Camden Drive's colored lights and canopy décor are not going back up this December. The street will keep its year-round white twinkle lights, and those will be the only lights on it. La Cienega gets the same treatment. The Jolly Trolley won't run this season either.
Meanwhile, the center of Rodeo Drive will carry 16 strands of slow-moving lights, four times the number of garlands first proposed for the block. In 2026 Beverly Hills took lights off the side streets and put more on the city's most visible block and one free Thursday night, which is why the season will look noticeably different depending on where you walk.
The budget review asked for half and got 37 percent
The changes trace back to the city's zero-based budget process. At an April 21, 2026 study session, the City Council reviewed reductions to citywide lighting and décor. The review was sent to an ad hoc committee with a goal of cutting annual décor costs by 50 percent. According to the September 1 staff report, the 2026 décor came in 37 percent cheaper, mostly by dropping some items and scaling back others instead of buying new parts.
Council approved the program at that September 1 study session. A September 22 agenda report confirms it, along with a $667,575 city budget for the Rodeo Drive celebration. The approved décor budget is $566,959.20.
Here is how that plays out on the ground:
| Staying for 2026 | Ending or scaled back for 2026 |
|---|---|
| Warm white lights throughout the business district | Jolly Trolley |
| Santa and Reindeer Display | Colored lights and canopy décor on Camden Drive |
| Wilshire spans | Colored lights and canopy spheres on La Cienega |
| Beverly Canon Gardens, same décor as the last two years | Banner up-lighting |
| Menorah scene and tree at Beverly Gardens Park | Citywide twinkle lights moving from yearly to every-other-year replacement |
| Lights on the Lily Pond, reusing previous programming | |
| Robertson Boulevard pole lights and garland with bows | |
| White street spans on North Beverly and North Canon | |
| South Beverly canopy spheres | |
| Snowflakes on South Santa Monica Boulevard west of Wilshire | |
| Triangle bows, garland and background audio | |
| Static projection on the Crescent side of City Hall |
The Lily Pond show may run with fewer reeds if needed. Staff are also looking at whether some areas could save money by lighting every other tree instead of every tree. If your regular walk runs along Camden or La Cienega, December will look quieter there. South Beverly, Robertson and the Golden Triangle keep their signature pieces.
Rodeo Drive gets more strands than it was first promised
On Rodeo Drive, the reasons behind the design are structural. The first proposal for the block called for garlands strung across the street. The staff report says the street light poles weren't structurally sound enough to hold them safely. With heavy construction on the block, the Rodeo Drive Committee and Council set this goal:
"prioritize an elegant, high decor feature across the street, to draw the public's eyes up, and provide a unique, unified look down the block."
The city's vendor, J. Ben Bourgeois Productions, proposed expanding the "dripping" lights that already hang in the center median palms. The new plan adds dripping lights to every sidewalk palm and runs strands from the sidewalk to the median, 16 in all, in place of the four proposed garlands. These are the slow-moving lights that have appeared on the block for several years. The larger version costs the same as the Rodeo décor budget Council had already approved. According to the report, Public Works found the strands pose no risk to the trees and no safety issue for pedestrians or vehicles.
That makes Rodeo the one place where the 2026 display grew while most of the city's décor list shrank.
The lighting night is built around local performers
The Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration is on Thursday, November 19, from 5 to 8 p.m. The city's visitor bureau lists it as free to attend. In past years the event has drawn up to 10,000 people. The 2026 lineup has no headliner. The program uses a local talent search and hired professional performers instead.
The approved plan includes:
- A stage at Brighton Way and Rodeo Drive with three hours of entertainment: host "Aly," DJ Lady Sha, vocalists The Noelles, Tenors, an LED violinist and a Pacific Islander-themed holiday performance
- Guest performances from Debbie Allen Dance Academy, For the Record, The Wallis and West Side Ballet
- The winner of "Rodeo Drive Has Talent," a new local talent search that took online applications from September 14 to October 12 and announced its selected act on October 20
- Holiday skaters, stilt walkers, an oversized tricycle and an interactive Santa with his "red carpet security"
- One wine garden, plus food trucks and stands run by local businesses
One small irony is that the Jolly Trolley won't run, but the plan still includes a static photo spot with Santa that uses the Beverly Hills trolley as a backdrop.
The fireworks are paid for differently this year. City funding covered the core program but left out fireworks and a second wine garden. The Rodeo Drive Committee lined up roughly $45,000 from local sponsors Gearys, Auto Vault and Two Rodeo Drive, which covers the planned fireworks finale. The report says the event hasn't traditionally used sponsors. The total event budget, sponsorship included, is $712,575. A second wine garden would need additional sponsors.
For anyone driving through the Triangle that week, the street closures run from Wednesday, November 18 at 9 p.m. until Friday, November 20 at 6 a.m. They cover Rodeo Drive from South Santa Monica Boulevard to Wilshire, plus Dayton Way and Brighton Way from Rodeo to the alleys on either side. The city's Brighton Garage and Two Rodeo Garage stay reachable through the alleys. Access to the Rodeo Collection Garage on the 400 block is being worked out with affected tenants. Installation and light testing happen overnight.
The weeks before the switch
The city has already filled the weeks before November 19, and most of the events are at Civic Center Drive and the city's two signature public grounds:
- Sunday, October 25, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Farmers' Market Fall Funtastic takes over the 9300 block of Civic Center Drive, according to the city calendar.
- Wednesday, October 28 through Wednesday, November 4. Fleurs de Villes "The Gilded Age" fills Greystone Mansion & Gardens at 905 Loma Vista Drive with fresh-flower mannequins based on characters from the HBO series, including Bertha Russell, Agnes van Rhijn, Marian Brook and Peggy Scott. Beverly Hills floral designers are building the installations. Visitors can vote for a favorite and watch live demonstrations. Beverly Press reports that Beverly Hills is the fourth stop on a six-estate national tour and that tickets are on sale now.
- Sunday, November 8, 8 a.m. to noon. The farmers' market hosts a free shredding, compost and pumpkin-recycling event, which handles your Halloween pumpkin.
- Sundays, November 8 and 22. Docents lead Artwalk tours through Beverly Gardens Park, with the November 8 walk at 10:30 a.m., according to the Love Beverly Hills listing.
- Thursday, November 19, 5 to 8 p.m. The lights go on along Rodeo Drive.
The Greystone show ties into the city's own history. In Beverly Press's coverage, Mayor Craig Corman said the exhibition brings together "beauty, history and creativity." The paper notes that Greystone was finished in 1928 for the Doheny family, bought by the city in 1965 and dedicated as a public park in 1971.
After Rodeo, the season moves to Beverly Gardens Park
Beverly Gardens Park comes through the décor cuts largely intact. Its menorah scene and tree stay on the list, and the Lily Pond light show returns with its previous programming. The city's free community menorah lighting, led by the mayor, is scheduled at the park's menorah display. Hanukkah begins Friday, December 4, 2026, so staff recommended moving the lighting to avoid the Sabbath. It's set for Monday, December 7 at 5 p.m., the fourth night of Hanukkah.
So the season runs on two tracks. Rodeo has the busiest night and the brightest block on November 19. Beverly Gardens Park has the menorah scene, the tree and the Lily Pond show, plus the community gathering on December 7.
Holiday décor is one of the things that shapes how a block feels in winter. If you're thinking about listing in early 2027 and want an appraisal-grade read on how your street and its surroundings show at that point, Landon Realty Group can help. Schedule a valuation & strategy session.
