Theater
When it comes to theater, New York and Los Angeles are hard to beat. New York’s Broadway district is famous worldwide for its impressive list of shows, many of which are some of the most difficult event tickets to get. Because of the draw of Hollywood, Los Angeles attracts hordes of actors to the area, each hoping to get that pivotal role, which will make them a star. Because of this, the Southern California city has a huge variety of theater shows of all kinds.
However, the good news is that there are plenty of other cities that offer an amazing number of high quality shows, so you can see top-notch performances in your own backyard. Cities like Boston, Chicago, Seattle and San Francisco are all known for their booming theaters and amazing shows all year long.
The San Francisco theater scene offers a combination of iconic shows like Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton & The Book of Mormon, recent off-broadway hits and unique local shows that you can only see in the City by the Bay. San Francisco was also home to the longest running musical review in history, Beach Blanket Babylon, which unfortunately closed in 2019 after 45 years of amazing shows. The show began its long run at iconic North Beach bar, Savoy Tivoli, back in 1974 before moving to its permanent home at Club Fugazi.
With dozens of great options, there is no shortage of great theater events to see every month of the year. For bigger shows, especially off-Broadway traveling shows, The Orpheum Theater and Golden Gate Theater bring the best of the best to San Francisco. These theaters have also served as the debut for some shows before they officially launch in New York City. Musicals such as Wicked, American Idiot and Mama Mia all got their start in San Francisco. Both of these amazing theaters have been around since the 1920s and have been hosting musicals, comedy, performances and more for 100 years.
Besides the big name shows, you can find a great selection of unique shows at some of the smaller theaters in San Francisco. Some popular spots include San Francisco Playhouse, Boxcar Theatre, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Exit Theatre, Magic Theatre and more.
EXPLORE EVENTS
Upcoming San Francisco Events
20
March
2024
Ashley McBryde
21
March
2024
Meg Myers at Cafe Du Nord
22
March
2024
Umphrey’s McGee at The Warfield
26
March
2024
Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen Feat. Patrick Myers
28
March
2024
Bruce Springsteen at Chase Center
31
March
2024
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band at the Chase Center
31
March
2024
Bring Your Own Big Wheel Race
10
April
2024
Silent Film Festival San Francisco
18
April
2024
High Five Day
20
April
2024
Taylor Crawl
05
May
2024
Cinco De Mayo in San Francisco
16
May
2024
National Mimosa Day
01
June
2024
Union Street Festival
19
June
2024
National Martini Day
04
July
2024
Fourth of July in the San Francisco Bay Area
12
July
2024
National French Fry Day
06
September
2024
National Chianti Day
29
September
2024
Folsom Street Fair
08
October
2024
National Pierogi Day
31
October
2024
San Francisco Halloween
03
November
2024
National Sandwich Day
17
November
2024
National Zinfandel Day
20
December
2024
National Ugly Sweater Day
24
December
2024
National Eggnog Day
19
January
2025
National Popcorn Day
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