Downtown San Francisco
Massive Free Downtown SF Festival Returns for 2026
Artsy Fartsy, Downtown San Francisco, Fairs & Festivals, San Francisco Spend an evening exploring the ideas, art, and conversations shaping how we move forward collectively. Villa Albertine’s Night of Ideas returns in 2026 with an after-dark celebration of art, innovation, and culture across the U.S., landing in San Francisco at the Public Library and the Asian Art Museum. This year’s theme, more...
SF Finally Getting a “Sprouts” Grocery Store in 2028
Brand New, Downtown San Francisco, Groceries / Supermarkets, San Francisco San Francisco could soon be getting its very first Sprouts Farmers Market. According to the San Francisco Standard, the grocery chain, which already has more than two dozen locations around the Bay Area, is planning a brand new store in SoMa, with a reported opening in 2028. The store is expected to more...
SF’s Free Immersive Pop-Up Music Museum for Super Bowl Weekend (Feb. 5-7)
Downtown San Francisco, Museums / Cultural Institutions, Super Bowl, Things to Do EMPIRE Records opens a free immersive music museum pop-up in downtown San Francisco for Super Bowl weekend, February 5-7, 2026. If you’re looking for a free Super Bowl weekend activity in San Francisco, Bay Area record label EMPIRE is opening a pop-up museum in the Financial District to celebrate its 15-year anniversary. The more...
SF’s Brand New Massive City-Block-Sized Mural
Artsy Fartsy, Brand New, Downtown San Francisco, Wow The former Bloomingdale’s on Mission Street is getting a major makeover with a massive public mural, This Burning World, by Mississippi Choctaw/Cherokee artist Jeffrey Gibson. Stretching 433 feet long and 66 feet high, the vinyl installation covers the building’s windows and brings a bold, colorful presence to SoMa. The mural more...
SF’s Biggest Mall Is Officially Closing
Bay Area Updates, Downtown San Francisco, Goodbye The writing was on the wall. San Francisco Centre, once the city’s largest shopping mall and a downtown retail anchor, will permanently close on January 26, 2026, according to an employee at its last remaining tenant. Formerly known as Westfield San Francisco Centre, the mall’s decline accelerated after 2020 as more...
SF’s Williams Sonoma Closing After 23 Years, Chanel Takes Over
Downtown San Francisco, Goodbye San Francisco is losing one of its homegrown retail icons. Williams Sonoma is closing its three-story Union Square store at 340 Post Street by the end of January 2026. The store, which has been in the building since 2003, was already marking down furniture, cookware, and specialty foods by up more...
SF Fav ‘Super Duper Burgers’ Set to Take Over Café in Union Square
Bay Area Favorites, Brand New, Downtown San Francisco, Eat & Drink One of San Francisco’s most beloved burger spots is headed to Union Square, bringing a more affordable, casual dining option to the heart of downtown. Super Duper Burgers has been selected to operate the café on the east side of Union Square. The new location is expected to open in early more...
SF’s Getting a Massive 95 ft. Tall Light Show
Artsy Fartsy, Brand New, Downtown San Francisco San Francisco is getting a new 95-foot-tall light show on Market Street. A year-round outdoor projection series called Yerba Buena Illuminated is launching in downtown San Francisco, lighting up the historic Humboldt Bank Building at Market Street and Yerba Buena Lane. The installation debuts Monday, January 12, 2026, featuring rotating digital artworks more...
Historic SF Bank Building to Become New Global HQ for Empire Records
Artsy Fartsy, Brand New, Downtown San Francisco Empire Records, the independent music label behind artists like Kendrick Lamar, has received city approval to turn a long-vacant historic bank building into its global headquarters in downtown San Francisco. The company plans to move about 150 local employees into One Montgomery Street, a 1908 Financial District landmark it purchased more...
Yank Sing’s Legendary Chili Sauce Goes on Sale for 1 Day Only (Dec. 13)
Downtown San Francisco, Eat & Drink, Worth the Splurge If you’ve ever eaten dim sum at Yank Sing, you already know the chili pepper sauce is the real star. The mildly spicy, deeply savory sauce has been part of the restaurant’s DNA for decades and is famously not available for retail purchase. Until now. For one day only, Yank Sing more...
San Francisco City Hall’s Brand New Winter Lights Show
Brand New, Downtown San Francisco, Holiday Lights San Francisco City Hall has debuted a brand new holiday installation: City Hall Winter Lights, a free projection mapping show that turns both the Polk Street and Van Ness Avenue sides of the building into a giant animated storybook. The month-long display runs nightly through December 30, with shows every 30 more...
The Ultimate Guide to Bay Area Farmers’ Markets
City Insight, Downtown San Francisco, East Bay Sample stone fruit, samosas or strawberry jam while supporting sustainable agriculture and locally-grown food with Funcheap’s list of nearby farmers’ markets selling everything from fresh produce to live ferns in plazas, parking lots and piers across the Bay Area. Here’s our rundown of the best places to buy fresh fruit and more...
Off the Grid Takes Over SF’s Former Uniqlo for the Holidays
Brand New, Downtown San Francisco, Eat & Drink San Francisco’s downtown is about to get a festive new destination as the city’s beloved food truck collective Off the Grid moves into its first brick-and-mortar space. The 30,000-square-foot former Uniqlo at 111 Powell Street, between Ellis and O’Farrell, which has been vacant for nearly four and a half years, more...
Downtown San Francisco Is Getting a New 41-Story Skyscraper
Bay Area Updates, Brand New, Downtown San Francisco Downtown San Francisco is about to get a new addition to its skyline. A 41-story, 544-foot mixed-use tower is coming to 530 Sansome Street in the Financial District, bringing offices, a five-star hotel, retail, and restaurants to a key corner near Jackson Square. This will be one of the few completely more...
SF’s Iconic Union Square Macy’s Will Stay Open & Get a Major Makeover
Bay Area Updates, Downtown San Francisco, San Francisco Macy’s flagship store in Union Square, a San Francisco icon spanning nearly a full city block, is staying put. Originally slated to close as part of the retailer’s national plan to shutter 150 underperforming stores, Macy’s will now remain open indefinitely. The news was confirmed by Mayor Daniel Lurie, who more...
