SF’s 175th Birthday Laser Space Cannon Light Show (TONIGHT!)
Illuminate Declares San Francisco the “City of Awe” which will Shoot Lasers onto City Hall Tonight to Celebrate the City’s 175th Birthday
On San Francisco’s 175th birthday – which coincides with the local phenomenon of 415 Day – Illuminate, the nonprofit arts organization devoted to awe-inspiring public art, will unveil its latest creation: the AweMobile, a custom-engineered Sprinter van equipped with a battery-powered array of nine Laser Space Cannons.
The AweMobile will debut tonight, April 15, 2025, when darkness falls from sunset until the wee hours, casting a brilliant line of colored light from UN Plaza to the glowing dome of City Hall.
When & Where is the light show?
This one-night only light exhibition starts at sunset (around 7:45p officially on April 15th, but the lights could start a bit earlier or a bit later) and will go on “until the wee hours” or “until the batteries give out.”
175th Birthday Laser Space Cannon Light Show
Tuesday, April 15, 2025 | Sunset (7:45p-ish) until late
UN Plaza, 355 McAllister St. (at Fulton), SF
FREEWe’ll assemble at the United Nations Plaza, just outside the skate park’s white fence, aiming beams of colored light to cascade across UN Plaza, Fulton Plaza, and Civic Center Plaza, terminating on the dome of City Hall. This will be the first time lasers have been allowed to interact with this historic landmark.
Anything Else Going on Downtown for 415 Day?
Yes! Funcheap is part-owner of The Function, a comedy club and cocktail bar about a block away from Civic Center at 1414 Market St. at Polk. Join us tonight for a special 415 Day San Francisco Birthday Comedy Festival with two FREE shows, 7p and 8:45p. Normally $20, but RSVP on Eventbrite for free tickets. Join us either before or after checking out the light show! Check out other 415 Day events including a job fair, scavenger hunt and night market.
The installation marks a powerful ceremonial act: the declaration of San Francisco as the “City of Awe.” There’s no stage, no program, just presence, light, and each other as a tribute to San Francisco.
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The AweMobile made its unofficial debut with a pop-up installation at Sutro Baths on April 4, to stunning results. The upcoming display at UN Plaza will be the vehicle’s first fully permitted installation. The AweMobile was developed in creative partnership with Nusalt Laser International, a Folsom, California-based leader in large-scale laser design and engineering.
This debut joins a lineage of transformative public art from Illuminate that continues to redefine the cultural identity of San Francisco, including:
- The Bay Lights, the iconic light sculpture on the Bay Bridge;
- Spectra, the 1.6-acre canopy of moving light above Fulton Plaza in Civic Center;
- Support for R-Evolution, a sculpture of feminine strength at the Embarcadero;
- The Golden Mile, a dynamic transformation of JFK Promenade in Golden Gate Park into a joyful public promenade;
- WELCOME, a luminous beam up Market Street to Twin Peaks, creating the world’s largest Pride flag throughout Pride Weekend;
- And the Golden Gate Bandshell’s 125th anniversary season, offering over 125 free concerts as part of Illuminate LIVE.
