Weekend Concert w/ Howard Wiley + PHER (Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026)
Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens | Mission St. between 3rd & 4th Sts. San Francisco, CA
Free / Learn More
SF’s Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2026
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. The Festival features over 100 free performances from May to November in Downtown San Francisco.
Sat, May 16 | 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens
Mission St. between 3rd & 4th Sts.
San Francisco, CA
FREE RSVPDue to unforeseen circumstances, Hailu Mergia is no longer able to perform on May 16, 2026.
When it’s time to get a party started, Howard Wiley gets the call. The Oakland saxophonist has been a mainstay on the Bay Area music scene since he was a teenager, and now he’s taken up the mantle of his mentors, playing soul-steeped jazz palpably connected to its social music roots. Impossible to pigeonhole, Wiley can generate blowtorch heat in just about any context, whether he’s playing Ethio-jazz with Meklit, laying down shuffle beats on drums as one of Lavay Smith’s Red Hot Skillet Lickers or testifying with veteran Hammond B3 organ masters like Doug Carn and Chester Thompson. As a bandleader, he works with the toughest players on the scene.
Deeply versed in jazz and classic soul music, PHER is equally comfortable in both musical realms, and often brings the techniques and cadences of one idiom into the other. Formerly known as Chris Turner, the Oakland native has become a phenomenon over the past decade, from his standout appearance on Snarky Puppy’s 2016 hit “Liquid Love” to collaborations with Usher, The Roots, Robert Glasper, Stevie Wonder, Sam Smith, Bilal, Eddie Palmeri, Esperanza Spalding, Jon Batiste and many others. PHER credits his formative years on the Bay Area scene with preparing him to thrive in New York City, where he moved to study at the New School and quickly became a sought-after background singer for a staggering roster of major jazz, soul, R&B and hip-hop artists. He joined the faculty of his alma mater in 2013 teaching voice at the New School’s jazz and contemporary music program to college students and pop artists such as Sean Kingston, 070 Shake and WolfTyla. For this program, PHER brings his newly released album Songs by PHER to life in a performance rooted in intimacy, improvisation and connection.Pre-show music from KALW DJ Charlotte K at 1pm.
Now in its 26th year, the Festival will run throughout the week and most weekends, 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
FREEDirections & 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 – June 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
2026 Festival Schedule by Month
Full 2026 Schedule TBA
April 2026
April 19 — Guest Presentation – Sunset Sound System
May 2026
May 6 — Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion
May 9 — Hermán Olivera y Orquesta Taíno (Season Opener)
May 12 — Poetic Tuesday
May 13 — Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion
May 14 — Aireene & The Itch
May 16 — Howard Wiley + PHER
May 20 — Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion
May 21 — Larry & Joe
May 23 — Las Cafeteras
May 27 — Dance Outdoors with Rhythm & Motion
May 28 — Community Music Center Neighborhood Choirs
June 2026
June 5 – Manilatown Ancestral Ensemble (Kids’ Show)
June 6 — Gamelan Sekar Jaya
June 7 — Pride in Yerba Buena
June 12 — All-Native Comedy Night: Good Medicine
June 20 — Native Contemporary Arts Festival
June 26–27 — Circus Bella’s AH HA!
July 2026
July 4 — SF Uke Jam Summer Uke-splosion
July 5 — SF Mime Troupe
July 11 — Lady Wray
July 12 — Voices of Resistance Presented by Indigenous Justice
July 25 — YBG ChoreoFest (Day one)
August 2026
August 1 — YBG ChoreoFest (Day two)
August 2 — Color Your Mind Festival
August 8–9 — Pistahan Festival
August 15 — Helado Negro + Reyna Tropical
September 2026
September 5 — Yerba Buena Movie Night
October 2026
October 3 — African Arts Festival
October 10 — Follow the Music featuring Oakland Rising
October 11 — Yerba Buena Gardens Dance Day
October 12 — Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration
October 17 — Joe Bataan
October 24 — Afro-Filipino Jazz Project
October 31 — Halloween Hoopla
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Programs & Series 2026
Salsa Nights
The popular open-air salsa dance parties return on the first Thursday of select summer months. Each evening begins with a beginner dance lesson followed by live music and social dancing.
2026 Dates:
July 2
August 6
September 3Children’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.Dates: Every Friday from June 5 through August 14, 2026
Showtimes: 11:00 am and NoonThursday Lunchtime Concert Series
Every Thursday from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, the Lunchtime Concert Series showcases local and international performers in a relaxed outdoor setting. These midday concerts are popular with downtown workers, students, and visitors looking for a quick cultural break.
2026 Featured Dates:
May 14
May 21
May 28
June 11
July 2
July 9
July 16
July 23
July 30
August 6
August 13
October 8
October 15Poetic 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.
2026 Dates:
May 12
July 14
August 11San 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 approximately 60 minutes long at at different spaces in Yerba Buena Gardens, on Mission Street between Third and Fourth Streets, San Francisco.
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.
Tips for Attending
• Most performances take place outdoors on the main lawn or performance stage
• Seating is generally first-come, first-served
• Arrive early for popular events and festivals
• Bring layers, sunscreen, and a blanket for lawn seating
• Many events include pre-show music or vendor marketsWith dozens of performances spanning music, dance, comedy, film, and cultural celebrations, the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival continues to be one of San Francisco’s most consistent and accessible free event series.
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.
Cost: FREE
Categories: *Top Pick*, Fairs & Festivals, In Person, Lectures & Workshops, Outdoors, San Francisco, Sponsored
