The gowns. The performances. The champagne. The red carpets. Fall gala season is almost here, and some of the Bay Area’s biggest arts nights of the year are right around the corner.

There’s something special about gala season in San Francisco. These evenings bring together world-class performances, incredible fashion, beautiful venues, and the communities that make the Bay Area arts scene what it is, all while raising critical support for the organizations behind the art we experience throughout the year.

We recently stopped by Live! in the Bay to share a few of the celebrations on our radar this fall, along with Blake Charles Salon hairstylist Paul Ghorbanian, who joined us with a little inspiration for getting gala glam-ready. So, pull out the formalwear and get ready for a night out. Here are three celebrations to add to your fall calendar!

September 12 | San Francisco Opera 

Few evenings signal the beginning of San Francisco’s cultural season quite like Opera Ball. San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Opera Guild return to City Hall on September 12 to celebrate the opening of the company’s 104th season with one of the Bay Area’s signature philanthropic evenings. The night begins on the red carpet before cocktails and an elegant dinner beneath the grand dome of City Hall.

This year, Music Director Eun Sun Kim leads Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra, featuring an international cast headed by Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Eleonora Buratto and Christian Van Horn. The production also marks the American premiere of acclaimed director Claus Guth’s staging. But the evening doesn’t end with the final curtain. Guests head back to City Hall for the official after-party, where the celebration continues with drinks, bites, live music and dancing late into the night.

And there are several ways to experience the festivities this year, including the new Buffet Dinner Soirée and after-party-only tickets. Proceeds from Opera Ball support San Francisco Opera’s artistic initiatives and San Francisco Opera Guild’s education programs.

September 24 | San Francisco Symphony

Just a couple of weeks later, gala season continues across the plaza at Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony celebrates the start of its 2026–27 season on September 24 with three-time Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn, one of the most celebrated violinists performing today. 

Hahn will join conductor Giancarlo Guerrero and the San Francisco Symphony for Mendelssohn’s beloved Violin Concerto, bringing a major classical music star to Davies Symphony Hall for one of the Symphony’s biggest nights of the season.

For those looking to make a full evening of it, VIP gala experiences extend beyond the concert hall with an exclusive preconcert cocktail reception and a postconcert seated dinner. It’s a chance to dress up, hear an extraordinary artist live, and toast the beginning of another season of music in San Francisco.

October 29 | Asian Art Museum

By late October, gala season moves from the performing arts into the galleries. The Asian Art Gala returns October 29 for an art-filled evening supporting the museum’s artistic and educational initiatives. The seated gala dinner is already sold out, but there’s good news: After Party tickets are still available.

Beginning at 9 p.m., the museum transforms for a late-night celebration spanning Bogart Court, Bowes Court, Dodson Loggia and the galleries, with cocktails, entertainment, dancing and art experiences throughout the evening. And really, how often do you get to dress for a gala and explore a museum after hours?

The After Party offers a way to experience the excitement of one of San Francisco’s major cultural galas without attending the formal dinner beforehand.

Whether you’re walking the red carpet at City Hall, hearing Hilary Hahn at Davies Symphony Hall, or dancing among the galleries of the Asian Art Museum, gala season offers a different way to experience the Bay Area arts scene.

These evenings are certainly a reason to dress up and celebrate, but they’re also important fundraisers that help bring each organization’s artistic vision to life, support educational and community programs, champion the artists on their stages and in their galleries, and make the arts more accessible for generations to come.

Discover these celebrations and more at RedCurtainAddict.com, and when it’s time to get gala-ready, visit BlakeCharlesSalon.com.

We’ll see you dressed up and out on the town! 🥂