This edition of the live music roundup covers the last week of October and the first days of November 2026, and this year that window is shaped by Día de los Muertos: a free evening of Mariachi Pasadena at the Conservatory's Webster Amphitheater, a Día de los Muertos evening at the Arboretum just across the line, and a newly confirmed Sunday-night show at the South Pasadena schoolhouse. It then recaps the start-of-November run at Sid The Cat so regulars get one read of the whole stretch. Every date below was verified on October 6, 2026 against the venue, the Conservatory's own event page, or a published event listing, and anything that could not be pinned to these exact dates was left out. Your host is Alejandro Espitia, Broker Associate and REALTOR with Apex Realty and Investments, California license 01213999, with 18+ years across Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside, in English and Spanish.
Sunday, October 25: Día de los Muertos at the Arboretum
The LA County Arboretum in Arcadia, just past the east end of Pasadena, holds its Día de los Muertos evening on Sunday, October 25 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.: an evening of remembrance with live music, art, and ofrendas across the 127-acre gardens. Admission runs about $15 to $18 for adults and $8 for kids ages 3 to 12, and the event sits on Visit Pasadena's own events calendar, linked below. It is the big outdoor Día de los Muertos date on the county's north side this season, and it pairs easily with an early dinner back in Old Pasadena.
Thursday, October 29: a free Día de los Muertos night at the Conservatory
The Pasadena Conservatory of Music hosts its Día de los Muertos Celebration at the Webster Amphitheater, 100 N. Hill Avenue, on Thursday, October 29 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and it is free. The evening brings live performances by Mariachi Pasadena plus a Young Musicians Musical Storytime, the kind of early-evening program that turns the Conservatory's open-air amphitheater into a neighborhood gathering. Details and any RSVP requirements are on the Conservatory's own event page, linked below.
Sunday, November 1: kelz kelz at Sid The Cat
A newly confirmed date fills the first Sunday of November at Sid The Cat Auditorium, 1022 El Centro Street in South Pasadena: kelz kelz plays the schoolhouse room on Sunday, November 1. The artist behind the billing, Orange County producer and multi-instrumentalist Kelly Truong, self-records hazy dream-pop and electronic music built on looped beats with a nostalgic tone, a sound that suits the intimate restored-schoolhouse room well. Doors and set time are on the venue's schedule pages, linked below, and the room's November run keeps filling in, so if you plan to catch a few nights, book before the small rooms sell out.
The start-of-November schoolhouse run, recapped
For regulars, the rest of the start of November is already mapped in earlier editions, recapped here in one line: Mary In The Junkyard plays Monday, November 2 at 8:00 p.m., Squirrel Flower with Sour Widows follows Tuesday, November 3 at 7:00 p.m., and the run keeps going with Liana Flores on November 5, Greg Freeman on November 6, Ian Sweet on November 7, and Heavens to Betsy on November 8, all at the same schoolhouse room. And if you are planning Halloween night itself, Surprise Chef plays the venue on Saturday, October 31 at 8:00 p.m., carried over from the late-October edition of this guide.
Live music and celebrations around Pasadena, October 25 to November 3, 2026
| When | What | Where | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Oct 25, 4:00-8:00 p.m. | Día de los Muertos at the Arboretum | LA County Arboretum, Arcadia | Live music, art, and ofrendas; about $15-$18 adults, $8 kids 3-12 |
| Thu, Oct 29, 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Día de los Muertos Celebration | Webster Amphitheater, 100 N. Hill Ave., Pasadena | Free; Mariachi Pasadena and a musical storytime |
| Sat, Oct 31, 8:00 p.m. | Surprise Chef | Sid The Cat Auditorium, 1022 El Centro St., South Pasadena | Halloween-night show, carried over from the late-October edition |
| Sun, Nov 1 | kelz kelz | Sid The Cat Auditorium, South Pasadena | Newly confirmed; doors and set time on the venue calendar |
| Mon, Nov 2, 8:00 p.m. | Mary In The Junkyard | Sid The Cat Auditorium | Start-of-November schoolhouse run |
| Tue, Nov 3, 7:00 p.m. | Squirrel Flower with Sour Widows | Sid The Cat Auditorium | Evening show |
Dates and times as published by the venues and event listings named below as of October 6, 2026. Small-room shows can move, so confirm on the venue's own calendar before heading out.
Every item in this guide was re-verified on October 6, 2026 against the venue, the Conservatory's own event page, or a published event listing. The Arboretum celebration and the Conservatory's free evening are the Día de los Muertos programming actually confirmed around Pasadena for this window, and anything that could not be pinned to these exact dates was left out.
Where the shows are listed
- kelz kelz, Bandsintown artist page
- Sid The Cat Auditorium, official site and schedule
- Sid The Cat Auditorium on Bandsintown
- Concerts in South Pasadena, Jambase
- Concerts in Los Angeles, November 2026, Songkick
- Día de los Muertos Celebration, Pasadena Conservatory of Music
- Día de los Muertos at the Arboretum, Visit Pasadena
- Where to catch Halloween concerts and live music, Pasadena Star-News
What the late-October and early-November rooms say about the neighborhood
A week that stacks a Día de los Muertos evening at the county garden, a free mariachi night at the Conservatory's amphitheater, and a first-Sunday show in a converted schoolhouse is a week with real cultural density, and that matters if you are weighing a move. The amphitheater block on Hill Avenue, the walkable Mission Street blocks in South Pasadena, and the neighborhoods between the two all do their best on nights like these. Alejandro Espitia of Apex Realty and Investments brings 18+ years of local real estate and home financing experience to that read, in English or Spanish, for buyers, sellers, and investors across Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside.
Got a show you want to check before you tour the neighborhood? Text Alejandro at 626-314-9170, or use the form below to leave your name, email, and optional phone number, and the Find Homes and Loans desk will reply personally.
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