Quick and Dirty Pride Guide to San Francisco
San Francisco Pride season is upon us, with more events and venues than we can possibly cover. But here’s a start!
Frameline, the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, i(June 18-28, 2025) is the world’s longest-running and largest showcase of queer cinema. Founded in 1977, Frameline is held annually in June. As a community event with an annual attendance of 60,000+, the Festival is the most prominent and well-attended LGBTQ+ arts program in the Bay Area.
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) returns to BroadwaySF’s Curran Theatre for their most powerful event of the year—THE PRIDE CONCERT—presented for two performances on Saturday, June 21. Featuring vocals from almost 300 singers and songs that champion resilience, identity, and belonging—including works by Grammy Award-nominated nonbinary songwriter, Justin Tranter, who will join the Chorus onstage—this performance weaves together anthems of strength, defiance, and joy.
Monét X Change, the multi-hyphenate performer most well-known for her appearances on RuPaul’s Drag Race, will emcee San Francisco Opera’s Pride Concert on Friday, June 27 at the War Memorial Opera House. Classically trained in opera and winner of the fourth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, Monét X Change is among the artists headlining this celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community. Expanding upon the Company’s annual Pride celebrations, the evening includes a special concert, immersive projections and more. Mezzo-sopranos Jamie Barton and Nikola Printz and baritone Brian Mulligan will share the stage with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra conducted by Caroline H. Hume Music Director Eun Sun Kim for a genre- and era-spanning program mixing classical arias with queer anthems and music showcasing LGBTQIA+ composers, librettists, songwriters and themes. The high-octane evening will be enhanced by digital artist Tal Rosner’s video projections.
The 55th annual San Francisco PRIDE celebration will take place June 28 and 29. The theme is “Queer Joy Is Resistance.” Founded in 1970 as the Gay Freedom Day Parade, San Francisco Pride has evolved into one of the largest and most renowned LGBTQ+ celebrations in the world, attracting up to one million visitors annually for a weekend filled with parties, concerts, and culminating in a parade. Find information about other Pride events here.
SoSF, a groundbreaking new Pride music festival, will be held at the Pier 80 Warehouse on June 28. The festival is held in collaboration with Kehlani, The Midway, Non Plus Ultra, XoXo San Francisco, Dreamland NYE, Electroluxx, Fake and Gay, and more of SF’s partystarters. A portion of the proceeds will support the LYRIC Center for LGBTQ+ Youth, investing in the next generation of changemakers.
Arts nonprofit Illuminate is planning to bring back “Welcome,” the 4.1-mile rainbow light installation that runs the length of Market Street, for PRIDE. “Welcome” first debuted in 2022. The laser-beamed flag is 49 feet wide and consists of six colored laser beams (purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red) shooting horizontally above Market Street, rising at a subtle three-degree angle to crest at Twin Peaks. It is the world’s largest laser Pride flag.
Celebrate with These Castro Openings (and re-openings)
Fisch & Flore (2298 Market St.): Opened in 2024, Castro’s newest gem features ethically sourced seafood dining. Deeply rooted in the heart of the Castro community, Fisch & Flore is a heartfelt tribute to the rich legacy of the iconic Café Flore, which once thrived on the same corner. From its origins as a cultural hub to its transformation into Fisch & Flore, the restaurant honors its historical roots while forging a new path that continues to engage and inspire the community. The restaurant’s front patio boasts a cozy fire pit and elegant glass windbreaks, creating a welcoming atmosphere for all. The kitchen has also been expanded, an ADA-compliant bathroom has been added, and the bar and dining room spaces have been remodeled.
QBar (456 Castro Street): QBar reopened in November 2024 after a lengthy remodel. From QBar: Once the preeminent all-inclusive venue for queer and trans people of color in the neighborhood, QBar was a favorite for locals and tourists alike. The venue was closed in 2019 after a fire damaged the premises. QBar aims to contribute to the ongoing revitalization of Castro Street and introduce a new era of nightlife for San Francisco and the broader Bay Area LGBTQ+ community. The new interior has reimagined QBar as a dark black, industrial underground space. A theme of repurposed materials runs throughout the venue’s interior design, making it a particularly unique addition to the bars and nightclubs of the neighborhood.
Bar 49 (2295 Market St.): Opened in June 2024, Bar 49 pays homage to San Francisco’s seven-by-seven-mile area with more than 49 varieties of beer and wine.
Beaux Bar (2344 Market St.): Beaux Bar celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024 with a renovation that revealed a new bar, updated bathrooms, and a revised menu.
Catch French Bistro (2362 Market St.) Although it was only opened in 2024, Catch French Bistro’s location at 2362 Market Street is steeped in LGBTQ+ history. Significantly, The NAMES Project and AIDS Memorial Quilt began there in June 1987.
Badlands (4121 18th St.): Reopened in 2023, Badlands is one of Castro’s most popular locations for video/music entertainment and dancing. Its dance floor features a state-of-the-art EAW-powered sound system and colorful dance floor lighting, accompanied by a traditional rotating mirror ball. The front room lounge area is ideal for meeting people, socializing with friends, and enjoying music videos.
Welcome Castro by SF Mercantile (525 Castro St.) is a visitor center and gift shop that opened in 2023. It’s a great first stop to learn about all the sights, attractions and people that make the Castro so unique. Welcome Castro features a wide array of LGBTQ and Castro-themed merchandise, including many gift items from local queer artists and designers. A collaboration between SF Mercantile and Castro Merchants, Welcome Castro is the go-to destination for your Castro map and guide to the best neighborhood bars, restaurants, and stores, as well as historic landmarks and best-kept secrets.
Pasta Panino (4150 18th St.) is a casual, LGBTQ-friendly Italian restaurant situated steps from popular bars, including Toad Hall, The Edge, and Badlands. It opened in 2023.
FEATURED HOTEL: Hotel Castro (4230 18th St.): The 12-room Hotel Castro opened in 2022 in its namesake neighborhood. The hotel uses technology such as a smartphone web app and virtual concierge to centralize services and reduce staffing needs. The hotel features modern rooms with Google hubs, private balconies, photo mosaics depicting local icons, and a rooftop patio. Look for bookings here.
The Lobby Bar (4230 18th St, Unit A) is a craft cocktail bar offering sharable bites, a sleek interior design, and happy hour specials. It opened in 2022 below the Hotel Castro.
Queer A.F. (which stands for “queer arts featured”) opened in 2022 at 575 Castro, formerly the site of Harvey Milk’s Castro Camera store and the site of Harvey’s election headquarters during his campaigns for public office.
The Academy is an LGBTQ+ social club featuring multiple bars, a spa, and a barbershop. It also serves as a co-working and midday escape space. The Academy offers a daytime pass club experience called Daylight to nonmembers for $30.
Go Beyond The Castro
Ginger’s (86 Hardie Place) launched its comeback in June 2024 following its closure in 2020. The Financial District bar hosts events like karaoke and drag shows and features a cocktail program by San Francisco’s Future Bars, the team behind venues such as Bourbon and Branch and the Dawn Club.
Mother (3079 16th St.) was named one of Bon Appetit’s Best New Bars in the U.S. in 2024. The queer-owned women and femme-centered queer bar opened in the Mission in 2023.
The Stud (1123 Folsom St.), one of San Francisco’s oldest Queer bars, reopened in 2024 in a new home on Folsom near 7th St. The bar originally opened in 1966. The legendary South of Market bar is the nation’s first collectively owned queer bar.
“Valley of the Queens” Walking Tour: Launched in October 2024, the groundbreaking walking tour explores the rich LGBTQIA+ history of San Francisco’s Tenderloin and Polk Street. Created by local historian and professor Shawn Sprockett, the Valley of the Queens tour offers an immersive journey through the pivotal events and unsung heroes that shaped queer culture from the 1960s to the 1990s. The tour highlights several key moments in LGBTQIA+ history, including the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, a landmark transgender uprising predating the Stonewall Riots, and the site of San Francisco’s first Pride parade. It also uncovers lesser-known yet significant stories, such as a police-raided drag ball that was defended by local Christian ministers, showcasing the unexpected alliances that helped shape queer San Francisco. The tour will last approximately two hours. Sprockett’s organization, Unspeakable Vice, also offers a North Beach tour covering San Francisco’s queer history from 1770 to 1960. This tour serves as a prequel to Valley of the Queens, offering a comprehensive look at the city’s LGBTQIA+ heritage.
Dacha (1085 Sutter St.) opened in 2024. “Experience the culinary fusion, where Eastern European classics meet a modern twist in a queer-friendly environment. Indulge in healthier and more elegant versions of traditional dishes, expertly crafted with a Californian flair.”
Rosebud Gallery (839 Larkin St.) opened in 2024. Longtime friends Shannon Amitin and Cabure Bonugli co-founded the queer-centering art space.
Scarlet Fox (1690 Hayes St.) in NOPA, near Alamo Square, opened in June 2023. It is an LGTBQ and women-owned bar.
Jonathan Carver Moore (966 Market St.) is a contemporary art gallery that specializes in working with emerging and established artists who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and women. As the only openly gay Black male-owned gallery in San Francisco, Jonathan is committed to amplifying the voices of often underrepresented artists through a Black queer lens. The gallery opened in 2023.
Oasis, the nightclub famous for its superstar drag shows and fabulous cabaret performances, unveiled a 2,500-square-foot wrap-around mural honoring the South of Market’s (SOMA) area’s history of drag and fetish culture in 2022. The mural titled Showtime includes portraits of late drag artists such as Bambi Lake and Felicia Flames and images associated with the queer nightlife community. It’s located at the corner of 11th Street and Burns Place, between Folsom and Howard. San Francisco Drag legends Heklina and D’Arcy Drollinger opened the internationally acclaimed Oasis on New Year’s Day 2015 in the heart of San Francisco’s SOMA district. OASIS offers an unforgettable San Francisco nightlife experience in an 8,000-square-foot converted gay bathhouse.
