Two Free Music Events in SF, and One Has a Picnic Contest.

What a perfect way to spend a late summer Sunday afternoon in San Francisco’s glorious Golden Gate Park! The San Francisco Chronicle presents Opera in the Park, a FREE concert to celebrate the opening of the San Francisco Opera’s 104th season.

Music Director Eun Sun Kim will lead the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and stars of the Company’s fall season for an afternoon of duets, arias and so much more. Presented at Robin Williams Meadow in Golden Gate Park, the concert begins at 1:30 pm and will run approximately two hours.

Established back in 1971 by San Francisco Opera General Director Kurt Herbert Adler, Opera in the Park was created to celebrate the opening of the Company’s season with a free outdoor concert. This annual event has grown to typically draw more than 10,000 fans to San Francisco’s famed Golden Gate Park for a festive afternoon of musical delights. The list of operatic luminaries that have performed at this event includes Marilyn Horne, Luciano Pavarotti, and Renata Scotto, among many others.

Classical California is the radio sponsor for the 51st Opera in the Park, with on-air hosts Dianne Nicolini, Maggie Clennon Reberg, and Jennifer Miller Hammel there to welcome the audience. San Francisco Opera’s Tad and Dianne Taube, and General Director Matthew Shilvock will emcee the event.

Bring the family as there is something fun for everyone! Back this year by popular demand, after last year’s inaugural picnic contest, will be the competition for best picnic spread. Yes, it’s true! Plan to arrive early to claim a patch of grass to decorate and set your most impressive picnic. During the first half of the afternoon concert judges will be cruising the grounds on the lookout for the ultimate picnic to win the top prize!

Also on hand to keep the littlest opera fans happy will be Baritone the opera bear, located at the Opera Bear’s Club House, to welcome kids and their families with coloring, crafts, and lawn games to play and create during the concert. 

Seating will be on the meadow on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests may bring blankets or low-profile lawn chairs only. No viewer obstruction, please. No tarps are allowed on the meadow grass. 

Bottled water will not be sold at this event, but there will be four complimentary water stations throughout the meadow for refills—so be sure to bring your own refillable non-glass cup or bottle, or purchase a water bottle at the SF Opera Marketing Tent to stay hydrated. There will also be compostable cups available at each refilling station.

Notes: Food and drink available for purchase; Pets welcome, with limits.

Accessibility: ADA parking/drop off in designated areas, ADA and senior seating area is limited on a first-come, first-served basis. View Accessibility map here.

Opera in the Park
September 13, 2026, 1:30 pm
FREE and open to all!
sfopera.com/operainthepark

InterMusic SF presents the 19th edition of SF Music Day on Sunday, October 25th, and you are invited! SF Music Day is a FREE daylong celebration of Bay Area music, hosted at the San Francisco War Memorial +  Performing Arts Center, a landmark cultural institution steeped in San Francisco history.

Enjoy more than six hours of live entertainment, showcasing the depth, diversity, and enormous talent of the Bay Area music community. The range of musical genres and artists here are extraordinary! The artists range across contemporary, classical, jazz, traditional, global, and interdisciplinary works that blend music and other creative fields, plus even more! Although this event is free to attend, tickets are required and go fast, so register here.

Audiences will experience 20+ ensembles performing throughout the hall, in the Herbst Theater, the Green Room, and the Table Atrium Theater. The full artist lineup is on the way, and will be available soon. Stay tuned for the artist lineup details! Visit sfmusicday.com for updates. Register for tickets here.