What’s New in San Francisco for Winter 2025 and Beyond

November 7, 2025 (San Francisco) – San Francisco is ready for its global close-up. As the city prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its founding in 2026, global sporting events will bring the world to San Francisco, while the city itself ushers in a new era of cultural transformation. From the grand reopening of the historic Castro Theatre to new immersive waterfront experiences and a continued spirit of culinary innovation, San Francisco is proving once again why it's a city of reinvention, creativity, and endless possibility.

San Francisco Welcomes Global Sporting Events

Super Bowl LX Week in San Francisco: One of the biggest games in sports will be held on February 9 at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers. While the game itself will bring tens of thousands of fans to the Bay Area, San Francisco will be celebrating all week long with a series of special events, activations and live performances. 

• NFL Pro Bowl at the Moscone Center (February 3): San Francisco’s convention center will transform into a custom-built flag football arena to host the 2026 Pro Bowl. The Pro Bowl Game celebrates the league’s top players through a 7-on-7 matchup of the American Football Conference versus the National Football Conference.
• Experiences at Moscone Center (February 4-7): The Moscone Center will remain the heart of the action in the lead-up to the big game, hosting official Super Bowl events, interactive fan experiences, and a series of live entertainment and special appearances by NFL legends and celebrity guests.
• Long Concert Series: Music fans can soak in the celebrations with a series of high-profile concerts scheduled for Super Bowl Week. Confirmed performances so far include Sting, who will play at the Palace of Fine Arts on February 6th, followed by a concert by The Killers on February 7th. The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium will host Chris Stapleton with special guest Sierra Ferrell on February 7th.

FIFA World Cup: This summer, Levi’s Stadium will again be on the world stage as the host of six matches from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including five group fixtures and one knockout game. The games will be played between June 13 – July 1. 

Pokémon World Championships: San Francisco will host the Pokémon World Championships from August 28 to 30. The hugely popular e-sports event brings competitors from all around the globe to battle for the title of World Champion. The Pokémon Company will also debut its new fan experience, Pokémon XP, an official convention slated to run alongside the Pokémon World Championships. Pokémon XP is positioned as the first official Pokémon convention of its kind.

Hotel News

Two New Restaurants Arrive at the Westin St. Francis: This October, acclaimed chef and restaurateur Michael Mina and The MINA Group unveiled Bourbon Steak San Francisco, a bold new expression of Chef Mina’s beloved steakhouse concept reimagined with modern flair and elevated takes on American classics. Adjacent to Bourbon Steak, The Eighth Rule, a bourbon-driven bar developed by two-time MVP and four-time NBA champion and entrepreneur Stephen Curry, debuted at the same time, marking an exciting new destination in the city.

San Francisco’s iconic InterContinental Mark Hopkinsmarks its 100th anniversary in December. In celebration, the property unveiled a slate of centennial programming, elevated guest experiences, and cultural events to honor its legacy.

Huntington Hotel: A Nob Hill icon, the historic Huntington Hotel is reportedly set to open in 2026 after a top-to-bottom renovation, restoring its timeless luxury while introducing refreshed dining and wellness experiences for a new era.

Francis Ford Coppola’s “Hideaways” Boutique Hotel: An intimate boutique hotel in Columbus Tower, a historic Flatiron Building that is home to Coppola’s American Zoetrope studio, is slated to debut in late 2026. 

New Experiences

The new Big Art Loop is transforming San Francisco into a citywide accessible art gallery. The initiative plans to bring up to 100 temporary large-scale sculptures to San Francisco over three years, creating a 34-mile walkable and bikeable art trail throughout the city. In November, the Big Art Loop – Portside launched, featuring ten new large-scale, temporary sculptures along the San Francisco waterfront that form the bayside segment of the citywide Big Art Loop trail.

The avid urban hikers behind San Francisco’s 17-mile Crosstown and 14-mile Double Cross trails unveiled an audacious new trail in October—the 38-mile Roundabout. The route follows the city’s outer edge, starting and ending at the Ferry Building and traversing along the San Francisco Bay, the Daly City border, the Pacific Ocean, and the Golden Gate Strait. Hikers can choose to break up the trek over several days.

