As May rolls into June in San Francisco, and the average daily temperature soars from 65 degrees to 67 degrees, we prepare ourselves for longer days, random World Cup fans wandering around the Embarcadero, and that inevitable summer night where you forget to bring a jacket and freeze your tits off somewhere on the west side, and you swear to yourself you’ll never let that happen again…

Remember to prepare your calendar to catch artful parties in the city. Perhaps some flamenco on a ship, synth pop with a Death Guild, or Cumbia on a street corner. Maybe you’d like to bring a date to French DJs on a Museum’s rooftop, or make some art yourself with some new friends.

Because you want to dance around something beautiful this May & June…

At the elegant, cavernous Palace in North Beach, the Fou Fou Has are taking over for a night. Rooted in the shadowed glamour of Weimar-era cabaret and pulsing with the surreal mischief of clown, The Nectar brings together impeccable dance, seductive burlesque, and a femme-powered narrative threaded with absurdity and ritual. A wink to Fosse. A torn Erotica page. A brush with ABBA. A whisper of Dark Garden indulgence.

Two shows only. Drink deeply while you can…

May 28, 2026
The Palace Theater
644 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133
Tickets start at $55

There’s a new art house in SOMA, run by 3 classical musicians with lots of contributing artists. May 17th is Art Ache, an evening of art about heartbreaks. Amongst performances, installations, and experiences, meet other fellow broken-hearted human beings and let the heart be tender in vulnerability. And check out their programming all summer to rub elbows with artists of all disciplines.

ArtAche
Sunday, May 17, 2026
5:00 PM 10:00 PM
Atelier Kromatica, 182 Shipley Street
Tickets sliding scale

If you want to experience what real Flamenco is like, combined with incredible artistry and set design, don’t miss this. Direct from Spain, and the winner of 3 Isadora Duncan Dance Awards—the highest recognition for dance in the Bay Area, is Flamenco Arts International (FAI). I saw them perform last year, and it was powerful, touching, and mesmerising all at once.

Performance theme: A mysterious siren’s warning sets off a chain of events that transforms a routine voyage into a supernatural battle between ego and redemption, told through the passionate art of flamenco. Thunder cracks, and the ship veers off course. Will the crew rise above their own demons, or be lost to the depths forever?

SONGS FROM A SINKING SHIP
Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
San Francisco Presidio Theatre.
presidiotheatre.org

Artist in residence Mark Brest van Kempen, likes to turn landscapes into art and sculpture all over the world, so it should be fascinating to see what he’s done at our town dump! If you haven’t visited Recology (it’s worth it, just to see how millions of pounds of our garbage and recycling are processed everyday), but to do it with artists who have been working at the dump making art is a great 2-for-1.

May 27, June 9 & 26.
Recology
FREE

World Goth Day is a celebration of darkness. I personally enjoy the goth aesthetic, artistry and the creative cast of characters these events bring into the light. If you want a dance party full of San Francisco's most prominent dark alternative crews, check out DNA Lounge, for a full venue Goth take-over. A night of music, art, visuals and fashion, all the things that bring everyone together.

Friday, May 22 9pm - 2am
DNA Lounge
Tickets start at $15

Bring your fabulous gothic selves out to Golden Gate Park for a gothnic to celebrate World Goth Day. A BYOB (bring your own black) picnic with lots of Morrissey fans and black parasols.

May 23, 2-5pm
Outside the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
Facebook event Page (FREE)

A unique musical experience with a Gallic flair, organized in partnership by SFMOMA and Villa Albertine San Francisco/French Consulate, and celebrating the exhibition Matisse’s Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal. Three renowned French and French American DJs will keep the energy going all evening, spinning the best of French Electro Pop.

Rooftop Radio: French Electro Pop
Thursday, June 18, 2026
5–9 p.m.
Floor 5, Jean and James Douglas Family Sculpture Garden
Tickets $35

Music Director Jessica Bejarano and the San Francisco Philharmonic close their season with an unforgettable evening of passion, brilliance, and sweeping orchestral power.

The concert opens with Marche Slave, one of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s most electrifying works—a thrilling musical journey from darkness to triumph, filled with soaring melodies, thunderous climaxes, and a finale that will shake the hall.

Then, acclaimed soloist Anne Richardson, Associate Principal Cello of the San Francisco Symphony, brings warmth, elegance, and virtuosic brilliance to Tchaikovsky’s beloved Variations on a Rococo Theme—a dazzling showcase of lyrical beauty and expressive artistry.

SF Philharmonic and Anne Richardson
Saturday May 30th, 7:30pm
Herbst Theater
Tickets $30

Fridays at night, there is a casual art-making event in a gallery alongside exhibitions. These Friday eve events are a place to create & connect!

Collage, watercolors, pens, and pencils abound in a low-stakes environment where conversation is as encouraged as creation. Embrace your Mission Community and come join in on the fun!

The Drawing Room
599 Valencia St
FREE

See you in the streets for Valencia LIVE! — a FREE, all-ages monthly street party and neighborhood celebration on the second Thursday of every month from 5-10 pm, May through October, 2026

The street party is going down on Valencia St., with live music and family-friendly activities up and down the block, PLUS don’t miss out on all of the free fun inside and specials from local eateries and bars throughout the neighborhood.

THIS YEAR, THERE’S EVEN MORE OF VALENCIA ST. TO EXPLORE:
Join the party every second Thursday of the month on select blocks of Valencia Street from 5:00pm to 10:00pm:

Colors collide. The room comes alive. Art owns the stage at Public Works!

Watch talented artists turn blank canvases into striking masterpieces—in just 20 minutes—right before your eyes. Feel the countdown, the music, the rush of the crowd as paint flies and ideas come to life in three high-energy rounds. Cast your vote for your favorites and help crown the next Art Battle champion!

Wednesday, June 24 • 7 PM - 10 PM
Public Works, SF
Tickets $25

Join us IRL for Archive Alchemy: California Queer Art Luminaries Show and Tell—stories, art, and vibes! First, watch a selection of video interviews with beloved visionary LGBTQIA+ artists drawn from the E.A.R.T.H. Lab SF’s living archive. Then gather inspiration for fully creative lives from five visionary artists who will be there in the flesh. Hosted by wonderufl artists Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle

Saturday, June 20 • 3 PM - 4:30 PM
SF Main Library
FREE

See ya’s out there!