Free Outdoor Dance Classes w/ Rhythm & Motion (SF)

The 2026 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival hosts a full lineup of free outdoor music, theater, circus, dance, poetry, and children’s programs. The Festival opens on Saturday, May 9, 2026 with Hermán Olivera y Orquesta Taíno to kick off its 26th season.

Now in its 26th year, the Festival will run each and every week and weekend, presenting 6 months of admission-free performances reflecting the rich cultures and creativity of the Bay Area. The 2026 full schedule has yet to be announced, but there are typically events scheduled until November. Yerba Buena Gardens is located between Mission and Howard Streets and Third and Fourth Streets in downtown San Francisco.  

YBG Festival presents classical, world, and jazz music, contemporary and traditional dance, theater, children’s and family programs, and cultural events reflecting the rich cultures and creativity of the region. Artistic excellence, inclusion, diversity and innovation are at the heart of our mission. As the only curated arts park fully dedicated to the long-term presentation of free arts and cultural programs, Yerba Buena Gardens has a unique place in the cultural landscape of San Francisco.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026

2026 Season Opener: May 9, 2026 (Events typically scheduled until November. Full 2026 schedule TBA)
Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission btwn. Third and Fourth, SoMa, SF
FREE

Directions & Parking | Admission-Free Seating | Performance Times | See the Full Calendar

Events will include music, theater, dance, poetry, and children’s programming from May through October. Regularly occurring series include the Lunchtime Concerts, showcasing diverse musical acts every Thursday at 12:30 pm, Poetic Tuesdays, a monthly spoken word event, Yerba Buena Salsa Nights, the very popular open-air dance party with live bands and a beginner dance lesson, Outdoor Classes like poetry workshops and outdoor dance classes, and the Children’s Gardens Series with fun-filled family programming include circus acts, acrobatics and more.

Annual Highlights include:

• Native Contemporary Arts Festival – July 20, 2026
• Yerba Buena Gardens ChoreoFest 2026 – Saturday, July 25 and Saturday, August 1, 2026
• Pistahan – August 8-9, 2026
• Brazil in the Gardens – August 13, 2026
• Litquake Out Loud + Book Fair – October 4, 2026
• YBG Dance Day – October 11, 2026
• Indigenous Peoples’ Day – October 12, 2026
• Halloween Hoopla – October 31, 2026

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Programs & Series 2026

Children’s Garden Series
June through August is a great time for parents, caregivers, and camp counselors to bring kids to the Children’s Garden for sunshine and a show. The Children’s Garden Series features professional artists with expertise in engaging children under 10 and their adults. Each show features excellent performers skilled in puppetry, music, dance, acrobatics, body percussion, clowning and more! Outstanding featured groups like Ka-Hon and Duniya Dance & Drum demonstrate diverse musical and dance traditions from all over the world. With such rich cultural and artistic experiences, the Children’s Garden is the place to be in the summertime.

Thursday Lunchtime Concert Series

From May to October, the Thursday Lunchtime series features artists carving out their own niches in the world of music and dance. While international and touring artists perform in the Lunchtime Series, many homegrown Bay Area artists view Yerba Buena Gardens as the perfect venue for new works. These fantastic performers are exploring new depths in jazz, blues, soul, classical, world, swing, modern dance and more!

Thursday Lunchtime Concert Series takes place on Thursdays from 12:30pm to 1:30pm and features local and international musicians including CMC Older Adults Choirs on May 15, Aguidavi do Jeje x Batuki on May 22, VEN Trio of Vinicius Gomez, Elé Howell, Noah Garabedian on May 29, Sundra Manning on June 19, Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat on June 26, Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto on July 10, Arun Ramamurthy Trio on July 17, Dani Offline on July 24, AfroSolo Arts Festival Presents Lady Bianca & The West Coast Caravan of All-Stars on August 7, Brazil in the Gardens on August 14, WAM Local Sirens Presents B. DeVeaux + Mare on August 21, Trío Guadalevín on August 28, Bia Ferreira on September 25, and Lucía on October 2.

Always free, fresh and outdoors, Thursday Lunchtime programs are a great way to reinvigorate the day. Downtown office workers, neighborhood groups, students and even out-of-towners needing a break from the city’s hustle and bustle come down to the Gardens with lunch in hand. Then, stroll through Yerba Buena Gardens for a jolt of fresh air, art and inspiration.

Poetic Tuesdays
A fabulously curated line-up of poets and musicians grace Yerba Buena Gardens to share poems and songs that delight, provoke, stir and inspire. Poetic Tuesdays make for a lovely lunch. Downtown office workers, neighborhood groups, students and even out-of-towners needing downtime from the city’s hustle and bustle come down to the Gardens. Poetic Tuesdays are the perfect midday breather over line breaks.

 Performances are approximately 60 minutes long, at Yerba Buena Gardens on Mission Street between Third and Fourth Streets, San Francisco.

Outdoor Classes

San Francisco locals and visiting out-of-towners can look to these outdoor classes to refresh their body and spirit through dance, music, movement, public art and more. On any given day of the week, you can always find something Free, Outdoors and Fresh at Yerba Buena Gardens.

Outdoor Classes are each approximately 60 minutes long at at different spaces in Yerba Buena Gardens, on Mission Street between Third and Fourth Streets, San Francisco.

Weekend Sessions

The Weekend Sessions is the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival’s premier program series, highlighting touring and regional artists performing to delighted audiences. Each weekend program features a diversity of world-class artists giving thrilling performances not to be missed. Crowds of arts-lovers, Bay Area locals and out-of-towners flock to Yerba Buena Gardens for outstanding entertainment in music, dance, poetry, circus, theater or large-scale cultural festivals.

Free of admission and open to the public, all are welcome to enjoy the fresh air and the truly memorable cultural experiences. Located in the cultural heart of San Francisco, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival’s Weekend Sessions make for a refreshing and inspiring weekend outing in the City.

Weekend Session performances begin at 1pm (unless noted otherwise), so plan ahead and arrive early! Performances are approximately 90 minutes long, located at Yerba Buena Gardens on Mission Street between Third and Fourth Streets, San Francisco.