San Francisco

Festivals and Events in May

Fridays on Front Street

Check out San Francisco's newest free block party, Fridays on Front Street! On select Fridays, attendees can enjoy outdoor live music featuring local artists curated by Noise Pop. The event will also include street-side beer, various food pop-ups, sports, and games.

Bay to Breakers

Since 1912, tens of thousands of people have gathered in San Francisco to see the world's largest footrace, Bay to Breakers, unfold as more than 70,000 costume-clad runners and walkers make their way from San Francisco Bay, a few blocks from the Embarcadero, to the Great Highway where the breakers crash onto the Pacific Coast’s Ocean Beach. Get ready to get weird on May 17, 2026.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival encompasses nearly 100 artistic, cultural, and community events in Yerba Buena Gardens from May through November, 2026. Events include popular and operatic music series, cultural festivals, dance performances, international music concerts, visual art exhibits, theater, and spoken word performances.

Club Darc

Pier 48

The inaugural season of San Francisco's newest nightlife staple, Club Darc, comes to a close this month. See Chris Lake on May 1 and 2, with additional DJs including Salute, Jackie Hollander, AMPRS&ND, ATRIP, Marco Strous, and JLittle. On May 9, see Disco Dom, DJ Harvey, and e'Lish. May 15 brings a four-hour set from Solomun, and the closing night show on May 16 features Underworld and many more. All shows 21+. 

CAAMFest

CAAMFest is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films; annually presenting approximately 130 works in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland. Since 1982, the festival has been an important launching point for Asian American independent filmmakers and a vital source of new Asian cinema. CAAMFest is on from May 7 to 10, 2026.

Best of PlayGround

Portero Stage

PlayGround, San Francisco’s incubator for emerging playwrights, invites a group of selected writers from four cities—Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Chicago—to respond to a monthly theme. These playwrights are encouraged to submit original ten-page plays inspired by the given topic. The best submissions are chosen for script-in-hand staged readings, showcasing talented directors and actors from each region. Enjoy the top choices from the 2025 to 2026 season at the Best of Playground, which takes place from May 30 to 31, 2026.

San Francisco International Arts Festival

Performances by more than 60 theater, dance, and music ensembles from the Bay Area and 11 countries unfold in the space of three action-packed weeks, starting April 29 and ending May 10, 2026. The San Francisco International Arts Festival features a major arts exhibition as well as multiple educational, residency, and outreach activities.

Taiwanese American Cultural Festival

Union Square

Stop by Union Square on Saturday, May 9, 2026 between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. for the Taiwanese American Cultural Festival. This free and family-friendly event features food, entertainment, activities and more that celebrate the history of Taiwan and the global contributions of its people.

Valencia LIVE!

Mission District

Visit the Mission on May 14, 2026, and enjoy an informal block party along Valencia Street, between 16th and 19th streets. This free event will feature outdoor shopping, dining, and live music. Can't make it that day? Don't worry; Valencia LIVE! will have activations all summer long.

Carnaval San Francisco

This is San Francisco's version of Mardi Gras and one of the city's largest annual public events. From May 23 to 24, the event features exotic Carnaval dancers with a mixture of Latino, jazz, samba, and Caribbean influences. A festive parade on Sunday morning draws upon broad cultural pageantry. 

San Francisco Documentary Film Festival

SF DocFest documentaries, while exploring fun and lighthearted subject matter, often uncover serious truths. Produced by the SF IndieFest, the event will run from May 28 to June 7, 2026.

AAPI Cocktail Week

Various locations

San Francisco AAPI Cocktail Week returns May 24 to 25 for its fourth year, celebrating the city's Asian American and Pacific Islander mixology talent. This two-day celebration honors the vibrant AAPI community behind the bar with a dynamic mix of culture, conversation, and craft. Whether you're a cocktail enthusiast or just looking for a fun night out, San Francisco AAPI Cocktail Week 2026 promises to be a memorable experience.