19 Bay Area festivals to put on your summer 2026 calendar

Summer in the Bay Area brings an expansive lineup of festivals celebrating film, music, dance, opera and community gathering. From downtown theaters and outdoor plazas to vineyard stages and neighborhood parks, this season’s calendar ranges from intimate local showcases to events featuring internationally known artists and performers.

The Bay Area’s premier documentary-only film festival marks its 25th anniversary with filmmaker appearances, including Colin Hanks; music-themed films; Bay Area stories; and a retrospective selection of documentaries from the inaugural 2001 festival. Screenings take place Thursday, May 28 through June 7 at the Roxie and Vogue theaters and Artists’ Television Access, with virtual programming available at sfindie.com. Tickets are $5-$25; passes are $95-$250.

Once a year, the music championed by the Bay Area’s jazz radio station KCSM materializes in person at Jazz On the Hill, a free all-day festival featuring a rich swath of the artists heard on the airwaves. Running from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 6 at the College of San Mateo, this year’s program includes rising 19-year-old clarinetist Nathan Tokunaga, connubial guitar-and-vocal duo Tuck & Patti, and Miles Smiles, an all-star celebration of Miles Davis’s centennial with trumpet great Eddie Henderson and saxophonist David Sanchez led by drum maestro Akira Tana (also a KCSM DJ).

BloodRoot and Reeve Wines host this Sonoma County music and wine festival June 6, blending live performances, local food and wine, and philanthropy. A new culinary stage will feature cooking demonstrations with chefs and winemakers. The lineup includes Lucius, Spoon, Devon Gilfillian, Tropa Magica and The Plastic Cherries. Proceeds benefit Giffords and efforts to combat gun violence.

SOMO Village in Rohnert Park hosts this family-friendly gathering June 6 celebrating Sonoma County’s wild lands through roots music, environmental activism and community events. Scheduled performers include Elephant Revival, Sam Grisman Project, Mikaela Davis, Hot Buttered Rum and MaMuse. The day also features talks with Julia Butterfly Hill, a Wavy Gravy singalong video, local vendors and children’s activities. Proceeds support regional conservation organizations.

The biennial early-music festival returns June 6-14 with dozens of performances across mainstage and fringe programming. Highlights include Cut Circle performing works by Josquin des Prez, a joint production of Handel’s “Alcina” with Festival Opera, Gamelan Sekar Jaya and more.

Blue Note Napa continues its summer concert presence at the Meritage Resort courtyard lawn stage, presenting performances June 11-Oct. 24. Scheduled artists include Willie Nelson (July 17), Claypool Gold with Primus (July 4), The Head and the Heart (Aug. 15), Morris Day and the Time with Sheila E. (Aug. 21) and Diana Ross (Sept. 1).

The 22nd edition of the festival spotlighting LBTQIA+ BIPOC filmmakers unfolds June 12-14 at San Francisco’s Presidio Theatre under the theme “We resist, and we roll.” The festival features 34 films across seven programs, plus an opening-night party at Presidio Bowl, an industry brunch and a closing reception. Admission is free with RSVP.

KC Turner’s 13th annual barbecue-and-live-music series returns to the intimate North Bay beer garden at HopMonk Tavern in Novato with a mix of bluegrass, blues, California rock and folk. The lineup includes David Nelson Band (June 12), Mary Gauthier (June 17), Charlie Musselwhite (June 19), The Mother Hips (June 26), Shinyribs (July 11), Molly Tuttle (July 15-16), Sierra Hull (July 17), Cracker (July 18-19), Steve Poltz (July 25), the Monophonics (Aug. 1) and Shawn Colvin (Aug. 7). Tickets are $30-$85.

