San Francisco events
Expert guide to San Francisco
Overview Overview
Hotels Hotels
Attractions Attractions
Restaurants Restaurants
Nightlife Nightlife
Shopping Shopping
An insider's guide to the best festivals and events in San Francisco, including the San Francisco International Film Festival, San Francisco Pride, Bay to Breakers and Outside Lands. By Sara Benson, Telegraph Travel's San Francisco expert.
Calendar of festivals and events 2017
Chinese New Year
February 11
San Francisco’s historic Chinatown fills with spectators for an annual parade of vibrant floats, dancing lions and acrobats. It’s usually held two weeks after the lunar new year.
Address: Starting from Market Street at 2nd Street
Admission: free
Contact: 001 415 391 2000; sanfranciscochinatown.com
San Francisco International Film Festival
April 5-19
The longest-running film festival screen in the Americas new works by famous names and emerging filmmakers hailing from over 50 countries. See just one movie, or buy a festival pass.
Address: Various venues
Admission: tickets from US$15
Contact: 001 415 561 5006; sffs.org
Bay to Breakers
May 21
Gawk at over 50,000 runners and walkers, many wearing outlandish costumes (or very little clothing at all), making their away 12km through the city from the Embarcadero to Golden Gate Park.
Address: Starting from Main Street and Howard Street
Admission: free to watch; race entry from US$49
Contact: zapposbaytobreakers.com
San Francisco Pride
June 24-25
San Francisco’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community comes out in style for a grand parade and street party in early summer.
Admission: free
Contact: 001 415 864 0831; sfpride.org
The best hotels in San Francisco
Outside Lands
August 11-13
Golden Gate Park’s biggest summer festival showcases top international bands and break-out musicians, along with art installations, comedians, food trucks, beer and wine vendors, and an ‘Eco Lands’ hub for green living.
Admission: 3-day festival passes from US$135 (£108)
Contact: 001 415 390 2737; sfoutsidelands.com
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
October 6-8
Free musical acts – some surprisingly famous, others on the verge – perform on multiple stages in Golden Gate Park. It’s an eclectic mix of rock, country, indie and just about any other genre you could name.
Admission: free
Contact: 001 415 650 3080; hardlystrictlybluegrass.com
Litquake
October (exact dates TBC)
Who says the printed word and bookstores are dead? In California’s most literate city, book lovers gather for author talks, poetry readings, writing workshops and a pub crawl.
Admission: some free events
Contact: 001 415 440 4177; litquake.org
Dia de Los Muertos
November 2
On this Mexican holiday honouring lost loved ones and family ancestors, view colourful memorial altars in Garfield Park. A candlelight procession with live music winds through the city’s Mission District.
Admission: free
Contact: 001 415 391 2000; dayofthedeadsf.org
