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Free Events

San Francisco… land of the free. Here’s just the free stuff in SF and the Bay Area. Keep your wallet in your pocket and enjoy!

Thursday, May 7

SFMOMA’s “Free First Thursdays” Free Museum Day for Locals
Thursday, May 7 – 12:00 pm - Ends at 8:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Residents of the nine Bay Area counties are invited to spend a day at the museum on us
| SFMOMA
SFMOMA's "Free First Thursdays" Free Museum Day for Locals

2026 UPDATE: Sadly, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has confirmed that its Free First Thursday program is temporarily paused beginning February 2026. The museum says the program will be re-envisioned and relaunched at a future date, with updates to be shared once plans are finalized. As ...Monthly

SF’s Free Concerts & Food Trucks: “Civic Center Soundtrack” (Every Tue/Thu)
Thursday, May 7 – 12:00 pm - Ends at 3:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Fulton Plaza
SF's Free Concerts & Food Trucks: "Civic Center Soundtrack" (Every Tue/Thu)

San Francisco’s free lunchtime concert series is back. The Civic Center Soundtrack returns for its third season starting Tuesday, April 14, 2026, bringing live music to Fulton Plaza twice a week through October. Concerts take place Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 pm to 3 pm ...

Spring 2026 Game Arts & Design Showcase (SF)
Thursday, May 7 – 1:00 pm - Ends at 8:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Game Arts and Design Homeroom (room 250)
come to the Game Arts and Design Homeroom (room 250) for the end-of-semester Student Game Showcase! Come play student-created games, and celebrate the end of the semester with classmates and faculty.
SF’s Free DFT Monthly Block Party: “Downtown First Thursdays” (2026)
Thursday, May 7 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free with RSVP
| 2nd Street between Market and Howard Streets
SF’s Free DFT Monthly Block Party: “Downtown First Thursdays” (2026)

Downtown First Thursdays is back for a full year of street parties in 2026: Starting Jan 1, 2026 with a New Year’s Day Edition.  DJs – Live Performances – Dancing – Drag – Food Trucks – Shopping – Fashion, and new surprises every month. All ...Monthly

Hawaiian May Day: Hula Performance at San Ramon’s City Center Bishop Ranch
Thursday, May 7 – 6:00 pm - Ends at 7:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Alexander Square
Hawaiian May Day: Hula Performance at San Ramon's City Center Bishop Ranch
Celebrate May Day with a captivating hula performance by Aloha Studio at City Center Bishop Ranch. Join us on the lawn in Alexander Square on May 7 at 6 PM as graceful hula dancers bring the stories of Hawai‘i to life through song and dance. May ...
Every Thursday: “Inner Circle” Dance Party at White Rabbit (SF)
Thursday, May 7 – 9:00 pm - Ends at 1:00 am | Cost: FREE*
*Inner Circle is always Free with RSVP
| White Rabbit
Every Thursday: "Inner Circle" Dance Party at White Rabbit (SF)

Free Thursday Party featuring DJs spinning House, Disco, Remixes, Currents, Classics and more every Thursday at White Rabbit. Join us at White Rabbit on Thursdays for Inner Circle, a weekly get-together dedicated to the DJ and a love for dance music. No cover. No worries! ...Every Thursday

16th & Mission Open Mic (w/out a mic)
Thursday, May 7 – 9:00 pm - Ends at 11:59 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Absolutely free for all!
| 16th & Mission BART (southwest streetcorner)
16th & Mission Open Mic (w/out a mic)

Time: 9pm to 12am, Celebrating 20 years in May 2023 (currently 19 years strong). Instagram: @16thmission. For 18 years, this outdoor “open mic-without-a-mic” has welcomed poets, musicians, emcees, comedy, and everything in between. In the best of San Francisco tradition, everyone is welcome, ...Every Thursday

Friday, May 8

“Rush Hour Comedy Night” w/ SFs Best Black & Asian Comedians (The Function)
Friday, May 8 – 7:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*RSVP Required
| The Function
"Rush Hour Comedy Night" w/ SFs Best Black & Asian Comedians (The Function)

Welcome to ‘Rush Hour Comedy Night’ where laughter knows no bounds and cultural collisions are the name of the game. Join our dynamic duo of black and Asian comedians as they embark on a whirlwind adventure through the streets of humor, weaving together their diverse backgrounds and ...Every Friday

SF’s HellaSecret “Crazy Funny Asians” Friday Night Comedy Showcase (7p + 9p)
SF’s HellaSecret “Crazy Funny Asians” Friday Night Comedy Showcase (7p + 9p)

Inspired by the blockbuster movie, see some of the Bay Area’s top comedians at San Francisco’s Crazy Funny Asians comedy showcase, presented by Funcheap and HellaFunny. Let’s celebrate the Bay’s Asian-American culture and heritage with laughs at a secret location – a two-floor comedy club near ...Every Friday

“HellaSecret” Speakeasy Comedy Show & Cocktail Night (Oakland)
"HellaSecret" Speakeasy Comedy Show & Cocktail Night (Oakland)

Get ready for our “HellaSecret” speakeasy comedy show in Oakland. A series of pop-up live comedy shows at unique spots all across the bay. We’ll take over a venue and you’ll get an email with the secret location. This HellaSecret comedy show takes place in a ...

