First Fridays | March 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.

March 6, 2026 | Life at the City Scale

First Fridays returns March 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. 

March kicks off with “Life at the City Scale,” featuring scientist Dr. Christine Wilkinson, Assistant Curator of Community Science, NHM and Nurit Katz, Chief Sustainability Officer, UCLA in a conversation moderated by neuroscientist Dr. Yewande Pearse. Together, they examine how cities are not just built for people, but are complex ecosystems teeming with living beings of every shape and size. Who do we share our neighborhoods with? What are we doing to them, and what are they doing to us? Join us as we explore how urban life affects other species, and how those relationships shape the city itself.

The night comes alive with DJ sets from Artform’s Collective of Vinyl Selectors in the African Mammal Hall. In the North American Mammal Hall live music starts with Al Menne, followed by featured headliner, THAO. 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 City Scale  | 6:30 pm | Commons Theater
  Co-presented by NHM and the Berggruen Institute. An engaging live conversation exploring how cities are not just built for people, but function as complex ecosystems teeming with living beings of every shape and size.  Featuring Dr. Christine Wilkinson, Assistant Curator of Community Science, NHM; Nurit Katz, Chief Sustainability Officer, UCLA; 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

• THAO | 9 pm – North American Mammal Hall
  THAO’s 6th studio album will be released in 2026 and is currently at work writing her debut book for Graywolf Press (2027) and developing a musical. Balancing personal vulnerability with broader cultural commentary, THAO remains a prominent voice in the contemporary music scene and beyond.
• al menne | 8 pm – North American Mammal Hall
  Menne came up in the music scene as the lead singer of Seattle-based rock band Great Grandpa. Freak Accident, their debut solo album, unfurls with the patient ease of a passing landscape while harboring the kinetic weight of life’s chaos at its core.
• DJs | 6-10 pm – African Mammal Hall
  DJ sets by Artform’s Collective of Vinyl Selectors: Sherry Younge, Maribel Reveles, Jazmin Hicks, and Amanda Brown.

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.