Where the Holidays Go to Party: LA’s Best Festive Pop-Up Bars
- By: Ani Gutierrez
Some holiday traditions involve gingerbread and gift wrap. In Los Angeles, they involve velvet ropes, disco-lit snowstorms, and cocktails that taste like they raided Santa’s top shelf. This December, the city’s bar scene goes delightfully festive thanks to a lineup of seasonal pop-ups that transform an average night out into an immersive winter wonderland experience.
Here are five holiday pop-up bars serving the merry, the moody, and the full holiday moment.
Frosty’s Christmas Bar
If you want maximalist holiday chaos, Frosty’s Christmas Bar is the destination. Bringing the seasonal cheer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, this 21+ pop-up sprawls across multiple bars, levels, and dance floors. Expect cheeky Santas, twinkling lights, bumping DJ sets, immersive decor, and a crowd dressed to sleigh, all making your visit feel like a winter wonderland fever dream. The drinks are, of course, full of festive fun, from Santa’s Mocha and Egg My Noggins, to the playful Naughty Frosty shot. If you’re ready to toast to whatever the “Christmas spirit” means to you, tickets can be purchased on their website.
6555 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles
Runs: Nov 21 – Dec 30
Mariah Carey’s Holiday Bar
Mariah Carey’s Holiday Bar, located at Skybar at The Mondrian, is like stepping into a candy-cane-lit homage to the Queen of Christmas herself. This pop-up is a full holiday takeover packed with Mariah-inspired festive decor, stylish photo ops, a “Letters to Mariah” station, and a rotating playlist of her hits to set the scene for full-on seasonal indulgence. The menu is full of delicious decadence, from the Black Irish cocktails, to the festive food menu and weekend brunch. By night, the space transforms into a high-energy holiday nightclub, with a DJ spinning Mariah remixes and seasonal anthems under glittering lights. Tickets can be purchased via Bucketlisters.
8440 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood
Runs: Nov 20 – Dec 28
Holly Jolly Christmas Bar
Wrapped in warm lights and twinkle-lit charm, Holly Jolly Christmas Bar transforms E.P. & L.P. into a cheery holiday hideaway. The atmosphere is intimate and nostalgic, with tinsel draped everywhere, holiday classics on rotation, and a packed menu with seasonal cocktails, festive plates, and brunch classics. The cocktails lean festive without losing their West Hollywood polish, from the rich, warm-spiced Deck the Halls hot cocoa (spiked with peanut butter whiskey or tequila), to the fruity Sleigh Ride made with Casamigos Cristalino and rosemary-apple cider. Prepare for a night of full-blown jolliness, and purchase your tickets through Bucketlisters.
603 N. La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood
Runs: Nov 19 – Dec 28
Emo Christmas
For the holiday lover with a punk heart, Emo Christmas swaps sleigh bells for nostalgic guitar riffs, and Santa hats for band tees. The space is decked out in emo-meets-winter decor, from snowflakes and twinkling lights, to moody neon lights and a playlist stacked with Paramore, Panic at The Disco!, and every song you’ve probably screamed the lyrics to in high school. The cocktails keeps things on-brand, with drinks like Misery Fizzness, I’m Not Okay, and I Don’t wanna Blue In Love designed to keep the vibes moody and slightly unhinged in the best way. If you’re ready to experience holiday cheer in a way that lets you smudge your eyeliner and actually feel something, tickets can be purchased through Bucketlisters.
6423 Yucca St, Los Angeles
Runs: Dec 3 – Dec 28
Miracle Pop-Up Bar
Miracle Pop-Up Bar brings its signature over-the-top Christmas charm to LA once again, and it’s every bit as cheeky, cozy, and cocktail-forward as you can expect. This year, Miracle is transforming ÜCA Terraza in DTLA into a whimsically nostalgic wonderland with garlands dripping from every corner, festive glassware, and sparkling tinsel. The menu features a lineup of famously inventive holiday cocktails that taste as delicious as they sound: From the Christmapolitan, crafted with spiced cranberry sauce and rosemary, to the Krampus cocktail, layering reposado tequila, olorose sherry allspice dram, and hellfire bitters. Reservations can be made via Resy.
ÜCA Terraza, 550 Flower St, Los Angeles
Runs: Dec 1 – Jan 1
If your December calendar needs a little extra holiday sparkle (or a lot), these pop-ups offer every flavor of festive escapism. Pick your vibe, grab your crew, and step inside a season where LA turns the holiday dial all the way up.
Read More
