There’s plenty to do this July 2026 in and around San Francisco! Keep an eye out for new museum exhibitions, amazing free music, and dazzling Bay Area fireworks shows this July 4th.
Whether you’re hoping to take a memorable summer day trip or make the most of seasonal events, you’ll find plenty of options to choose from around the Bay Area. Read on to discover dozens of activities that will make for a fantastic July in SF and beyond.
During the World Cup, more than 30 Fan Zones will pop up at venues including Thrive City, Pier 39, and China Basin Park, welcoming locals and out-of-towners alike. To make the most of this massive global event in the Bay, make sure you read our full guide to World Cup activities—and if you’re new in SF, read our article for tips about how to get to Levi’s Stadium.
Experience AURA’s 45-minute immersive projection at Grace Cathedral.
AURA is a 45-minute immersive show that blends music and large-scale visual projections to transform Grace Cathedral’s soaring architecture into a dynamic art installation. The experience illuminates arches and intricate details for a memorable multimedia presentation.
While West Coast Craft’s massive, two-day craft fair usually happens in June, a smaller version of the market is coming back in July. West Coast Craft Market will have plenty of amazing vendors selling jewelry, art, ceramics, and more.
Every year, the Illuminate Live series presents hundreds of free concerts at Golden Gate Park’s beautiful Bandshell. All performances are free and family-friendly, with everything from singer/songwriter nights to the ever-popular Reggae Sundays. The beloved music series will continue throughout July, and the lineup is packed with great local musicians, as always.
Experience San Francisco’s history through dazzling acrobatics and live performance.
Dear San Francisco is an ode to San Francisco featuring music, acrobats, dancers, and historical storytelling. The show at Club Fugazi highlights impressive acrobatics and talented performers — tickets often sell out, so book soon.
San Francisco’s Ferry Building is a center for events, pop-ups, a farmers’ market, and countless excellent merchants who sell their wares daily in the building’s many stalls. This July, look for the Head West Marketplace on July 5th and Ferry Fest on July 12th.
The popular concert series is back for another month of delightful classical music covering some of your favorite artists, such as Taylor Swift, Nirvana, Queen, and more, played by a talented string quartet in an intimate environment surrounded by hundreds of luminous candles. The Bay Area’s top musicians perform classical music in lovely settings, including St. Ignatius Church. Check out the full schedule of candlelight concerts in July for a night of music in a beautiful setting.
Free Circus Bella performances
Circus Bella is back for its 17th year of performing free shows in Bay Area parks. The one-ring circus will perform a 60-minute show called AH HA! featuring a one-ring circus complete with acrobats, aerialists, clowns, and more. Check out the schedule for shows in July on their website.
West Coast Craft and Off the Grid food trucks teamed up with Fort Mason Center to create a monthly night market series with craft vendors, delicious food, and more. The lively events are a hit, regularly drawing crowds to enjoy Fort Mason at night.
July is a big month for movie lovers, with some of the year’s most highly anticipated films coming to Bay Area theaters. Buy tickets below.
- July 1: Minions & Monsters
- July 10: Moana (live action)
- July 17: The Odyssey
- July 31: Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Hayes Valley Carnival
The 115-year-old Hayes Valley Carnival delivers a dose of old San Francisco this month. This free neighborhood celebration mixes live Circus Bella performances at PROXY, carnival games, and prizes with street food from local restaurants and vendors.
Bhangra and Beats Night Market
This Friday night event features a variety of street food vendors, cocktails, and goods from over 30 unique local artisans and retailers. Products include hard-to-find Indian goods and San Francisco Bay Area-made jewelry, apparel, personal care, and art. Learn more at their website.
The Alameda County Fair runs June 19–July 12, 2026 in Pleasanton with nightly drone shows, concerts, carnival rides, food specials, and World Cup watch parties. Gates are open Wednesday through Sunday with events and fireworks on select dates.
The 49th annual SF Marathon is coming up. See thousands of racers and spectators take to the streets for an epic route through the city. You can either take up a post along the route (Golden Gate Park is a nice place to watch) or welcome runners to the finish line on the Embarcadero at Folsom.
It’s hard to beat the SF arts and culture scene, especially when it comes to Bay Area music festivals. Here are all the festivals on our radar for July 2026.
- Stern Grove Festival – Sundays from June 14 to August 16 – Stern Grove, San Francisco
- Fillmore Jazz Festival – July 4-5, 2026 – Fillmore District, San Francisco
- Mosswood Meltdown – July 18-19, 2026 – Mosswood Park, Oakland
- Festival Napa Valley – July 4-19, 2026 – Various venues in Napa Valley
A free block party will take over SF’s Front Street entertainment zone at the end of July! The party will run from 4 to 9 pm on Friday evening, with local bars participating, live music, and lawn games.
NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences is one of our favorite ongoing events, and we’re thrilled to see more of these awesome themed soirees on the calendar! The popular Thursday night festivities feature live DJs, outdoor bars, ambiance lighting, and more alongside the Academy’s nearly 40,000 animal residents.
The Exploratorium isn’t your average museum experience – in fact, they’ve been making their own interactive exhibits since 1969. The museum is especially great on Thursdays when they host an after-dark event, including drinks and special presentations.