It’s never too early to celebrate freedom, and the Healdsburg Jazz Festival’s free cultural extravaganza on the Healdsburg Plaza 2-8 p.m. June 13 gets a jump on Juneteenth with a deep roster of jazz, poetry and dance. The lineup features an all-star tribute to recently departed bassist and Healdsburg Jazz regular Ray Drummond with piano great George Cables, drummer Billy Hart, and saxophonists Bobby Watson and Craig Handy. Sundra Manning’s Organ Quartet and Carlitos Medrano & Sabor de mi Cuba round out a triple bill that also features percussion workshops, poet Enid Pickett, and more.  

San Francisco’s beloved free concert series returns for its 89th season with one of its strongest lineups in years. Indian indie favorites Peter Cat Recording Co. open the season June 14, while Major Lazer’s July 5 set is poised to become the summer’s wildest dance party under the eucalyptus trees. The festival closes with its annual Big Picnic Weekend, featuring Public Enemy on Aug. 15 and soul legend Al Green on Aug. 16. As always, expect packed blankets, picnic spreads and a cross-generational crowd.

On the cusp of releasing his new album “Welcome Back Love,” San Francisco soul star Martin Luther McCoy presents Rebel Soul Fest, a free Juneteenth celebration noon to 4 p.m. June 20 at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell. He headlines an expansive, groove-laden triple bill focusing on Black music, culture, and independent artistry featuring rising Oakland vocalist Veotis Latchison and prolific funkster Otis McDonald with MC Ian Kelly and freestyle rapper Frak.

The 54th annual Stanford Jazz Festival returns June 21-July 31 with more than 25 concerts across campus venues. Artists include Branford Marsalis, Billy Childs, Anat Cohen, George Cables, George Brooks, Marcus Shelby, Nicolas Bearde and Sasha Berliner. Michael Mayo performs July 16 with his quartet. The festival also highlights Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and Indian-influenced jazz, family programming and jam sessions.

The independent-film showcase celebrates its 20th anniversary July 15-19 with screenings at The Crossing Outdoor Cinema and an opening-night cabaret and shorts program at The Lost Church. Programs include Bay Area and international narrative, documentary and experimental films, plus surf and skate cinema. The festival includes in-person and streaming programs. Tickets go on sale in June, including a $25 all-access pass.

The free annual dance festival fills Yerba Buena Gardens with site-specific contemporary and global dance performances July 25 and Aug. 1. Featured artists include Vanessa Sanchez & Mezcla, PUSH Dance Company, David Herrera Performance Company, BrasArte, Ishami Dance Company and Sharp & Fine.

Cristian Măcelaru’s 10th season leading Santa Cruz’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music runs July 26-Aug. 9 and features four world premieres commissioned by Cabrillo along with numerous West Coast and U.S. premieres. The festival continues its reputation for adventurous and diverse programming, including strong representation of women composers.

Oakland’s Scottish Rite Center hosts West Edge Opera’s annual summer festival Aug. 1-23 with Britten’s “The Turn of the Screw,” Damien Geter’s “American Apollo,” Handel’s “Rinaldo” and a preview of Alyssa Weinberg and Stephanie Friedman’s “Claude and Marcel.”

Downtown San Jose’s annual jazz-and-funk blowout returns Aug. 7-9 with headliners Patti LaBelle, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Zapp featuring Tuxedo, Joe Bataan, Cory Wong, Afro-Cuban All Stars, The Soul Rebels and Thee Sinseers.

The Presidio Theatre hosts its fourth annual family-friendly outdoor music-and-food festival Aug. 16 with performances by Elliott Peck & Friends, Combo Tezeta and Michael Michael Motorcycle. Circus Bella performers and food-and-drink vendors round out the festivities. Tickets are $20-$25 for adults; admission is free for children younger than 17.

ODC Theater’s annual showcase of experimental dance returns Aug. 27-30 with performances from emerging and established choreographers. Oakland artist Gizeh Muñiz premieres an evening-length work in the festival’s “Risk-Takers” category, while Johnny Huy Nguyễn and Erin Yen’s Dragons Dance appears in “Curious Creators.” Other featured artists include former Lines Ballet dancer Babatunji Johnson.