Nat Geo Live: Discovering the Galápagos

Some evenings out are about getting away from the screen. This one is about getting a better look at the natural world. National Geographic Live stops in Santa Monica on Thursday, November 5, with a program built around the Galápagos Islands, and it is a good pick if your list of things to do in Los Angeles leans toward curious, thoughtful and a little bit wild.

When: Thursday, November 5, 2026, 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM Where: The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage, Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center Tickets: $60-$90

What the evening covers

The program opens with the animals that made the islands famous. Expect blue-footed boobies, hammerhead sharks, giant tortoises and the rest of the wildlife that lives in the Galápagos, shown through National Geographic photography and film on a big stage screen.

From there the talk goes on assignment with National Geographic Explorer Sarah Knutie, a disease ecologist. She works on the science of the air, land and sea, and the program follows her research on Darwin's finches and in the shark nurseries. It is less a travelogue than a look at how fieldwork actually gets done, and why a cluster of remote islands still teaches scientists so much.

Who it suits

This kind of live talk works for a wide mix of people. Curious kids who like animals, adults who grew up on the yellow-bordered magazine and anyone who wants a night out that is not a bar or a concert will find something here. It runs about an hour and a half, so it fits neatly into a weeknight.

Getting there and planning

The Broad Stage sits on the Santa Monica College campus on 11th Street in Santa Monica. Plan for campus parking and a short walk, and leave a little extra time on a weeknight, since the Westside traffic is its own kind of wildlife. Seating is a theater setup, so the later you buy, the more your seat depends on what is left.

Tickets are listed at $60-$90, and the venue sells them through its own box office. The listing we used for this write-up does not say how the price maps to seat sections, so check the venue's ticket page before you commit. If you are making a plan for LA events this weekend or next week, note that this one falls on a Thursday and is a single night only.

Make a night of it

Santa Monica has plenty of places to eat before a 7:30 PM start, from quick tacos to sit-down dinners. Get a table early, then walk over with time to find your seat. Browse more arts and culture picks on our arts and culture page for other nights worth planning around.