The nation’s largest literary event is back with an in-person event scheduled for this spring, April 22 and 23, on the lovely campus of the University of Southern California. Join us for one-on-one conversations, exciting panels, readings by your favorite authors, musical performances, and so much more!
How to attend & tickets
Festival information
Who attends the festival?
The festival attracts approximately 155,000 people each year of all ages from Southern California and other parts of the country.
How much is admission?
General admission to the festival grounds at USC is free. Indoor panel tickets are free, but a reservation fee will be charged. Certain additional events during the festival weekend may require a paid ticket.
All outdoor events are free to attend. Indoor panels require a small fee for advance reservations. You must have a ticket to attend an indoor event.
Indoor & outdoor events information outdoor events are free to attend. Indoor panels require a small fee for advance reservations. You must have a ticket to attend an indoor event. Tickets for indoor events are available here.
Guests with panel tickets
Must arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled panel start time to ensure seating. Tickets are non-refundable.
Location, directions, parking
Where is the Festival?
The Festival of Books takes place on the University of Southern California campus. USC is located in the University Park neighborhood of downtown L.A. near such attractions as the California Science Center, the Natural History Museum, the Exposition Rose Garden, and the California African American Museum.
The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books spans nearly the entire USC Campus, which encompasses 226 acres with multiple points of entry. If fatigue is a concern, please consider panning your schedule and bringing a wheelchair or other aids. The event does not provide rentals or motorized transportation.
Driving directions to USC
The USC campus is located about 2 miles southwest from Downtown and 1 mile from the intersection of the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) and the Harbor Freeway (I-110). The most convenient freeway exit is from I-110 onto Exposition Boulevard. At the end of the exit you will see the campus on the right-hand side one block down the street. Another convenient access is to exit from Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) on Vermont south to Jefferson Boulevard.
Where do I park?
The University of Southern California welcomes back the 2023 L.A. Times Festival of Books. New processes and technology have been integrated to help you navigate and plan your Festival experience.
Event parking is $20 and USC Campus is now completely CASHLESS! Five of our campus parking structures now feature Text2Park technology; all you need is your license plate, a mobile phone, and a credit card. Drive straight in, park in any normal, unmarked space in any of the Jefferson, USC Shrine, Figueroa, Flower, or Grand Ave locations below (view map here), and text the location code (by the elevator or stairwell) to 25023. These structures are patrolled using LPR (License Plate Recognition) technology, so be sure to enter your license plate information correctly and pay as soon as you park your car. The Downey Structure (in cardinal on the map) is open to first-come first-serve sales (credit cards only); the McCarthy and Royal Structures (in black on the map) are not available for daily sales during this event.
Public transportation
Metro
Go Metro: Take the E Line (Expo) to Expo Park/USC Station or take the J Line (Silver) to 37th St/USC. Plan your trip on the Transit app or call 323.GO.METRO.
For exact routing, fare information, bike lockers/racks throughout the system and tips on purchasing your TAP fare card in advance, check metro.net or call 323-GO METRO (323-466-3876).
Public transportation
Metro
Pay before you board
Save time and skip the line! Download the TAP App or load your TAP card with round-trip fare before the event and avoid the long lines at TAP vending machines after
1-Way Trip – $1.75 (includes transfers to other Metro lines for up to 2 hours to complete a one-way trip)
1-Day Pass – $3.50 (regular price $7)
Tap your card on the turnstile or validator when boarding or transferring
Use one TAP card per person only
TAP cards cannot be shared; each person must have their own TAP card
A : The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books began in 1996 with a simple goal: to bring together the people who create books with the people who love to read them. The festival was an immediate success and has evolved to include live bands, poetry readings, film screenings and artists creating their work on-site
Q : How can I attend a festival event?
A : All outdoor events are free to attend. Indoor panels require a small fee for advance reservations. You must have a ticket to attend an indoor event.
Guests with panel tickets must arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled panel start time to ensure seating. Tickets are non-refundable.
Q: Is there a waitlist or standby line for indoor events?
A: Standby lines are formed at each festival indoor venue and if seats are still available at the start of an indoor program, people from the standby line will be allowed in without a ticket.
Q: Do I need a ticket to attend an outdoor stage event?
A: No. Outdoor programming on stages does not require a ticket.
Q: When can I reserve tickets for the 2023 event at USC?
A: Advance tickets are available along with other benefits
here, with the purchase of one of our Friend of the Festival passes. Tickets for indoor events will be widely available the week before the festival, on Sunday, April 16, 2023.
Advance tickets are available along with other benefits here, with the purchase of one of our Friend of the Festival passes. Tickets for indoor events are available here.
