First Fridays | February 6 at NHM

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. 

February 6, 2026 | Life at the Human Scale

First Fridays returns February 6 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 presented in collaboration with the Planetary Program at the Berggruen Institute. This season opens with "Life at the Human Scale," featuring NHM scientist Dr. Kayce Bell, Assistant Curator of Terrestrial Mammalogy, NHM, and Dr. Jack Gilbert, Professor, Department of Pediatrics & Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD, in a conversation moderated by neuroscientist Dr. Yewande Pearse. Together, they explore how human health, identity, and biology are shaped by the unseen life we rely on every day, and how these relationships challenge our very understanding of what it means to be human. 

The night comes alive with DJ sets from KCRW’s Novena Carmel and Wyldeflower in the African Mammal Hall, followed by live music in the North American Mammal Hall with featured headliner, Jay Som. 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  & Meet & Greet | 6–7:45 PM | Commons Theater

• Featured Discussion: Life at the Human Scale | 6:30 pm | Commons Theater
  Co-presented by NHM and the Berggruen Institute. An engaging live discussion on how unseen life inside our bodies influences health, identity, and what it means to be human. Featuring scientists Kayce Bell and Jack Gilbert, moderated by Dr. Yewande Pearse.
   
• Post-Discussion Meet & Greet | 7:15–7:45 pm | Commons Lobby
  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

• Jay Som | 9 pm – North American Mammal Hall
  Jay Som is a musician and producer based in Los Angeles, CA.
   
• DJs | 6–10 pm – African Mammal Hall
  KCRW DJs Novena Carmel and Wyldeflower spin throughout the evening, keeping the energy moving in one of NHM’s most iconic spaces.

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, including drawing activities, creative vendors, and interactive moments.
   
• Fierce! The Story of Cats | 6–10 pm – Ground Floor 
  Included with First Fridays admission, step into Fierce! The Story of Cats during its final weeks on view. From sabertooths to today’s wild and domestic cats, explore an immersive exhibition filled with interactive moments, cultural stories, and iconic cats of Los Angeles before it closes February 18.
   
• 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. 

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.