botanical installations at Descanso Gardens to neighborhood gems such as Altadena's Christmas Tree Lane. However, San Diego and San Francisco have huge events too. 2. Where is the Christmas Tree Lane in Los Angeles? Christmas Tree Lane is in Santa Rosa Avenue, Altadena, just north of Pasadena. It is one of the oldest outdoor Christmas light displays in the U.S. with its history going over a hundred years old. 3. Where can I see Christmas lights in LA? You can check out some of the top attractions like LA Zoo Lights, The Grove and Universal's Grinchmas. To be at the seaside, see the water party of Marina del Rey in the Boat Parade or the LA Harbor Holiday Afloat Parade. Conclusion Every holiday season Los Angeles turns into a winter wonderland. Be it iconic sightseeing or local part of the city as these Christmas light shows represent the spirit and ingenuity of the city. There is magic all around every turn.