The North Face Climb Festival is coming to San Francisco this weekend for an exhilarating few days of head-to-head competition, panel discussions, and live DJs! The free event will feature appearances from pro climbers, including a panel moderated by Alex Honnold.
This celebration of climbing culture will take place at China Basin Park on the San Francisco waterfront on Friday, Sept. 5th, and Saturday, Sept. 6th, 2025.
Keep reading for everything you should know.
Events and activities at the 2025 North Face Climb Festival
Open and Paraclimbing Competition
The festival’s main attraction is a 45-foot climbing wall towering over the San Francisco Bay. Climbers will face off head-to-head on identical routes throughout both days, with only deep water to break their fall.
Registration has closed for climbers to join the competition, but you can expect to see a range of levels from amateurs to pros.
Look out for guest athletes on the wall, such as Brook Raboutou, Sean Raboutou, Nathaniel Coleman, Angie Scarth-Johnson, and Ben Mayforth.
Friday, Sept. 5
- 11:00 AM: Qualifying Round 1 – Women
- 12:15 PM: Qualifying Round 2 – Women
- 1:45 PM: Qualifying Round 3 – Men
- 3:00 PM: Qualifying Round 4 – Men
- 4:30 PM: Women’s Seeding
- 5:15 PM: Men’s Seeding
Saturday, Sept. 6
- 9:00 AM: Women’s Paraclimbing Qualifying Round
- 10:00 AM: Men’s Paraclimbing Qualifying Round
- 12:00 PM: Women’s Paraclimbing Semi Finals + Finals
- 12:15 PM: Men’s Paraclimbing Semi Finals + Finals
- 1:30 PM: Women’s Quarterfinals
- 3:15 PM: Men’s Quarterfinals
- 5:00 PM: Women’s Semifinals + Finals
- 6:00 PM: Men’s Semifinals + Finals
- 6:45 PM: Awards Ceremony
Panel discussions
Attendees can attend two panel discussions on Saturday featuring some of the biggest names in the climbing world, including Alex Honnold, Nina Williams, Allison Vest, and Conrad Anker.
- 11:15 AM: Born on Rock: The Evolution of Climbing in the Bay moderated by Alex Honnold
- 2:30 PM: Dare to Disrupt: Redefining the Outdoors in SF moderated by Langstyn Avery
Bouldering walls, merch, and live DJs
The North Face Climb Festival will keep the festivities flowing with bouldering walls open to the public and exclusive The North Face merchandise available for purchase.
Saturday’s schedule features a series of live DJ sets, which are sure to pop off, especially in the evening after the competition ends. Here’s the lineup:
- 12:30 PM: House Roast: Red Bay Coffee X Dirtybird Records
- 7:15 PM: Live DJ Set: Aluna
- 8:15 PM: Headline DJ Set: It’s Murph
Attending the North Face Climb Festival
The North Face Climb Festival is a celebration of climbing open to everyone, whether you’re an avid climber or a curious spectator. The global event has been held in major cities all over the world, including Chicago, London, New York, and Shanghai.
Now, it’s San Francisco’s turn, and we can’t wait to check out this unforgettable event in Mission Bay.
📍 Location: China Basin Park, San Francisco, CA 94107
🗓️ Dates: Sept. 5-6, 2025
🌐 Learn more: The North Face Climb Festival
Featured image: Christopher Michel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons