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Pageant of the Masters 2025: Gold Coast – Treasures of California

Updated

August 6, 2025

Pageant of the Masters artist painting a person into who will act in one of the paintings. Photo credit: Gabriel Sullivan

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Pageant of the Masters is a unique blend: theatrical performance and fine art show. Watching the Pageant under a warm Laguna Beach night sky is a quintessential California experience.

Artist painting a live human model for placement in a painting — Artist painting volunteer to be added into one of the paintings. Photo credit: Gabriel Sullivan.

In 90‑minutes, we watched live actors recreate iconic works of art by being painted into the art. The performers are beautifully costumed and made up to look exactly like their counterparts in original works. Most of the time I could not find the live human in the art, even with binoculars (bring your own or rent a pair at the venue). A narrator guides you through each “living picture,” while an orchestra sets the mood.

The Theme

Entry to a venue with a large painting over the entrance and people arriving and departing — Painting over the seating entrance at Pageant of the Masters. Photo credit: Kim Orlando

The 2025 Pageant takes audiences on a visual road trip through California’s most celebrated art museums. You’ll “visit” legendary institutions like the Getty, LACMA, SFMOMA, and smaller hidden-gem collections, all without leaving your seat. From Gold Rush–era paintings to contemporary West Coast installations, each tableau celebrates the diversity and richness of California’s art heritage.

It’s a feast for the eyes, but go for the artistry, not the plot twists. The storyline changes every year, and after seeing the Pageant three years in a row, I found this one lagged a bit compared to past seasons. While the living art is as jaw‑dropping as ever, the 2025 storyline about a young woman snapping selfies and a drone “touring” California’s museums, unfolds at a slower pace than some past years.

The Festival of Arts Fine Art Show

Two men shopping at the Pageant of the Masters — Father and son creating art at The Festival of Arts Show in Laguna Beach, CA. Photo credit: Kim Orlando

Half the fun is exploring the Festival of Arts Fine Art Show. More than 100 local artists showcase paintings, photography, jewelry, ceramics and sculpture, turning the grounds into an open‑air gallery. There are live demonstrations, music and hands‑on workshops that even my 29‑year‑old son couldn’t resist.

One of our favorite parts of the show is the walls of award winning artwork created by kids from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Local Artist Participation

While the primary focus of the Pageant of the Masters is on the reenactment of artworks, local artists may be involved as actors, costume and makeup designers, set designers, prop creation, artistic direction and exhibition. A pageant of this scale takes a village.

The stage at ALaMode. — The stage set up for A La Mode. Photo credit: Visit Laguna

Tips for the Best Pageant of the Masters Experience

Buy your pageant tickets early. This Laguna art show is a popular event and tickets sell out quickly. Check Groupon for special pricing. If you plan to go to the art shows in Laguna, buy a Passport to the Arts ticket for $29 that provides access to all 3 shows plus free parking.
Be prepared for any weather. This annual event, held in an outdoor amphitheater, is performed rain or shine, so check the forecast before you go and tuck a rain poncho into your purse.
Dress comfortably. Because the show is held outdoors, it gets cool at night. Bring a jacket and a blanket. Blankets are available for purchase.
Rent or bring binoculars and seat cushions. We had great seats, but it’s fun to see the amazing detail in each piece of living art. Plus with binoculars, you worry less about where you sit. I rented binoculars for Act 2 and what a difference!
Bring the kids. The Pageant is family-friendly. Kids 4+ are welcome.
Arrive early. There is a lot to see! The junior art exhibit is fantastic, featuring artists from grades 1-12. The showroom inside is packed full of all kinds of art. There are interactive art activities like stenciling, painting and more.
Take the trolley. Don’t stress over parking. Laguna offers free trolley service to get you to the Pageant.
Bring your own food and drinks. Personal snacks and beverages are allowed (coolers, picnic baskets or any other containers should be no larger than 14”x14”x14”). You can bring your own alcohol if you’re age 21 or older. Glass bottles and containers are not allowed.
Food and Drinks are sold there. Terra, Intermission, and the Wine Bar on the Festival of Arts grounds sell food, alcohol, snacks and drinks. Concessions offer chicken Caesars salad, turkey or chicken sandwich, burgers and a charcuterie board. Terra has a full outdoor dining menu.
Dining at Terra before the Pageant of the Masters show elevates the entire evening. Instead of hauling bags of food and rushing to eat at our seats, my daughter and I enjoyed a leisurely meal surrounded by the natural beauty of the Irvine Bowl. Terra’s California cuisine and atmosphere is a relaxing prelude to the artistry ahead. My daughter and I started with an elderflower martini that although was on the sweet side, tasted refreshing on a summer night followed by a deliciously crisp wedge salad and seared Scottish salmon. Unfortunately, a hanger steak was substituted for the Wagyu steak on the menu and it was tough and not a recommend. Note: Make a reservation. Walk-ins are welcome but a table is not guaranteed.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Go past the first bar to the concession stands for reasonably priced snacks and drinks.

Enjoying dinner at Terra in Laguna Beach before the show. Photo credit: Kim Orlando

Pageant of the Masters Details

Accessible seating areas are available.
The show starts promptly at 8:30pm, so you’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to find your seats and get settled in.
Intermission is 15 minutes.
There are a number of restrooms located throughout the amphitheater.
No photography or audio/video recording of any kind is permitted during the Pageant.
Performances are nightly through August 29, 2025.

Getting There

The Irvine Bowl is located at 650 Laguna Canyon Rd, Laguna Beach, CA 92651.

There is a parking lot located next to the amphitheater, but it can fill up quickly. If you’re planning on driving, I recommend arriving early to secure a spot. Free trolleys are available to shuttle people to downtown Laguna and to distant parking lots.

Laguna Beach is 50 miles (1-1.5 hours) from Los Angeles, 85 miles (1.5-2 hours) from San Diego and 400 miles from San Francisco (6-7 hours).

If you aren’t driving, there are several transportation options depending on your starting location and preferences:

By Air: The closest major airport is John Wayne Airport (SNA) Santa Ana in Orange County. From there, it’s about a 15-mile ride via car rental, taxi, ride-share service or shuttle.
By Train: You can take Amtrak and Metrolink to the nearby cities of Irvine or Anaheim and then take a cab or ride-share to Irvine Bowl.
By Bus: Various bus services operate within California, such as Greyhound and Megabus, which can take you to nearby cities like Santa Ana or Irvine. From there, you can take a cab or ride-share to the Pageant.

Kim Orlando

Kim Orlando, founder of SheBuysTravel, is a lifelong traveler, an entrepreneur and a sought-after social media and marketing consultant. She has made hundreds of appearances on TV and in digital and print media, sharing advice and tips built on decades of travel experiences. Hailing from the hills of Kentucky and taking her story to New York, Los Angeles, and beyond, Kim built an online platform, the original TravelingMom, that has reached millions of moms and empowered them to explore the world with their families. Today, TravelingMom has evolved into SheBuysTravel. Kim has been featured on “News Nation,” “Today,” “Good Morning America” and on numerous satellite media tours. She has contributed travel guidance to outlets including The Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal and more. (Read more about Kim’s media appearances here) Her travel mantra is simple: All travel counts. “You don’t have to go far. Leaving your home is travel,” Kim says. “Wherever you go, even just to the next town over, you can learn something new, see someone and something you haven’t seen before. “It’s good for the brain and good for the soul.” An epiphany in early parenthood started Kim on the journey that led to SheBuysTravel. She’d been a fan of a newsletter for women travelers, and she saw an opportunity. “I thought something like that for moms could be extraordinarily helpful,” she said. “I was traveling for work, traveling for fun, and I was looking for support.” That seed grew into the award-winning website TravelingMom, created as a resource for traveling families of all stripes. Today, TravelingMom has evolved into SheBuysTravel, with an expanded mission to serve women travelers at any stage of life. Millions of readers have visited the site for trip planning help, travel secrets, destination information and gear recommendations. What sets SheBuysTravel’s content apart, Kim says, is its foundation in real-world experience. “Our writers and editors have actually gone out there and done this stuff,” she says. “They’ve booked the flights, tried the tour, tested travel clothing, visited that new hot spot to see if it’s worth the hype. It’s all real.” Memorable Adventures A 2022 tour Kim guided to Bhutan was a particularly standout experience. “Bhutan sounds so exotic, of course,” she said. “But the part where my heart just glows and warms is thinking of the people we met – amazing women doing amazing things in Bhutan.” Their ranks included a former police officer whose ventures into food science helped mitigate food insecurity for residents of Bhutan’s highlands. Top Tips Planning for travel can be daunting, Kim acknowledges. “I always say: Go anyway. No trip is going to be perfect. There’s always going to be something you didn’t expect, something that doesn’t go the way you pictured or planned it. And that something is what’s going to make it a great trip.” And on a practical note: “Go early! Getting to the airport or hitting the road just an hour earlier relieves so much stress.” Kim’s Background Kim, a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management, holds degrees in finance and entrepreneurship and has deep experience in developing and running businesses. Her previous work includes developing and running communications workshops and overseeing document management for corporations. SheBuysTravel hits a sweet spot where Kim’s two loves of travel and entrepreneurship meet. “The longer I work in this field, I only want to do more,” she says. “I find the travel world so exciting – not just the trips, but the whole online world of travel. There are still so many opportunities.” The World Awaits “The ‘best trip ever’ probably won’t be the same for an empty-nester or mom of three versus a single woman celebrating a bachelorette party with her friends,” Kim says. “We want to keep it real for traveling women, no matter what their age, life stage, where they came from or where they’re going. “We want to inspire women to travel in any shape or form.” In her free time, Kim enjoys visiting her adult kids, creating trips and traveling with her BFFs to explore the world. Her most recent adventures can be found on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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