The “world’s largest Pride flag” will again light up Market Street this year in a dazzling rainbow laser installation from the Ferry Building. The installation titled WELCOME will display 12 colored laser beams rising at a 3-degree angle toward the top of Twin Peaks. Look for it shining down Market after sundown on Pride weekend, June 23-25, 2023.
WELCOME is a collaboration between SF nonprofit Illuminate and the city’s unofficial mascot Karl the Fog. We’re hoping Karl takes a night off and we can enjoy clear skies on Pride weekend to see the rainbow lasers at their best, especially for the free “]Grand Lighting Ceremony at the Ferry Building from 7-10pm on Friday June 23 to kick off the lighting. The event at Harry Bridges Plaza will feature performances from BC and the Howlers, Juanita MORE!, Circus Center, and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi will be the one to flip the switch.
Last year’s installation had 6 lasers measuring 4.1 miles long, 49 feet wide, and lit from 9:30pm to midnight each night. This year, they’re upping the ante with 12 lasers for a doubly vibrant rainbow laser spectacle.
Photographers managed to snap some wonderfully vibrant photos of the laser installation in 2022, but as SFist asserts, the lights didn’t quite stretch the 4.1 miles in person due to fog. For the best chance of seeing the installation, they recommend going downtown to see the lasers emanate from their origin at the Ferry Building.
“This installation is one of the coolest things we’ve ever supported and we invite all of our creative community to come and visually document the spectacle,” said Peak Design Founder, Peter Dering, last year. “San Francisco has always been our home, and we’re proud to celebrate the LGBTQ community and remind the world what SF stands for: Love and inclusion.”