Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Announces 2023 Season Programming

Free Performances from
May 6 to August 19 in downtown San Francisco

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

The 2023 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival announces its lineup of free outdoor music, theater, circus, dance, poetry, and children’s programs at Yerba Buena Gardens. The 23rd edition of the Festival opens with the John Santos Sextet + The Afro-Peruvian Coalition on Saturday, May 6, 2023 at 1:00pm and will run through August 2023. Yerba Buena Gardens is located in downtown San Francisco between 3rd and 4th Streets and Mission and Howard Streets.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival highlights include CO-LLAB Choir directed by Cava Menzies on May 13, CAAMFest: Directions in Sounds presents Fanny on May 20, Theatre Rhino’s Pericles on May 26 and 27, Melissa Cruz Flamenco on June 3, SF Uke Jam’s Summer Uke-Splosion on June 10, La Mezcla + Laura Rebolloso on June 17, Circus Bella’s Bananas on June 23 and 24, Yosvany Terry Quintet & Gema Corredera + Arun Ramamurthy Trio on July 1, Get Free Festival on July 8, Joe Bataan + La Doña on July 15, AfroSolo Arts Festival presents Martin Luther McCoy on August 5, Pistahan’s 30th Anniversary on August 12 and 13, and more.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival at a Glance

MAY

• John Santos Sextet + The Afro-Peruvian Coalition, Saturday, May 6, 1:00pm-3:30pm

• Poetic Tuesdays with Litquake, Tuesday, May 9, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• Ajyal Music Platform, Thursday, May 11, 12:30-1:30pm

• CO-LLAB Choir directed by Cava Menzies, Saturday, May 13, 1:00pm-2:30pm

• Tom Rigney & Flambeau, Thursday, May 18, 12:30-1:30pm

• Salsa at Jessie with Danilo Y Orquesta Universal, Thursday, May 18, 6:00pm-7:30pm

• CAAMFest: Directions in Sound presents Fanny, Saturday, May 20, 1-3:00pm

• Poetic Tuesdays with MoAD, Tuesday, May 23, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• CMC Older Adults Choir, Thursday, May 25, 12:30-1:30pm

• Theater Rhino’s Pericles, Friday, May 26, 6:00-8:00pm & Saturday, May 27, 1:00-3:00pm 

JUNE

• The Howard Wiley Show, Thursday, June 1, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• Melissa Cruz Flamenco, Saturday, June 3, 1:00pm-2:30pm

• Anita Lofton Project, Thursday, June 8, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• SF Uke Jam: Summer UkeSplosion!, Saturday, June 10, 1:00pm-3:00pm

• Poetic Tuesdays with Litquake, Tuesday, June 13, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• Bongo Sidibe & the TonTons, Thursday, June 15, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• Salsa at Jessie with Cabanijazz Project, Thursday, June 15, 6:00pm-7:30pm

• La Mezcla + Laura Rebolloso, Saturday, June 17, 1:00pm-3:30pm

• Native Contemporary Arts Festival, June 18, 12:00pm-3:00pm

• Jenny Lind Concert, Thursday, June 22, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• Circus Bella’s Bananas, June 23, Noon and June 24, Noon and 2:15pm 

• Poetic Tuesdays with MoAD, Tuesday, June 27, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• ASTU, Thursday, June 29, 12:30pm-1:30pm

JULY

• Yosvany Terry & Gema Corredera; Arun Ramamurthy Trio, Saturday, July 1,1:00-3:30pm

• Rob Reich Swings Left, Thursday, July 6, 12:30-1:30pm

• Embodiment Project’s Get Free Festival, Saturday, July 8, Noon-4:00pm

• Poetic Tuesdays with Litquake, Tuesday, July 11, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• Big Trippin, Thursday, July 13, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• Joe Bataan + La Doña, Saturday, July 15, 1:00pm-3:00pm

• KOHAKU, Thursday, July 20, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• Salsa at Jessie with Karl Perazzo/Mike Spiro Y Su Conjunto Karabali, Thursday, July 20, 6:00pm-7:30pm

• Fiestas Fridas, Saturday, July 22, 1:00-3:00pm

• Poetic Tuesdays with MoAD, Tuesday, July 25, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• Aki Kumar, Thursday, July 27, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• San Francisco Mime Troupe, July 29, 2:00-4:00pm

AUGUST

• La Gente SF, Thursday, August 3, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• AfroSolo Arts Festival presents Martin Luther McCoy, August 5, 1:00pm-2:30pm

• Poetic Tuesdays with Litquake, Tuesday, August 8, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• Salma El Assal & the Sudan Ensemble, Thursday, August 10, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• Pistahan, Saturday, August 12 & Sunday, August 13, 11:00am-4:00pm

• Alessandro Penezzi & Fabiana Cozza, Thursday, August 17, 12:30pm-1:30pm

• Salsa at Jessie with Bululú, Thursday, August 17, 6-7:30pm

• YBG Dance Day, Saturday, August 19,  1:00pm-2:30pm

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Fall Series

• Additional programming to be announced this summer.

SEPTEMBER

• YBG ChoreoFest, Saturday, September 23 & Saturday, September 30, 1:00pm-3:00pm

Children’s Garden Series 

• Yerba Buena Children’s Garden is located at Howard & Fourth Streets. 

• Two performances - 11:00am-11:30am and 12:15pm-12:45pm.

• RhythmALLogy, Friday, June 9

• Ka-Hon, Friday, June 16

• Circus Bella’s Bananas, June 23, Noon-1:00pm and June 24, Noon-1:00pm and 2:15-3:15pm (on the Esplanade)

• Unique Derique, Friday, June 30

• Chelle! & Friends, Friday, July 7

• Circus of Smiles, Friday, July 14

• René y Familia, Friday, July 21

• Calvin Kai Ku, Friday, July 28

• Caterpillar Puppets, Friday, August 4  

• Red Panda Acrobats, August 11

• 23rd Annual Halloween Hoopla, Saturday, October 28, Noon-3:00pm