San Francisco's newest public park, Cityside Park, is now open on Treasure Island. The park features a great lawn, pedestrian plaza, and grilling stations, with stunning views of San Francisco's iconic skyline. Cityside Park is the second new park to be added to Treasure Island and its neighboring Yerba Buena Island. In the coming years, 300 acres of new park and open space will become available.

TIAT, a new space dedicated to art, technology, and collective creation, opens in November in the heart of downtown San Francisco. A new home for experimental installations, workshops, and exhibitions by creative technologists and new media artists, TIAT will explore the evolving relationship between art and technology.

After 172 years in business, Levi Strauss & Co. has stories to share. The company’s museum, The Vault, will reopen in November in a new and expanded space. Closed since the pandemic, The Vault will kick off with a limited-run exhibit celebrating the Levi’s® brand’s influence in music with garments from artists like Kurt Cobain to Beyoncé. Admission is free.

Coming Soon

After a two-year, $41 million renovation, the beloved, century-old Castro Theatre will reopen its doors in February of 2026. The reopening will be marked by a 20-show residency from internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Sam Smith. The historic theater is a cultural icon of the LGBTQ+ community and one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Castro neighborhood. Frameline will return to the theater in June, when the world’s oldest queer film festival marks 50 years.

San Francisco’s Japantown, one of only three remaining in the US, will complete a $33 million renovation of the neighborhood’s Peace Plaza in mid-2026, ushering in a renewed era of Asian culture, cuisine and community.  The Plaza sits at the heart of the neighborhood, serving as a hub for community and cultural celebrations. 

The Institute of Contemporary Art, San Francisco (ICA SF) is transitioning to “Nomadic Model,” which will turn San Francisco into its gallery. ICA SF will close its current location in The Cube in December and unveil its first nomadic exhibition at the Transamerica Pyramid Center in January. The program will feature a presentation of large-scale Stratagem sculptures by Tara Donovan in the Transamerica Pyramid’s iconic Annex space. In the center’s Redwood Park, landscape artist Lily Kwong's major new site-responsive project, EARTHSEED DOME, a 3D-printed living soil installation, will be on display. 

Slated to open this spring at the historic Pier 70 is Elevation Sky Park San Francisco (ESP SF), an arts and cultural attraction. Located in the city’s vibrant Dogpatch neighborhood, ESP SF will feature three geodesic projection domes and a unique pyramid structure, creating a versatile campus for immersive entertainment, education, and wellness with both daytime and nighttime programming. 

“Bay Lights 360” is slated to debut in early 2026. The light art installation by Leo Villareal will illuminate a 1.8-mile stretch of the Bay Bridge. The original Bay Lights were turned off in March 2023 as they had deteriorated after 10 years due to harsh conditions. Leo Villareal, the artist behind the original Bay Lights, has created a new iteration featuring approximately 50,000 lights that will shimmer in abstract, wavelike formations that never repeat. Bay Lights 360 will have twice as many lights as the original Bay Lights.

Adding to the transformation of San Francisco’s Embarcadero, celebrated San Francisco writer Dave Eggers is teaming up with pioneering coffee roaster Mokhtar Alkhanshali to open a café at Art + Water, a new arts nonprofit set in a 70,000-square-foot space at Pier 29. The mixed-use space will house a large café and new coffee brand run by Alkhanshali, offer free studio space for artists, and feature some 10,000 square feet of gallery space. The café is slated to open in late summer or fall 2026.

One of San Francisco’s top attractions, Fisherman’s Wharf, is getting a glow-up in time for the summer tourism season. The Port of San Francisco is investing $10 million to create a public plaza on Taylor Street and reconnect visitors to the Wharf’s inner lagoon. The Wharf is California’s largest fishing hub, and the creation of a new inner lagoon overlook will celebrate the fishing fleet and historic fishing vessels anchored there. 