Q : Can I ask questions of the authors during the events?
A : Traditionally, microphones are set up in the venue aisleways so that attendees may line up and ask questions of the participants.
Q: How do I buy the authors’ books?
A: You can purchase copies of the authors’ books from booksellers set up near each signing area.
Q: Can I bring my own books?
A: Yes, you can bring books from home. However, we strongly encourage you to purchase at least one book from the festival booksellers at the signing areas before getting in the signing lines. Purchasing books at the festival is a way you can directly support the independent booksellers that make up such a large and important part of the festival and our communities.
Q: Will authors sign their books?
A: Most authors will sign their books after the panel/presentation. However, we cannot guarantee that every author will sign. Each guest may have no more than three books to be signed by each author at a time before having to go back and rejoin the line for additional signed book requests.
Tip: While you are waiting, write the name of the person you’d like the book inscribed to on a piece of paper for correct spelling
Q: How can authors participate in a panel or other program this year?
A: Writers who wish to be considered for the Festival of Books can apply here. Please note that due to the volume of submissions received, we are not able to respond to each one.
Q: Does USC have a sustainability plan?
A: USC's sustainability commitments include eliminating single-use plastic beverage bottles from campus. Since July 2022, USC has prevented over 1.5M plastic beverage bottles from entering the waste stream. The University has installed numerous hydration stations to help reduce the use of plastic water bottles. So, please consider bringing your own reusable container for water. You can find water stations on this map. To learn more about USC’s efforts visit their website.
Q: Do you have a lost and found service?
A: All items found during and after the festival are turned in to USC’s Department of Public Safety. Items are kept for a total of 90 days. If you have lost an item, call DPS at
(213)740-9759.
Q: Who should I contact for special accommodations at the event?
A: If you need special accommodations or have questions about accessibility, please contact eventinfo@latimes.com. The festival spans the 226-acre USC Campus with multiple points of entry. If fatigue is a concern, please consider panning your schedule and bringing a wheelchair or other aids.
The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is committed to providing a welcoming, harassment-free event experience for all participants, including attendees, speakers, performers, exhibitors, volunteers and staff. We reserve the right to expel and, if warranted, seek legal recourse against anyone who violates this standard of behavior.
The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is committed to providing a welcoming, harassment-free event experience for everyone, regardless of identity or circumstance, and inclusive of all ages, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, political and religious beliefs, physical and mental abilities, and more. We do not tolerate harassment of festival participants including, but not limited to, attendees, speakers, performers, exhibitors, volunteers and staff.
We expect all participants to maintain an atmosphere of respect and fairness throughout the festival venue. Anyone who violates this standard of behavior may, at the discretion of the organizers, be expelled from the festival.
Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
Comments or images that demean an individual or group and reinforce oppression or discrimination related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, geographic origin or economic class.
Inappropriate or unwelcome physical contact.
Unwelcome sexual attention, contact or content, including the display of images in public spaces.
Intimidation, stalking or deliberate following.
Unwelcome or intimidating photography or recording of any kind.
Sustained disruption of talks or other events.
Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
Reporting
The Festival will provide a hotline number in advance of the event that attendees can use to report harassing, hostile or disruptive behavior that they may be experiencing while at the event. Those immediately in danger or that have been a victim of an actual crime during the event should instead call the USC Department of Public Safety at (213)740-4321 . Those wishing to report an incident post event may do so at eventinfo@latimes.com
Enforcement
Some event conversations will include discussion related to sex, discriminatory language, violence or other triggering topics or language, due to the topics of the participants books or topic of the conversation as a whole. These program elements are not considered harassment and festival organizers, moderators and interviewers will do due diligence to make sure these topics are addressed in a respectful manner.
Exception
Anyone asked to stop any harassing behavior by festival organizers or security personnel is expected to comply immediately. If someone engages in harassing or disruptive behavior, festival organizers retain the right to take actions to restore a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes issuing a warning, expelling the offending party [with no refund] and, if warranted, pursuing legal action.
COVID safety for attending in-person
If you or anyone within your group has or is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, we ask you to please stay home to ensure the health and safety of our audience and staff. By voluntarily attending this event, you acknowledge the following:
1. Attending the event includes possible exposure to and illness from infectious diseases including but not limited to COVID-19. While particular rules and personal discipline may reduce this risk, the risk of illness does exist;
2. You knowingly and freely assume all such risks related to illness and infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, and release Los Angeles Times and its affiliate partners of liability; and
3. You hereby knowingly assume the risk of injury, harm and loss associated with the Activity, including any injury, harm and loss caused by the negligence, fault or conduct of any kind on the part of the Released Parties.
