June in San Francisco brings us some exciting new museum exhibitions, festivals, Pride events, and activities that you don’t want to miss. Read on for everything you need to know to kick off summer 2025.
1. Stern Grove Festival
Who’s ready to see some live music?! Stern Grove Festival, a free outdoor concert series featuring a wide variety of genres, has just released its summer lineup and a new ticketing system. The first concert starts this June, so you’re going to want to mark it on your calendar.
🗓️ June concerts:
- June 15: The California Honeydrops + The Dip
- June 22: Channel Tres + ASTU
- June 29: Sleater-Kinney + Destroy Boys
- See the rest of the lineup here.
2. SF Pride
San Francisco Pride is back for another fantastic year, bringing thousands of participants from all over California. There will be events all month long celebrating Pride, but the famous parade is scheduled for the last weekend of June.
🗓️ Dates: June 28-29, 2025
3. Candlelight: Best of Bridgerton on Strings
This magical concert, featuring a candlelit venue in SF, features the best music from Bridgerton. The show is part of the popular Candlelight Concerts, and it’s perfect for spring in SF. Whether you want a romantic date night or you’re just missing the Bridgerton magic, it’s the perfect event for this June.
🎟️ Tickets: You can get your tickets here
4. Juneteenth Freedom Celebration
The Juneteenth SF Freedom Celebration will take over 8 blocks in the Fillmore District. Check it out for an afternoon of live music, carnival rides, a car show, and even a beer and wine garden. It’s a free event that is open to the public and is perfect for a family-friendly Juneteenth celebration.
🗓️ Dates: June 14, 2025
🌐 Learn more: Read our article for more SF Juneteenth events.
5. We Call It Jazz
San Francisco’s jazz scene continues to thrive with We Call It Jazz, a new show at The Palace Theater that celebrates the genre’s roots in New Orleans. This one-hour performance features a mix of classic jazz, swing, and blues songs, paired with vibrant improvisation by a talented local band.
🎟️ Tickets: See the schedule and get tickets here.
6. Watch a free screening of Wicked
Yerba Buena Garden Festival is hosting a free screening of the hit musical Wicked this June. The free outdoor screening is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, with the festivities starting at 6:30 pm. Food and beverages from local restaurants will be at the screening, and the movie will start around 8:30 pm.
🗓️ Date: June 7, 2025
7. North Beach Festival
One of the nation’s longest-running street festivals is coming back for its 71st rendition! The historic North Beach Festival will take over the North Beach neighborhood with live music at multiple stages, dozens of vendors selling gourmet food and arts and crafts, and gorgeous Italian street paintings called Madonnari.
🗓️ Dates: June 14-15, 2025
8. West Coast Craft
West Coast Craft is back with more fantastic markets this summer. The massive craft market brings together hundreds of artists who create ceramics, paintings, jewelry, clothing, and much more. It’s free to enter, and the perfect chance to support local artists.
🗓️ Dates:
- June 7-8, 2025: West Coast Craft with 275+ vendors at Fort Mason Center festival pavilion
- June 27, 2025: West Coast Craft and Off The Grid night market at Fort Mason Center parking lot
9. “America’s best rose garden” in San Jose
Did you know that “America’s Best Rose Garden” is here in the Bay Area? Every summer, thousands of visitors flock to the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, which explodes into a vibrant spectrum of pinks, reds, oranges, and yellows. The expansive 5.5-acre garden has over 3,500 plantings in 189 different varieties, and it’s completely free to visit.
10. Pink Triangle
One of the most iconic parts of Pride in San Francisco is the famous glowing Pink Triangle, which rests high above the City at Twin Peaks as a symbol of pride for many in the LGBTQIA+ community. The Pink Triangle opens on June 8 and will remain up for the rest of the month. Read our article for info about volunteering to help install it.
🗓️ Dates: Starting June 7, 2025
11. We Call It Ballet
Check out a memorable LED ballet performance of The Sleeping Beauty this June at SF’s Brava Theater Center. Talented local dancers will don glowing costumes for a captivating performance that melds classical and futuristic elements.
🎟️ Tickets: See the schedule and get tickets to We Call It Ballet
12. Museum exhibitions
As we enter a new season 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. Check out the list of temporary exhibitions here.
13. Free admission days
We love San Francisco for its vibrant culture, history, and resources, but it’s no secret that living here costs a pretty penny. This list shows SF museums and gardens currently offering free admission days to the general public. Check out the full list of free museum days here.
14. SF Jazz Festival
SFJAZZ is gearing up for an epic summer season. Make sure you mark your calendar for the annual SF Jazz Festival, showcasing 35 concerts at the SFJAZZ Center and the Festival Tent. The SF Jazz Festival started in 1983 as a small “Jazz in the City” event, and now, over 40 years later, has grown into what the Chicago Tribune once called “The crown jewel among American jazz festivals.”
🗓️ Dates: June 13-15, 2025
15. Bouquets to Art
Bouquets to Art is back for another year, decorating fine art galleries with beautiful floral bouquets. This year, the event will take place at both the de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor. You can also attend various art talks throughout the week, trunk shows with different artists, and even a raffle.
🗓️ Dates: June 3-8, 2025
16. Free activities at Salesforce Park
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.
17. Fort Mason Center events
When’s the last time you paid a visit to San Francisco’s amazing Fort Mason Center? The popular art center hosts numerous exhibitions and events throughout the year, and there are some special ones coming up.. Read our guide for more.
18. Cheer on the Giants at Oracle Park
Baseball season is officially in full swing, and June is the perfect time to watch the Giants play at Oracle Park. Plus, you can check out one of the theme nights happening this month, including Hello Kitty day, Pixar night, and many more.
19. Ferry Building events
San Francisco’s Ferry Building is one of the city’s most iconic buildings, serving as a hotspot for tourists and locals alike. It’s a center for events, pop-ups, a farmers’ market, and countless excellent merchants who sell their wares daily in the building’s many stalls. Read our Ferry Building guide for more.
20. Free concerts at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell
The Golden Gate Park Bandshell has announced its 2025 season of free concerts, which runs all the way through mid-November. These weekly, family-friendly concerts are some of the most beloved events in the park. Catch over 100 performances in a variety of genres, including R&B, soul, jazz, funk, big band, strings, indie, rock, reggae, salsa, electronic, and EDM. See the full lineup here.
21. After Dark at the Exploratorium
These 18+ After Dark events are a must for some epic kid-free fun at the Exploratorium. After Dark happens each Thursday from 6-10 pm with a different weekly theme, featuring guest speakers, films, great music, and more.
🎟️ Tickets: After Dark at the Exploratorium
22. Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival is now hosting fantastic free programming multiple days a week, and their upcoming schedule is worth putting on your radar. Highlights include the ever-popular weekend session flagship series, which presents unique multicultural concerts on Saturdays at lunchtime, movie nights, free appearances by Circus Bella, and more.
23. Wildflower and superbloom spots
California wildflowers are highly anticipated every year, and 2025 is another great year to see the blooms. There are plenty of beautiful places to look at wildflowers around the Bay Area, and it’s the perfect way to spend a sunny day.
24. Support Queer-owned businesses
We asked our Instagram followers for recommendations about queer-owned businesses that they love supporting in the Bay Area. Y’all didn’t disappoint, and here you’ll find a variety of businesses that proudly represent the Bay Area’s LGBTQ+ community, all while providing stellar service and products.
By Jamie Ferrell and Dana Flynn