California Institute of the Arts

MAYhem at CalArts in acid green text on dark purple

Watch creative chaos consume our campus.

The CalArts community invites you to an immersive festival of visual and performing arts, kicking off Friday night and running all weekend.  

Get ready for CalArts MAYhem –  three unforgettable days packed with music, theater, dance, art, and more.

From bold live performances to vibrant studio showcases, this dynamic campus-wide celebration invites you to experience the creative pulse of CalArts like never before. 

Join us for a weekend of artistic discovery, boundary-pushing work, and unfiltered creativity—where imagination takes center stage. FREE admission, though tickets are required for some events.

DATE & TIME

ACTIVITY

LOCATION

TICKETS

Friday, May 1School of Theater
Half God of Rainfall
Walt Disney Modular Theater 
(MOD)
RSVP coming soon
Friday, May 1
- Sunday, May 3
School of Theater
An Adaptation of Winter’s Tale
E407RSVP coming soon
Friday, May 1
7-10 pm
Herb Alpert School of Music
World Music & Dance Festival
CalArts World Percussion Ensemble & Persia Electric Ensemble
Roy O. Disney Concert Hall
(ROD) & ROD Foyer
Limited seating, advance
registration recommended
Saturday, May 2
1-10 pm
Herb Alpert School of Music
World Music & Dance Festival

1:00–5:00 PM – Wild Beast
-CalArts Salsa Band
-Swara Seshan
-CalArts Cuban Ensemble Collective
-Batucada

5:00–5:45 PM – Lund Foyer
Pre-Concert Performance: Djembe Ensemble (Quentin Jones)

6:00–7:00 PM – Lund
African Ensemble

7:15–7:45 PM – ROD Foyer
Pre-Concert Performance: Japan Ensemble

8:00–10:00 PM – ROD
Coyote Makes A World
Wild Beast, ROD, LundLimited seating, advance
registration recommended
Saturday, May 2Artisan Pop-Up Market
Photo Booth
Alumni Council Co-Work Space: Collage
Main GalleryOpen to the
public
Saturday, May 2  2-6 pmSchool of Art
CalArts MFA Open Studios

Art: Broad, Annex, and Baldessari (JBSB) Studios


Photography and Media: BB5 Building


Art and Technology: C107

Registration,
kindly let us know
if you are attending
Sunday, May 3
7-8:45 pm
Herb Alpert School of Music
World Music & Dance Festival
Balinese Gamelan
*Presented in partnership with the Raising the Curtain Foundation
 
Newhall Family TheaterLimited seating, advance
registration recommended

Food offerings

  • Steve’s Café
    Friday, May 1 | 7:30 am–10 pm
    Saturday, May 2 | 10 am–7 pm
    Steve’s Café is offering a special World Music and Dance Festival-inspired lunch entrée for purchase on May 2!
  • Tatum Coffee Lounge
    Friday, May 1 | 8:30 am–10 pm
    Saturday, May 2 | 12:30-8 pm

Free parking

Plenty of parking available on campus!

Questions

If you have questions about the event or your tickets, kindly email communications@calarts.edu and include the concerts you are attending in your message.

calarts mayhem map