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!
Wednesday, May 6
The San Francisco Zoo, Northern California’s largest zoological park and conservation center, periodically offers free admission for San Francisco residents. When is the next free zoo day for SF residents? Next verified free days: January 7, 2026 February 4, 2026 March 4, 2026 April 1, 2026 ...
Opened to the public in 1993, YBCA was founded as the cultural anchor of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens neighborhood. Our work spans the realms of contemporary art, performance, film, civic engagement, and public life. Centering artists as essential to social and cultural movement, YBCA ...Every Wednesday
Located in SF’s Castro District, the GLBT Historical Society Museum is the first full-scale, stand-alone museum of its kind in the United States. The museum celebrates 100 years of the city’s vast queer past through dynamic exhibitions and programming. Normally, admission is $10, but on ...Monthly
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 ...
At Drink and Draw, artsy bar patrons draw to a theme and submit their artwork into a raffle for cocktails and other prizes at The Knockout in the Mission District. The artwork gets scanned online for all to admire. Drink and Draw happens every first Wednesday of the ...Monthly
Thursday, May 7
There’s no better time to visit the Museum of Craft and Design than on their Free First Thursdays. Committed to making art, craft, and design accessible to everyone, the Museum of Craft and Design is free on the first Thursday of every month. Museum of ...Monthly
Welcome to Hecklers Welcome!, San Francisco’s only stand-up show where you get to talk back. This is not your average comedy night—this is a full-blown verbal brawl, where comics come ready to spar and the audience gets a license to heckle. Got jokes? Bring ’em. Got beef? Air ...Every Thursday
The UC Berkeley Art Museum is the visual arts center of the University of California, Berkeley. Through art and film programs, collections, and research resources, the University aspires to be locally connected and globally relevant, engaging audiences from the campus, community, and beyond. Normally $18, the ...Monthly
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
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
Friday, May 8
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
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 ...
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 ...
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’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 ...
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 SF’s brand new comedy club on Market St – ...Every Saturday
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 ...
Make new friends and beautiful, fun music: join us for free monthly community singing in the park! We meet the Second Saturday of every month @10:30am and will always have the pink blanket above so you can find us. The community sing is super kid, adult ...Monthly
