In 2026, California is set to introduce a range of new attractions, events, and venues across the state. These include updates in theme parks, sports events, hotel openings, restaurants, retail spaces, and cultural institutions.
Universal Studios Hollywood will debut its first high-speed outdoor roller coaster with Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift. Disneyland Resort in Anaheim is adding a Bluey stage show at Fantasyland Theatre and integrating characters from The Mandalorian into Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad will open Galacticoaster, its first new roller coaster in over 20 years. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park plans to unveil Danny Sanford Elephant Valley for close-up animal encounters, while SeaWorld San Diego will relaunch its Shark Encounter experience with a 360-degree underwater tunnel.
Several major sporting events are scheduled for the year. Super Bowl LX will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on February 8. The NBA All-Star Weekend heads to Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome on February 15 with a new U.S. vs. the World tournament format and additional fan experiences throughout the city. Fourteen matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup are planned for venues in both Los Angeles County and the San Francisco Bay Area between June 11 and July 29.
Other sports-related developments include the Ontario Tower Buzzers beginning their inaugural season at ONT Field in Ontario’s new sports district and NASCAR hosting its first event on an active military base in Coronado.
Hotel projects launching or reopening in 2026 span from Napa Valley’s The Elene to Rosewood San Francisco in the Transbay District. Outbound Yosemite will offer accommodations near Yosemite National Park, while luxury options like Oasis at Death Valley expand their offerings with RV sites. Other notable openings include Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara after restoration, Kali Hotel and Rooftop in Inglewood’s Hollywood Park, DSRT Surf resort in Palm Springs featuring a sustainable surf pool, and Hotel Solea near LEGOLAND California.
New restaurants feature Ilora by a French Laundry alum opening in Calistoga; Rotation by Feast It Forward offering monthly chef residencies at Napa’s Oxbow Public Market; Horn Barbecue expanding to Fresno; Little Mountain launching wood-fired dishes in Montecito; Spacca Tutto by Nancy Silverton anchoring Palisades Village; Wilde’s bringing British pub fare to Los Feliz; Sant Ambroeus establishing its first West Coast location in Beverly Hills; and Chick & Hawk—founded by Tony Hawk—serving fried chicken sandwiches in Encinitas.
Retail developments include Union Square welcoming flagship stores such as Bang & Olufsen (opened late 2025), Zara (opening four-story store), and Uniqlo (launching one of its largest U.S. locations). Rodeo Drive has seen new House of Dior and Bulgari boutiques since November 2025, South Coast Plaza added Manolo Blahnik’s first West Coast store alongside other luxury brands, and Westfield UTC is expanding with more high-end retailers starting spring 2026.
Cultural additions feature Palo Alto Museum opening inside the Roth Building; Dataland—the world’s first museum focused on ethically-generated AI art—in Los Angeles’ Grand LA complex; David Geffen Galleries at LACMA unveiling expanded exhibition space; and Lucas Museum of Narrative Art debuting an eleven-acre campus dedicated to storytelling through images.
Anniversaries being celebrated include Route 66 Centennial on November 11 with statewide events along historic highways from San Bernardino to Santa Monica as well as the San Diego Museum of Art’s centennial festivities on February 28 at Balboa Park.