Food & Drink

This fall, San Francisco Travel launched the first-ever San Francisco Martini Trail. The trail is a curated journey for cocktail lovers highlighting 23 standout martinis in the City by the Bay. The iconic cocktail was conceived in the Bay Area during the Gold Rush, and San Francisco now offers a dedicated experience for travelers to learn more about the martini’s cultural ties to the city while exploring its constantly evolving craft cocktail scene. 

San Francisco’s culinary scene continues to thrive with new openings ranging from innovative supper clubs and wine bars to new dining destinations. 

• San Francisco’s Ferry Building is becoming a day and evening culinary destination, with a string of new and upcoming openings. New culinary offerings in the building include:
  • Nopa Fish: From the famed Nopa team, the venue combines a counter-service seafood restaurant with a traditional fish market.
  • Parachute Bakery: The team behind Michelin-starred restaurant Sorrel serves signature pastries like the Parachute Chocolate Entremet, a small, five-layered chocolate pastry shaped like a parachute.
  • Arquet: Also from the team behind Sorrel, Arquet transformed the former Slanted Door space. The full-service restaurant offers a seasonal, coastal California menu that is casual, sustainable, and designed for sharing.
  • Hayati: Slated to open next year, Hayati will be a Mediterranean/pan-Mediterranean restaurant from restaurateur Kais Bouzidi, who is the brains behind nearby restaurants Sens and Bon Delire. it is expected to open this coming summer.
  • Lucania: From the A16 team, this southern Italian concept will encompass a full-service restaurant, wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, fresh pasta, local produce, year-round patio seating, and a complete cocktail program. The projected opening is late summer or early fall 2026.
• A National Park site in San Francisco has become a dining destination: Following the opening of Dalida, Piccino and Colibri in the Presidio of San Francisco, the Mess Hall at the Presidio will debut in 2026.
• Verjus, a wine bar bistro concept from the Michelin-starred duo, Michael and Lindsay Tusk, opened in the city’s Jackson Square neighborhood. Verjus was recently named one of America’s 50 Best restaurants by the New York Times.
• The team behind the Michelin-starred former restaurant Lord Stanley, opened Wolfsbane in the Dogpatch. The restaurant offers an intimate dining experience with 18 seats in the main dining room and 20 seats in a private dining room. Wolfsbane’s menu centers on a nine-course, seasonally changing tasting menu.
• This summer, iconic San Francisco Vietnamese restaurant Crustacean, moved to a new location in the Financial District. The new, nearly 6,000 square foot space features a dramatic entry framed by an 18th-century carved wood door, a rose gold-toned bar, and luxe interior design, with menu highlights like whole roasted Dungeness crab and the restaurant’s famous garlic noodles.
• The Happy Crane, a restaurant serving modern Chinese cuisine, opened this summer in Hayes Valley. The menu reflects Chef James Yeun Leong Parry’s unique culinary journey, which spans celebrated kitchens such as Bo Innovation (Hong Kong), Nihonryori Ryugin (Tokyo and Hong Kong), Benu, and Palette Tea House in San Francisco, as well as his personal heritage shaped by time spent in Hong Kong, Beijing, and England.
• Via Aurelia opened in October at Mission Rock. It offers both an à la carte dining experience and a five–seven course tasting menu. The menu celebrates the simplicity of Tuscan cuisine with a modern sensibility, showcasing pristine seafood, house-made pastas, and produce-driven creations and honoring the region’s most iconic ingredients and beloved dishes.   
• After closing its doors for a few months, Sam Wo, an iconic, century-old San Francisco establishment, reopened its doors in September under new ownership. The restaurant serves up favorites from its original menu like Pork Rice Noodle Rolls, along with new menu items including additional dim sum options, tapas and fresh teas.
• In August, San Francisco welcomed Frenchie Wine Bar, the first San Francisco wine bar focused on biodynamic wines. Frenchie’s pairs its selection of biodynamic wines with a seasonal menu focused on the flavors of California.
• Shuggie’s, a maximalist restaurant that made a national name for itself for its focus on fighting food waste, has reopened with a refreshed look and new menu. While keeping its focus intact, the restaurant has relaunched with a menu featuring American favorites reimagined with rescued ingredients and sustainable proteins, plus a new Old Vegas glam aesthetic.
• Lillie Coit’s is bringing late night eats to San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. The cocktail bar and restaurant serves up a French-focused menu, with food available until 1 a.m. and a late-night oyster happy hour that runs from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m. daily.
• San Francisco’s historic Haight Ashbury neighborhood has continued its culinary and nightlife renaissance with the opening of Jules and Mary’s Bar on Haight.
  • Formerly a pop-up, Jules opened in a permanent space this summer. Created by Max Blachman-Gentile, former Tartine culinary director, Jules’ menu features sourdough pizzas, seasonal small plates and homemade ice cream.
  • Formerly Trax, Mary's is LGBTQ+ owned and operated, staying true to its legacy as the last remaining queer bar in the Haight.
• Long Weekend, an immersive new cocktail bar, opened last month in a historic 1920’s bank building at the iconic corner of Columbus and Broadway in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. Long Weekend opened with a destination experience of Cuba, transporting guests to Havana with a Cuban cocktail menu, live music and a significant Cuban Art Collection. Every nine months, the bar will transform to showcase a different global destination.
• Inspired by the soul and nostalgia of iconic Jewish delis in New York, New Jersey, and beyond, the new Super Mensch serves classic Jewish deli fare alongside modern cocktails that playfully riff on Jewish American traditions. The restaurant is located in San Francisco’s Marina District. 

Art Exhibitions

The Art of Manga exhibition at the de Young celebrates manga culture with visits from iconic manga artists, cosplay meetups, exclusive artist-designed merchandise, and more. This is the first major museum show in North America dedicated to exploring the art form of manga, the genre of Japanese comics and graphic novels characterized by evocative drawings. The 700-piece exhibition provides a rare opportunity to experience original drawings by some of the most influential manga artists, many of which have never been on public view. On display through January 25.

Manet & Morisot at the Legion of Honor is the first major exhibition dedicated to the artistic exchange between French Impressionists Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot. Manet was the era’s great pioneer of modern painting, and Morisot wasthe only woman to exhibit under her own name in the original Impressionist group. This exhibition traces the evolution of a friendship unfolding over a period of 15 years between two groundbreaking artists. On display through March 1. 

For over six decades, Suzanne Jackson has created lyrical, awe-inspiring paintings influenced by her deep respect for the natural world and continual belief in the connection between all living things. Suzanne Jackson: What is Love at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is the first museum retrospective of her work, showcasing over 80 paintings and drawings that reflect her innovative use of color, light, and structure, developed in collaboration with the artist. On Display through March 1. 

UNBOUND: Art, Blackness, and the Universe, a group exhibition at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) explores the critical connections between Blackness, scientific and spiritual cosmologies, and post-human thought. Featuring paintings, collage, glass sculptures, and installations by international and multi-generational African Diasporic artists, the exhibition invites viewers to imagine Blackness as a site of limitless possibility as infinite as the cosmos itself. On view through August 16.

The KAWS: FAMILY exhibition at SFMOMA presents a captivating exploration of the American artist's work, featuring more than 100 pieces from the last three decades. KAWS (born Brian Donnelly, 1974) started as a graffiti artist while he was a teen in the mid-1990s. KAWS’s recurring cast of characters is influenced by pop culture icons and mascots that he brings into his own unique visual language. His work now includes sculptures, paintings, and product collaborations, organized by thematic encounters. On display starting November 15, 2025, to May 3, 2026.

Wellness

Onsen, a Japanese bathhouse and restaurant experience, reopened this summer in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. Guests can enjoy the facility’s soaking pool, sauna, and steam room. On the weekends, Onsen provides a one-of-a-kind bathhouse and restaurant experience, giving visitors the opportunity to experience a bathhouse session, followed by a meal in Onsen’s dining room. Every weekend, Onsen welcomes a new guest chef to present a curated pre-set menu to diners. 

This summer, Fjord, a floating wood-fired sauna opened in Sausalito, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. The saunas provide sweeping views of the Bay Area and guests are encouraged to enjoy a cold dip in the Bay after their sweat session via ladders on the dock. 

SAN FRANCISCO TRAVEL 

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