SF’s New Philippine “Sun”: Nighttime Unveiling & Dance Party

SOMA Pilipinas

A glowing Filipino sun will light up Yerba Buena Gardens this September, syncing its glow with sunrise and sunset in the Philippines.

A new sun is coming to San Francisco. “13°N, 122°E,” a glowing amber dome floating above a fountain in Yerba Buena Gardens, will become the city’s first Filipino monument when it’s unveiled on September 4, 2026.

Named for the geographic coordinates of the Philippines’ center, the permanent light installation was created by Filipino art collective mumu in collaboration with SoMa Pilipinas and Yerba Buena Gardens. At night, the dome will brighten and fade in sync with the sun rising and setting across the Pacific, creating a literal connection between San Francisco and the Philippines.

The piece also carries some serious local history. Yerba Buena Gardens was built on land where thousands of people were displaced during redevelopment in the 1960s and ’70s, many of them Filipino. Decades later, the new sculpture offers a very visible marker of Filipino presence in the neighborhood. As mumu put it, the goal was to “manifest our being and be seen,” making it harder for the community to be overlooked again.

The public nighttime unveiling on Friday, September 4, 2026 from 6–8 pm will turn the garden into a celebration, with a Filipino cultural ritual, performances, Filipino street food and a dance party with DJ Breganza. But after the party is over, the glowing sun will remain, quietly keeping time with an ocean away.

Philippine Sun: Nighttime Unveiling & Dance Party
📅 Friday, September 4, 2026 | 6–8 pm
📍 Crepe Myrtle Garden at Yerba Buena Gardens (formerly East Garden), 140 3rd St., SF
🎟️ FREE — RSVP

Celebrate the first nighttime illumination of Philippine Sun (13°N, 122°E), the glowing amber light sculpture at Yerba Buena Gardens and the city’s first Filipino monument. Named for the geographic coordinates of the Philippines’ center, the artwork comes to life after sunset, with its illumination synchronized to sunrise and sunset in the archipelago.

Join the community at the Crepe Myrtle Garden for an evening of music, dancing and Filipino culture, featuring a ritual led by the Filipino Mental Health Initiative-SF, performances by Galing Bata, Galing Nanays and Angalo, and a dance party with DJ Breganza. There will also be Filipino street food samples available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Come see the Philippine Sun glowing after dark and celebrate a new cultural landmark connecting San Francisco to the Philippines across the Pacific.

 

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Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.