SFJAZZ CENTER
Read moreIn January 2013, San Francisco opened this center dedicated to jazz performance and education. The structure, a $60 million architectural project, was designed by Mark Cavagnero and houses a 700-seat auditorium, three rehearsal rooms, a digital music lab and a restaurant. The SFJAZZ season, in addition to the jazz festival and summer sessions, includes more than 400 performances a year in the San Francisco Bay Area. The concerts have gained international recognition, so it's best to book your tickets in advance.
SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY
Read moreThe San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1911 and resident since 1980 at Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of the city, has a worldwide reputation. The programming is very varied and the acoustics are perfect. The orchestra's awards and honors include an Emmy Award and 15 Grammy Awards over the past 26 years. After 25 years of conducting the orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas stepped down as conductor in 2020 to take over from Esa-Pekka Salonen of Finland.
AUDIUM
Read moreAudium is the place where sound, space and deep immersive experience meet. This "theater of sound" proposes to intensely explore music and the spatial dimension of sound, thanks to a multi diffusion installation. Today, Audium has become a true center for spatial art, which has set itself the goal of amplifying perceptual awareness of the space and sounds that surround our society. It is a canvas for artists, playing with technological and creative boundaries. The pieces proposed are however of uneven quality.
THE FILLMORE
Read moreOne of San Francisco's great concert halls, from 1965 to 1968 it was the epicenter of creative music in the San Francisco Sound. During the 1967 Summer of Love , the venue produced some of the most innovative and provocative music in the Bay Area. The Grateful Dead, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Captain Beefheart, The Who and Otis Redding were all heard there. Among the more recent stars to have trodden the Fillmore's stage are Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Radiohead, The Cure, The White Stripes, Ali Farka Toure...
AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATER
Read moreSan Francisco's premier theater, the American Conservatory Theatre is considered the best theater company in the region. It describes itself as a gathering place for artists and diverse communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its mission is to stimulate the artistic life of the region, activate sociological stories, and promote diversity. The company values inclusion, transformation through learning, participation and fun.
TEATRO ZINZANNI (LOVE, CHAOS AND DINNER)
Read moreExperience an unforgettable experience. This show is a mixture of cabaret numbers, theatre scenes, circus arts, music and humour, all accompanying a gourmet dinner of 5 dishes. This is expensive, but it would be missing one of San Francisco's major attractions than not going there.
SAN FRANCISCO BALLET
Read moreFounded in 1933, San Francisco Ballet is the oldest ballet company in the United States. Founded in 1933, the company staged the first full American productions of Coppélia (1938) and Swan Lake (1940). Led by Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson, SF Ballet is accompanied by its own orchestra and operates one of the most prestigious ballet schools in the country. It combines classical and avant-garde programming, claiming to be the most adventurous company in America.
THE SALOON
Read moreSaloon would be the oldest bar in San Francisco (1861). Nothing has changed for decades: the population is still predominantly male, beers are still drunk at the counter and folk and country bands play there every night. And every Monday it's the resident band The Bachelors that welcomes you, a most enjoyable blues-rockabilly ensemble! We love the picturesque interior and the atmosphere. The owner will be happy to serve you and tell you his best anecdotes.
BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE
Read moreBerkeley Repertory Theatre is a theater company located in Berkeley. It runs seven productions each season from its two stages in downtown Berkeley. Performances take place during the season, which runs from September to June. Winner of numerous Tony Awards for the best in American theater. A must-see for theater lovers in Berkeley. In addition to being a performance venue, it is a theater school.
SLY MCFLY’S
Read moreEach evening, a different concert takes place in this institution of live music. Locals and tourists are eager to listen to the big and the smaller. A good address.
FOREST THEATER
Read moreIt's the first open-air theater west of the Rockies, since 1910. They regularly organize Films in the Forest, a series of sunset screenings of films in the forest: classics or documentaries, mixing diverse local talent with big-name actors. Improvisational comedies, musicals and jazz-themed dance evenings also take place here in summer. Take a seat among the tall trees, where the lighting is discreet and the sun is setting, and enjoy the show!
GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL
Read moreThis 1907 cabaret, a former brothel converted into a concert hall, is sumptuous with its tiers decorated with moldings. Throughout its history, it has hosted all the big names: from Van Morrison to Duke Ellington, including the mythical Grateful Dead, the emblematic group of San Francisco hippies. And, of course, many local rock bands. Be sure to check out the lineup beforehand, as many of the concerts are sold out!
CAFÉ DU NORD
Read moreThis speakeasy opened in 1907, and has built a reputation throughout the last century as a must-see place for any night owl worth his salt in California. Renovated in 2015, it has a new look, while keeping a 1920's touch on the decoration side, thanks to a very nice dark wood bar, and decorations marked between the two wars. The eclectic program allows to gather a crowd of amateurs of soft music like jazz and folk. The dishes proposed on the restaurant's menu are classic and successful, enough to make a good dinner.
THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL
Read moreLocated in the middle of nowhere, Bottom of the Hill is nonetheless a must for live music fans, who flock here every night to discover the new talent the owners have unearthed. In the past, the venue won the Readers' Poll Best of The Bay award for best rock venue for decades. Today, you'll hear everything from ska and hip-hop to rock and indie. Check out their website and you're sure to find music to your ears.
THEATRE RHINOCEROS
Read moreFounded in 1977, he is the oldest theatre troupe in the country to showcase gay and lesbian authors'pieces, addressing the problems of the LGBT community. This is how the— was the first American theatre to talk about the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980 s.
BRAVA THEATER CENTER
Read moreBrava for Women in the Arts: This is the full title of this arts centre that promotes the art of lesbian and colour women. In theatre, authors'pieces are staged and played by a troupe of women, whether homosexual or not.
ORPHEUM THEATRE
Read moreThis listed theater opened in 1926 and is part of the family of theaters designed by architect B. Marcus Priteca for the owner Alexander Pantages. The interior features a vaulted ceiling, while the façade is in the Spanish late Gothic style. It originally hosted vaudevilles. Then a $20 million renovation was completed in 1998 to allow it to host Broadway musicals in the best conditions. 2,197 spectators can be seated there.
THE MAGIC THEATRE
Read moreTheatre known for its experimental parts and theatrical performances. Located in the Fort Mason Center, you will enjoy breathtaking views of the Bay, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Two Pulitzer prizes have crowned the Magic coins.
LORRAINE HANSBERRY THEATRE
Read moreFounded in 1981, the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre company stages plays by African-American authors. The theater's programming includes shows that introduce African-American and African literature, as well as the great icons of black music. It has survived many crises, starting with the decline of the African-American community, which now represents only 6% of the population of San Francisco.
INTERSECTION FOR THE ARTS
Read moreThe Art Centre, which includes a gallery, a literary lounge and a jazz room, Intersection for the Arts is also a theatre. The resident troupe Campo Santo plays pieces that try to illustrate and respond to the problems of the local community, often Hispanic.