San Francisco’s Salesforce Park is an amazing modern marvel in the Financial District. The verdant oasis rests 70 feet above the street atop the Salesforce Transit Center, and it’s completely free and open for the public to visit at any time. It also hosts a collection of free events every week, including yoga classes, boot camps, live music, bird walks, garden tours, drum circles, and much more.
As we enter a new month in San Francisco, many local museums are refreshing and replacing their temporary exhibitions. Now’s a great time to take stock and plan ahead to see some of these wonderful displays before they’re gone. Look for Monet and Venice at the de Young and Chiharu Shiota: Two Home Countries at the Asian Art Museum.
Did you know that the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk puts on free programming all summer long? These free movie nights, concerts, magic shows, and performances are happening nightly all summer. If you’re willing to make the trip, you’re in for a treat.
Summer in SF is filled with amazing live music, and one of the most iconic festivals is back for another year. Stern Grove Festival, a free outdoor concert series featuring a wide variety of genres, is in the middle of an epic summer.
Every year, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival hosts fantastic free programming. The independent nonprofit organization is dedicated to presenting accessible cultural events during 6 months of the year, including world-class music, theater, dance, and more.
We love San Francisco for its vibrant culture, history, and resources, but it’s no secret that living here costs a pretty penny. Whether you’re a college student on a budget or a bargain hunter wanting to see the sights, this list will certainly help you get started. Here are all the save-the-dates.
Claim a free Historian Passport June 17–July 6 for unlimited access to 30+ California State Historic Parks.
From June 17 through July 6, California residents can download a free Historian Passport (normally $50) that grants unlimited access for up to four people to 30+ State Historic Parks through the end of 2026. To claim the pass, users must create a free account at ReserveCalifornia.com.
Enjoy local produce, prepared foods, live bands and picnics on Sonoma Plaza every Tuesday evening.
A weekly summertime farmers’ market in Sonoma Plaza featuring about 60 vendors, live music, food, and a community atmosphere. It runs Tuesdays from 5pm–8pm during the season, with special programming like Sonoma Jazz Society nights and youth activities.
Enjoy free live music and cocktails at Pier Party on Jefferson Street this summer.
The Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District has relaunched the free “Pier Party at the Wharf” outdoor concert series on Jefferson Street, running biweekly (second and fourth Saturdays) through September 26, 2026, with live music, dancing areas, cocktails and bistro seating.
Ride vintage steam trains through towering redwoods for moonlight BBQ dinners and live music.
Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton, CA offers vintage narrow-gauge steam train dinner parties through the redwoods, including Santa Cruz–departing and Felton–departing moonlight dinner trains this summer. These 4-hour evening excursions feature barbecue dinners, live music, campfires, and scenic rides to Bear Mountain or back to Santa Cruz.
See Monet’s Venice and Water Lilies before the exhibition closes on July 26, 2026.
The de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park is presenting Monet and Venice, an exhibition of over 100 paintings — including Monet’s Water Lilies and works by Renoir, Sargent, and Canaletto. The show requires timed-entry tickets and closes on July 26, 2026.
This Fourth of July, Bay Area cities and counties return to the parades, markets, live music, and fireworks displays that we know and love—from the famous show at Pier 39 to a massive celebration in Redwood City. Read our guide to the Fourth of July for everything you need to know.
This July, watch 1,200 illuminated drones illuminate the sky over the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, recreating your favorite characters and most beloved moments from the Harry Potter™ films.
If you can’t make it on Fourth of July weekend, DroneArt Show heads to Sacramento’s Cal Expo Race Track on August 14-15.
Don’t miss Alameda’s 3.3-mile Fourth of July parade — it starts at 10:00 a.m. on July 4, 2026.
Alameda’s Fourth of July Parade is a long-running Independence Day celebration and is widely considered the longest Fourth of July parade route in the United States. In 2026 the parade kicks off at 10:00 a.m. on July 4, follows a 3.3-mile route starting at Park Street and Lincoln Ave, and typically runs about two hours.
A wholesome community parade along Sunset Dunes at Ocean Beach — fun for the whole family.
A family-friendly 4th of July parade along the closed portion of the Great Highway at Ocean Beach, starting at Noriega Sunset Lounge and featuring marching bands, firetrucks, bounce houses, face painting and more.
Don’t miss this free two-day celebration of jazz on Fillmore Street.
The annual Fillmore Jazz Festival returns July 4–5, 2026, with over 25 free performances across five stages, food vendors, and a large artisan market along 11 blocks of Fillmore Street between Jackson and Eddy.
The free monthly block party is hosted in Downtown SF on the first Thursday of every month. The event starts at 5 pm and runs until 10 pm, featuring live music, bars, and art galleries. The party takes place on 2nd Street, between Market and Howard, with two outdoor bars welcoming San Franciscans 21 and up.
Spend your Fourth of July dancing to R&B beats and eating ribs in the Mint’s historic courtyard.
R&B and Ribs takes over the Old San Francisco Mint on Saturday, July 4, 2026, from 2:00–8:00 PM, featuring Sticky Business BBQ, a DJ showcase (MARK WEST, KNOWPA SLAPS, BB CAROLZ & KURREN$I) and R&B karaoke in the Mint’s Saloon.