Tickets now on sale: Mission District’s 1926 vaudeville venue is bringing ‘The Lord of the Rings’ to life — surrounded by thousands of candles and  Spanish Colonian Revival details

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Eder Dade

 –  Staff Writer

 ·  September 17, 2026

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Nearly a century after audiences first took their seats here, music from Middle-earth is coming to Brava Theater Center. Candlelight is bringing a tribute to ‘The Lord of the Rings’ to the Mission District venue, with tickets now on sale for an intimate string-quartet performance surrounded by the warm glow of candlelight.

The concert celebrates 25 years of The Lord of the Rings franchise through music that has become inseparable from its cinematic world. Familiar pieces including “The Fellowship” and “The One Ring” will be performed live on strings as part of a collaboration between Candlelight and Warner Bros. Discovery Global.

Brava Theater Center: A theater with countless stories in its walls

Before Brava became the cultural space San Franciscans know and love today, the building had already lived several lives. It opened in 1926 as the Roosevelt Theatre, a vaudeville house that later transitioned into a cinema. In fact, traces of that theatrical past remain in the structure itself: Spanish Colonial Revival and Moorish influences meet Art Deco details along the Mission’s 24th Street corridor.

In 1996, the space was renovated, where a 370-seat theater and additional community spaces were added. During construction work, workers uncovered remnants from earlier chapters of the building, including old movie posters, a horseshoe hidden beneath the floor and a 1937 bas-relief showing an airplane above a surprisingly open San Francisco skyline. These details give Brava its identity, making it a fitting backdrop for an immersive Candlelight tribute to one of the most beloved film franchises in the world.

Brava has built a cultural identity around the voices it puts center stage, with a particular focus on women, LGBTQIA+ artists and communities historically underrepresented in the arts. It’s welcomed the likes of Sandra Bernhard, Leslie Gore and Ely Guerra.

Candlelight: The Lord of the Rings

Now, the theater adds a rather different repertoire to that history: the everlasting scores of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Written by acclaimed composer Howard Shore, they will be reimagined by the talented musicians of Range Ensemble San Francisco.

📍 Location: Brava Theater Center

📅 Dates: Dec 4, Jan 29

⏳ Duration: 60 minutes

🏰Come dressed as your favorite character if you like

♿ Accessibility: the venue is ADA compliant