Downtown San Francisco
SF Getting Giant Rainbow Laser Light Show w/ 49 Beams
4th of July, Artsy Fartsy, Brand New, Downtown San Francisco, Pride San Francisco is getting a giant rainbow laser light show this summer. From June 21 through July 4, 2026 Civic Center Plaza will host “7X7,” a free public art installation featuring 49 beams of light projecting into the sky, one for each square mile of the city. Visible across San Francisco and more...
This is SF’s New 5-Acre Embarcadero Waterfront Park
Brand New, Downtown San Francisco, New Parks, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco One of San Francisco’s most recognizable waterfront spaces is getting a major makeover. San Francisco has unveiled and approved the final concept design for a planned waterfront park that will transform Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park into a unified 5-acre public space along the city’s iconic waterfront. The Recreation and Park more...
SF’s Free Movies Under the Stars Return to Union Square
Downtown San Francisco, San Francisco Union Square’s free outdoor movie series returns for a second season this summer with five nights of films, pre-show entertainment, and downtown movie nights under the stars. The lineup includes a sing-along screening of KPop Demon Hunters, a Pride Weekend showing of The Birdcage, family favorites like The Princess Diaries and more...
Downtown SF’s Free Outdoor EDM Party w/ French DJ Habstrakt (June 18)
Block Party, Downtown San Francisco, Get Out: Events Downtown San Francisco is getting a pair of free outdoor concerts this summer, including a June performance by French DJ and producer Habstrakt. The new Bloom Music Series On Ellis kicks off Thursday, June 18, 2026 transforming Ellis Street between Powell and Stockton into an open-air concert venue. Habstrakt, known for more...
SF’s Cable Car Rides Rising to $18 in 2028
Bay Area Favorites, Bay Area Updates, City Insight, Downtown San Francisco, Local Icons San Francisco’s cable cars are headed for a major fare increase that would reshape the cost of riding the city’s most iconic line. Right now, a single ride costs $9, with kids 5 and up paying the same fare as adults, while children 4 and under ride free. There’s also a more...
50+ Free Concerts Return to SF’s Civic Center for 2026
Downtown San Francisco, Eat & Drink, San Francisco, Things to Do 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. That’s over 50 concerts and 150+ bands for 2026. Concerts take place Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 pm more...
Huge Free Waterfront Concert Coming to SF’s Embarcadero Plaza
Downtown San Francisco, Things to Do San Francisco’s run of big, free outdoor concerts is not slowing down. The next major waterfront party has just been announced, bringing another afternoon of live music to the heart of downtown. A massive free concert is coming to Embarcadero Plazåa on Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 1 pm to 5 more...
SF Gets a Brand New “Dinner Club”
Bay Area Updates, Brand New, Downtown San Francisco, Eat & Drink Launching the BAS Dinner Club! A space for people who want to connect beyond the screen. At each dinner, you’ll be matched with like-minded locals for thoughtful conversation and real community. Whether you’re new to SF or just looking to meet some cool new people (since all your friends moved to more...
75,000 Hand-Built Kites Are Flying Into SFMOMA
Artsy Fartsy, Brand New, Downtown San Francisco 75,000 hand-built kites are coming to San Francisco and you can walk right under them for free. A massive new installation, Jacob Hashimoto: Giant Arc, is transforming the free public Roberts Family Gallery at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art into a floating canopy of color, pattern, and light. The more...
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...