“The Stoner Comedy Jam” Friday Nights (SF)
Friday, May 8 – 8:00 pm - Ends at 9:30 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free with RSVP (21+ with Valid ID) - One item minimum purchase per person required
| Moe Greens
"The Stoner Comedy Jam" Friday Nights (SF)

You know what makes stand-up comedy funnier? Smoking while watching it live! Come to San Francisco’s premiere cannabis club Moe Greens every Friday night for a night of laughter and, well, getting stoned. HellaFunny is taking over the cannabis lounge at Moe Greens for the ...Every Friday

Japanese Tea Garden’s Free Admission Hour (Golden Gate Park)
Japanese Tea Garden's Free Admission Hour (Golden Gate Park)

The Japanese Tea Garden provides visitors from around the world with an opportunity to experience the natural beauty, tranquility, and harmony of a Japanese-style garden in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Originally created as a “Japanese Village” exhibit for the 1894 California ...Every Friday

“Pay-What-You-Can” Taco Day at SF’s Tato (Every Friday)
"Pay-What-You-Can" Taco Day at SF's Tato (Every Friday)

While many restaurants are struggling, San Francisco Mexican restaurant TATO wants to give back. They’re bringing back their “Taco Love” special which features a two taco plate with sides, and pay-what-you-can pricing. Pay-What-You-Can Taco Day Tato 4608 3rd St. (@ McKinnon) San Francisco (Bayview) Every ...Every Friday

GG Park’s Free Happy Hour Concert in the Park
Friday, May 8 – 4:30 pm - Ends at 7:30 pm | Cost: FREE | Spreckels Temple of Music (Golden Gate Park Bandshell)
GG Park's Free Happy Hour Concert in the Park

Free live music is back in the park. Illuminate LIVE returns to the Golden Gate Bandshell in Golden Gate Park on Sunday, March 1, 2026, launching its sixth season of free outdoor concerts with more than 125 performances scheduled through mid-November. The long-running series has ...

QTCON: The Meetup Series
Friday, May 8 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 8:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free, 21+
| Town Bar & Lounge
QTCON: The Meetup Series
Calling All Fandoms to Town Bar & Lounge! Starting in May, we’re calling all fans and creators to a monthly happy hour at Town in Oakland. This is for anyone of any fandom from comics, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, anime, games, and all the media they inspire! We’ll have ...
“Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid” Block Party + DJs (Oakland)
"Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid" Block Party + DJs (Oakland)

The Town’s favorite block party, Friday Nights at OMCA, is back for the 2026 season, inviting the Bay to kick off the weekend with the crew—whether family, friends, or neighbors. Join us every Friday, April–October, at 5 pm for a free evening of live music, interactive activities, ...Every Friday

$1 Drink Fridays: “Battle of the Decades” DJ Party (North Beach)
Friday, May 8 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 11:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free admission with RSVP on Eventbrite
| Monroe
$1 Drink Fridays: "Battle of the Decades" DJ Party (North Beach)

Fridays are now a little bit more awesome. Did someone say $1 drinks? Monroe in North Beach hosts “Battle of the Decades” DJ party and happy hour every Friday with a DJ spinning progressive tunes. Every hour is a different decade – with drink prices ...Every Friday

East Bay Bike Party (Every Second Friday)
Friday, May 8 – 7:30 pm | Cost: FREE | Secret Location (East Bay)
East Bay Bike Party (Every Second Friday)

The East Bay Bike Party is a monthly mobile party for riders of all ages, experience levels, and bike types, to meet, ride, and play together in the streets on the second Friday of the month with upwards of 400 riders usually meeting near an East ...Monthly

Saturday, May 9

The Box SF Artistica Creators Fest (May 9-10)
Saturday, May 9 – 11:00 am - Ends at 5:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*TICKETS NOT REQUIRED
| The Box SF
The Box SF Artistica Creators Fest (May 9-10)

 The Box SF’s Artistica Creators Fest(formerly known as Artists and Makers Fair) is a multi-day weekend event held monthly at the historic building located in the heart of San Francisco! Originally the William Randolph Hearst printing plant built in the 1920’s, The Box SF is now home ...

SF’s Battle of the Bands (Cal / Stanford) at PIER 39
Saturday, May 9 – 1:00 pm - Ends at 3:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Pier 39
SF's Battle of the Bands (Cal / Stanford) at PIER 39
This event has been rescheduled to Saturday, May 9, from 1-3 PM due to the upcoming storms. It was originally scheduled for April 11, from 3-5 PM. The UC Berkeley vs. Stanford Big Game may not take place until the Fall, but this rivalry lives year-round! ...