Hottest Bay Area Concerts and Festivals to check out this Summer!

It's festival season and San Francisco's summer concert lineup is already generating a buzz. The barbeques are lit, and temperatures are on the rise! Perk up your calendar by setting aside these dates so you can relax with family and friends while kicking back under the sun or stars. With its diverse range of musical talent, San Francisco is gearing up for what promises to be a fun summer of concerts and festivals to check out. Whether you want to soak in the sun in Napa or want to plan a picnic amongst the eucalyptus trees, be sure to check out some of our favorite summer concerts and a special Red Curtain Addict exclusive experience! Scroll below to find out more...!

Festival Napa Valley

July 10 - 21st, 2019

If you are planning to head to Napa for a day trip or a long weekend this summer, put Festival Napa Valley on your list! Each year, roughly 200 of the region's vendors (wineries, restaurants, and hotels) come together to feature stunning concerts set amidst its beautiful summertime Napa vineyards, which means, you can look forward to the wine and chef-prepared treats as well some amazing performances with the perfect backdrop and ambiance of Napa Valley. The festival has several performances to check out, but one that caught our eye happens to be on the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong landing on the moon which is why we have curated a Red Curtain Addict Exclusive experience to celebrate! Snag your tickets before they are gone!

Summer Space Soiree - Exclusive Red Curtain Addict Event on Saturday, July 20th!!

Reach for the stars with Red Curtain Addict 50 years to the day after Apollo 11 landed on the moon! On this day (Saturday, July 20th) astronaut Neil Armstrong took "one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." Let's celebrate this special occasion together with an exclusive tasting experience at Raymond Vineyards, a concert at Lincoln Theater featuring Gustav Holst's celestial masterpiece, The Planets (that inspired a lot of the famous Star Wars themes), followed by an after-party under the starts at Kitchen Collective. Space is limited so don't wait to plan your trip to Napa!

Click HERE to grab your tickets!

Stern Grove

June 16-Aug 18, 2 PM on Sundays

Did you know that the San Francisco Symphony performed one of the very first Stern Grove concerts in 1932? San Francisco's Sigmund Stern Grove Amphitheatre is located at 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard and features a relaxing outdoor venue. Bring your comfiest outdoor lounge chair or blanket and a picnic basket filled with snacks to enjoy these complimentary concert experiences. If you can't attend them all, the following are our top recommendations:

The San Francisco Symphony

July 7th @ 2pm

This summer's concert with the orchestra will be led by Music Conductor Edwin Outwater and will feature magical works by Mendelsssohn (Fingal's Cave Overture, Opus 26), Elgar (Sea Pictures, Opus 37), Tchaikovsky (Marche slave, Opus 31), and Mussorgsky (Pictures at an Exhibition). The SF Symphony's concerts are one of our favorites to see at Stern Grove because of the way the vibrations from the strings bounce off the beautiful eucalyptus trees while the birds sing and the branches sway. Hardly anything can compare--it's the ultimate outdoor concert experience!

San Francisco Ballet

July 28th @ 2pm

This year's San Francisco Ballet Sunday concert promises to be a celebration for our ears as well as our eyes. The renowned ballet performs under the direction of Helgi Thomasson, while the ballet orchestra is led by Martin West. The performance will showcase highlights from the ballet's current seasonal repertoire. As one of the three largest ballet companies in the U.S., the San Francisco Ballet features more than 100 performances each year, but we love the Stern Grove performance because the outdoor backdrop provides a beautiful experience for you and for the dancers to enjoy.

Fillmore Jazz Festival

July 6th & 7th

Rain or shine, The Fillmore Jazz Festival attracts more than 100,000 jazz enthusiasts each year. This summer is the 36th fest and we're looking forward to a diverse line-up of performers. The festival features multiple stages where the music goes on nearly non-stop from morning until night. We also look forward to perusing the fest's 12-block stretch that boasts a wide array of art, food, and drinks. With so many to choose from, we made it simple for you with a few must-see performances below.

Mario Alberto Silva 2:30-4:30 Saturday (California Street Stage)

Le Boeuf Brothers and Jazz Quartet, 11:30-1:30 Sunday (Sutter Street Stage)

Marcus Shelby Orchestra featuring Tiffany Austin 2:30-4:30 Sunday (California Street Stage)

Opera in the Park

Sept. 8th at 1:30 PM

Arias al fresco is on the musical menu for this summer's Opera in the Park. Featuring the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and special guest performers, the complimentary performance is held at Golden Gate Park's Robin Williams Meadow. Opera in the Park marks the season opening for the opera, giving opera lovers like us a preview of what's to come. We love Opera in the Park because it happens to land the day after the opening night Gala. The meadow's grassy slopes is a great way to unwind and enjoy the summer sun after a night full of fun. This is one of our casual favorites! Make sure to bring snacks, and drinks and something cozy to wear.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

June 27th - October 27th

The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival takes place annually over three stages at breathtaking Yerba Buena Gardens throughout the season. The festival promises to brighten your summer with its music, theatre, dance, and art all set within the area's amazing outdoor space. This year, more than 100 performances are slotted, so plan accordingly and check out their site to see the schedule, below are a few of our top picks.

Samora Abayomi Pinderhughes

Aug 17, 1 PM - 2:30 PM

Samora Abayomi Pinderhughes is an internationally acclaimed pianist and composer. Listen to highlights from his debut offering: The Transformation Suite.

Yerba Buena Gardens Choreofest

July 13th 1 PM - 2:30 PM

Curated by RAWdance's Artistic Directors, Choreofest is a spectacular celebration of contemporary dance that promises to wow fest goers with its diversity and feats of energy and strength.



We hope this list excites you for the summer and we look forward to seeing you at some of these events, especially our Red Curtain Addict Summer Space Soiree on July 20th! What summer festival are you most looking forward to? Leave us a comment below!