San Francisco City Hall is an iconic landmark in SF, and it’s known for its colorful lights every night, often changing with the occasion. Whether it’s to cheer on the 49ers or to celebrate Pride, San Franciscans have come to expect the landmark building to be illuminated every night. Now, City Hall has added an especially exciting light show for the winter.
The activation, City Hall Winter Lights, features a large-scale projection onto City Hall, visible from both Polk Street and Van Ness Avenue. The activation also comes with a soundtrack that you can listen to via an app on your phone to make the show feel more immersive.
The massive light projects happen every 30 minutes, and last approximately 10 minutes, starting at 5:30 pm every night. The show runs until 12 am each evening, so you have plenty of opportunities to see it throughout the night. The new activation is in addition to the popular Christmas tree that stands in front of City Hall, a holiday tradition that had an official tree lighting last week. Right next to Civic Center, you can find both the opera house and the San Francisco Ballet, which host a series of lively events for the holidays. The SF Opera House hosts The Nutcracker every December, delighting San Franciscans with the holiday classic. Also, be sure to head to the symphony this year, where you can see special holiday concerts and film screenings of beloved holiday movies like The Holiday and Home Alone.
The activation will run through January 2, 2026, as it joins numerous other light installations in the city. Last weekend, Let’s Glow SF debuted in downtown San Francisco. The light installation uses projections on numerous SF landmarks, including the Ferry Building, Hobart Building, and more.