Downtown’s newest destination blends LA’s avant-garde music talent, international selectors, and an elevated cocktail program
Downtown LA gains a new cultural cornerstone with the opening of the reimagined Bar Franca by Midnight Lovers, a sound bar blending avant-garde music culture, curated cocktail menu, and intimate design. Bar Franca arrives with the DNA of Midnight Lovers, the crew behind some of LA’s most forward-thinking parties with a vision to continue to elevate the cultural hotbed of downtown.
Bar Franca is sound-first, built around a Danley system finely tuned for warmth and precision. The music programming is intentional and expansive: a sultry blend of jazz, funk, disco, house, and balearic beats curated by Midnight Lovers.
The first month of music curation reflects Midnight Lovers’ signature balance of discovery and community, kicked off with an opening night featuring Heidi Lawden and Eli Escobar on October 19. Weekly programming will rotate between Marmalade Jams with Mungo Sound Machine, the Slow Jams Jazz Syndicate, and takeovers by respected selectors including Eddie C, Thee Mike B, DJ Garth, Tiffany Roth of Midnight Magic, Xica Soul, Club Tularosa and Masha Mar. The lineup also features local crews like Sunday Sessions, Sisters of Sound, and Chapter One, along with unannounced guests from the international DJ circuit.
The atmosphere draws inspiration from Franca Sozzani, an Italian editor and cultural icon, blending fashion, photography, and quiet rebellion. Golden lighting, fresh florals, minimally yet sexily designed that creates a canvas that feels timeless, sophisticated, and distinctly LA.
Behind the bar, Gabriel Orta of Broken Shaker and Bar Lab Collective collaborates with Jonny Child, hailing from Bathtub Gin LA, to craft a cocktail program that feels distinctly Los Angeles: expressive, playful, and rooted in care. The menu reimagines the city through bold, seasonal California ingredients and flavor storytelling that nods to its neighborhoods and culture. Highlights include The Lover, a mezcal-based mix of watermelon, hibiscus, and citrus cordial, and the Al Pastor Margarita, a tequila cocktail kissed with pineapple and chorizo spice in tribute to DTLA’s late-night taquerias. Zero-proof creations like the Bonfire Water, blending Optimist Smokey Botanical and Lyre’s orange, mirror the same craft and depth. Together, Orta and Child approach cocktails as a way to connect, creating drinks that are flavorful, inclusive, and made with intention.
For years, Midnight Lovers has shaped LA’s dance music culture by bringing together artists, tastemakers, and loyal creatives on the dancefloor. Bar Franca carries that legacy forward into hospitality, a space in which thoughtful cocktails, immersive design, and world-class music converge, offering the city a new gathering place built on inclusivity and community.
“Midnight Lovers has always been about bringing people together through music and energy. With Bar Franca, we’re extending that spirit into a space where sound and connection meet over cocktails,” says Rolando Alvarez, Founder of Midnight Lovers.
Bar Franca by Midnight Lovers celebrated its grand opening on October 19, featuring Heidi Lawden, the LA-based DJ and producer known for her fluid, genre-spanning sets, and New York veteran DJ and producer Eli Escobar, whose soulful house and disco-driven grooves will set the tone for opening night.
Fans can look forward to another stacked week of programming at Bar Franca, running from Thursday, October 23 through Sunday, October 26, featuring performances from Slow Jams Jazz Syndicate, Krane + Pirumov, Thee Mike B, and a very special guest to close out the weekend.
Bar Franca by Midnight Lovers - Fall Programming
Week 1
Thursday, Oct 16: Soft Opening: Marmalade Jams: Mungo Sound Machine
Sunday, Oct 19: Eli Escobar + Heidi Lawden
Week 2
Thursday, Oct 23: Slow Jams Jazz Syndicate
Friday, Oct 24: Sunday Sessions Pop-Up: Krane + Pirumov
Saturday, Oct 25: Thee Mike B
Sunday, Oct 26: Secret Guest
Week 3
Thursday, Oct 30: Marmalade Jams: Mungo Sound Machine
Friday, Oct 31: DJ Garth (Halloween Special)
Saturday, Nov 1: Sisters Of Sound: Maddy Maia + Tottie
Sunday, Nov 2: Ray Kash + Dead-Tones (Dia De Los Muertos)
Week 4
Thursday, Nov 6: Slow Jams Jazz Syndicate
Friday, Nov 7: Club Tularosa
Saturday, Nov 8: Tiffany Roth of Midnight Magic
Sunday, Nov 9: TBA
Week 5
Thursday, Nov 13: Marmalade Jams: Mungo Sound Machine
Friday, Nov 14: Dakota Dean (Birthday Celebration)
Saturday, Nov 15: Tavish
Sunday, Nov 16: Kamma + Masalo
Week 6
Thursday, Nov 20: Slow Jams Jazz Syndicate
Friday, Nov 21: Secret Guest
Saturday, Nov 22: Xica Soul
Sunday, Nov 23: Chapter One Records: Max Coletto, Hazy, H.U.D.L
Week 7
Thursday, Nov 27: Marmalade Jams: Mungo Sound Machine
Friday, Nov 28: Eddie C (Birthday Celebration)
Saturday, Nov 29: Masha Mar
Sunday, Nov 30: TBA