First Fridays | May 1

First Fridays 2026 

First Fridays celebrates 20 years as Los Angeles’ premier museum after-hours experience, where exclusive nighttime access to NHM brings music, science, and culture together for an engaging evening of conversation and community. Throughout the night, guests are free to explore the museum at their own pace.

May 1, 2026 | Life at the Cosmic Scale

First Fridays returns May 1 with a full evening of live music, DJs, pop-up experiences, food and drinks, and nighttime exploration across the museum.

At the center of the night is the launch of Life, from Our Guts to the Galaxy: Rethinking the Living World, a new discussion series from the Planetary Program at the Berggruen Institute. May’s discussion “Life at the Cosmic Scale,” features Dr. Aaron Celestian, Curator of Mineral Sciences, NHM, and Betül Kaçar, Astrobiologist and Professor, University of Wisconson–Madison, in conversation with neuroscientist Dr. Yewande Pearse. Together, they explore what the search for life beyond Earth reveals about life here on our own planet. Discover how looking outward into space is reshaping our understanding of biology, evolution, and what it means to be alive.

The night comes alive with vinyl DJ sets from Rani de Leon with guest DJs Gio and El Marchante in the African Mammal Hall. In the North American Mammal Hall, opener D33J takes the stage before a live set from headliner, John Glacier. Between sets, guests can move freely through the museum, discovering collections and interactive moments across galleries and public spaces.

Throughout the evening, enjoy cocktails from museum bars, grab a bite from a rotating lineup of local food trucks, and connect with museum experts, artists, and community partners through hands-on activities and pop-ups.

Schedule Overview 

Discussion | 6:30 PM–7:45 PM | Commons Theater

• Featured Discussion: Life at the Cosmic  | 6:30 pm | Commons Theater
  Co-presented by NHM and the Berggruen Institute. An engaging live conversation exploring what the search for life beyond Earth reveals about life on our own planet, and how looking outward into space is reshaping our understanding of biology, evolution, and what it means to be alive. Featuring Aaron Celestian, Curator of Mineral Sciences, NHM; Betül Kaçar, Astrobiologist and Professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison; moderated by Dr. Yewande Pearse.
• Post-Discussion Meet & Greet | 7:15-7:45 pm | Commons Theater Gallery
  Continue the conversation with the moderator and speakers during an informal meet and greet immediately following the discussion.

Musical Guests | 6–10 PM | Multiple Locations

• John Glacier | 9 pm – North American Mammal Hall
  In only a few short years, John Glacier has carved out a space for herself amongst music fans, critics and industry peers as a singular artist and lyricist in the UK music scene, and someone whose music truly sounds like no one else’s. Her recent release sees her further exploring multi-disciplinary performance as a poet, rapper, music composer and now video director.
• D33J | 8 pm – North American Mammal Hall
  D33J is Los Angeles based producer and a member of the Wedidit collective. 
• DJs | 6-10 pm – African Mammal Hall
  All Vinyl DJ sets from Rani de Leon with guest DJs Gio and El Marchante. Rani de Leon is a Los Angeles–based cultural programmer, DJ, and radio host. He hosts Tizita Radio on dublab and serves as Executive Creative Director at JACCC, presenting diverse global music experiences. Joined by Gio, archivist, DJ, and founder of Rincón Tropical, and El Marchante, aka Osmar Romero, founder of cultural project El Marchante. 

Ongoing Activities | 6–10 PM | Various Locations

• Scientist Meet & Greets and Curiosity Crawl | 6-9:30 pm  – Various Locations
  Explore NHM through informal conversations and interpretation stations hosted by scientists, educators, and volunteers throughout the museum.
• Pop-Up Experiences | 6–10 PM – Grand Foyer (Near the Dueling Dinos) 
  A mix of lively pop-ups featuring museum experts, local artists, and community partners, art activities, creative vendors, and interactive moments.
• Food & Drinks | 6–10 PM – Multiple Locations
  Cocktails and refreshments available from museum bars in the Foyer and African Mammal Hall, along with a rotating lineup of local food trucks on the Grill Patio.  

More Nights to Discover

First Fridays returns on the first Friday of each month through May. See what’s coming up and plan your next museum night.

About the Berggruen Institute 

The Berggruen Institute develops foundational ideas to shape the future, building new conceptual frameworks that transcend academic disciplines and cultural boundaries while connecting a global network of thinkers to generate ideas with real-world impact. Working across philosophy, governance, science, and culture, the Institute advances critical inquiry into the forces reshaping society. Within this work, the Planetary program addresses the political, philosophical, and institutional challenges of an interconnected Earth system, recognizing that issues such as climate change, technological systems, and ecological breakdown exceed national borders and require a fundamental rethinking of politics, responsibility, and interdependence at a planetary scale.