The Latest Breaking News from MacArthur Park

Justin Bieber turns MacArthur park in Los Angeles into impromptu gig venue

Videos shared on social media show the singer sitting on the grass, playing percussion, and singing to a small crowd

The Independent UK · Sep 25

Justin Bieber performs surprise acoustic gig in beleaguered Los Angeles park

Small crowd enjoys singer’s free concert in MacArthur Park, which has often drawn headlines for less cheery reasons

The Guardian - US · Sep 23

Federal authorities arrest 18 people in Los Angeles raid amid drug crackdown

Justice department targets MacArthur Park, which has long struggled with fentanyl use, overdoses and homelessness

The Guardian - US · May 7

What to know about the troops and federal agents in LA's MacArthur Park

U.S. military troops and federal immigration officers have made a brief but mighty show of force at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles

The Independent UK · Jul 8, 2025

‘Reality TV spectacle’: outrage as federal agents raid LA neighborhood with horses and armored cars

Dozens of officers and 90 California national guard descend on immigrant area and a mostly empty MacArthur Park

The Guardian - US · Jul 7, 2025

Photos of federal officers descending on a Los Angeles park as residents and mayor watch

Los Angeles residents and Mayor Karen Bass watched federal officers, some on horseback, descend on MacArthur Park on Monday for about an hour. About 90 members of the California National Guard were deployed to the neighborhood, which has a large immigrant population.

The Independent UK · Jul 7, 2025

"Beetlejuice": Music elevates teen angst

From "Regnava nel Silenzio" to "MacArthur Park," Tim Burton's classic and its sequel give the Deetz women playlists

Salon · Sep 11, 2024

Once Upon a Time in MacArthur Park: Gangs, Murder and Redemption

In The Rent Collectors, Jesse Katz explores the saga of Giovanni Macedo through the lens of L.A.’s fabled park.

Capital & Main · Jul 10, 2024

LA Metro says classical music driving unhoused people out of this station is 'not loud.' A decibel meter refutes that

LOS ANGELES — A battle is being waged at the Westlake/MacArthur Park Metro station near downtown Los Angeles. The weapon of choice? Loud classical music.

Los Angeles Times · Apr 4, 2023

LA riders bail on Metro trains amid 'horror' of deadly drug overdoses, crime

LOS ANGELES — Matthew Morales boarded the Metro Red Line at MacArthur Park as classical music blared over the station loudspeakers.

Los Angeles Times · Mar 19, 2023