SF’s Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2025 w/ Hailu Mergia
Yerba Buena Gardens (Esplanade) | 773 Mission St., San Francisco, CA
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SF’s Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2025
The 2025 Yerba Buena Gardens Festival hosts a full lineup of free outdoor music, theater, circus, dance, poetry, and children’s programs. The Festival opens on Saturday, May 10, 2025 with La Santa Cecilia to kick off its 25th Anniversary Season.
Hailu Mergia
Sat, July 12 | 2pm – 4pm
Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens
Mission St. between 3rd & 4th Sts.
San Francisco, CAIn the 1970s, when Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa entered a musical golden age powered by a cadre of brilliant musicians combining traditional song forms with American jazz, funk and soul music, keyboardist Hailu Mergia’s Wallis Band was at the center of the action. Even repression by a military regime didn’t slow him down, as he pivoted to writing and playing instrumental pieces so that lyrics wouldn’t give the authorities a pretext for offense. But by the early 1990s Mergia had settled in Washington, D.C. and was no longer performing. His return to the stage in recent years is one of world music’s great stories, and his band is a creative force, delivering ancient melodies set to state-of-the-art Ethio-jazz grooves. Moving from keyboard to organ to accordion to melodica, Mergia deftly switches instruments—often during the same song. At 77, he seems indefatigable, extending his legacy with intoxicating performances.
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Now in its 25th year, the Festival will run each and every week and weekend presenting 6 months of admission-free performances reflecting the rich cultures and creativity of the Bay Area. The 2025 full schedule has yet to be announced, but there’s typically events scheduled until November and is located between Mission and Howard Streets and Third and Fourth Streets in downtown San Francisco.
YBG Festival presents classical, world, and jazz music, contemporary and traditional dance, theater, children’s and family programs, and cultural events reflecting the rich cultures and creativity of the region. Artistic excellence, inclusion, diversity and innovation are at the heart of our mission. As the only curated arts park fully dedicated to the long-term presentation of free arts and cultural programs, Yerba Buena Gardens has a unique place in the cultural landscape of San Francisco.
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival 2025
2025 Season Opener: May 10, 2025 (Events typically scheduled until November. Full 2025 schedule TBA)
Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission btwn Third and Fourth, SoMa, SF
FREEDirections & Parking | Admission-Free Seating | Performance Times | See the Full Calendar
Events will include music, theater, dance, poetry, and children’s programming from May through October. Regularly occurring series include the Lunchtime Concerts, showcasing diverse musical acts every Thursday at 12:30 PM, Poetic Tuesdays, a monthly spoken word event, and YBG ChoreoFest, celebrating innovative dance performances. Families can also enjoy Sundown Cinema
screenings, storytelling showcases, and the annual Halloween Hoopla. All performances take place at Yerba Buena Gardens, located between 3rd and 4th Streets and Mission and Howard Streets. More information is available at
YBGFestival.org.
2025 Performance Schedule
May
- May 10 (2:00pm-4:30pm) – La Santa Cecilia + La Doña
- May 15 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – CMC Older Adults Choirs (Lunchtime Concert)
- May 17 (2:00pm-4:30pm) – Joe Bataan + Tall Tee
- May 18 (1:00pm-3:00pm) – 826 Valencia Storyteller’s Showcase
- May 22 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Aguidavi do Jeje x Batuki (Lunchtime Concert)
- May 24 (2:00pm-4:30pm) – Madison McFerrin + The Seshen
- May 29 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – VEN Trio (Lunchtime Concert)
June
- June 7 (4:00pm-10:30pm) – Sundown Cinema: Wicked
- June 14 (2:00pm-4:00pm) – Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu: Aloha ‘Aina
- June 15 (12:00pm-3:00pm) – 27th Native Contemporary Arts Festival
- June 19 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Sundra Manning (Lunchtime Concert)
- June 20-21 – Circus Bella: Hoopla
- June 26 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat (Lunchtime Concert)
- June 28 (2:00pm-4:00pm) – Pride in Yerba Buena!
July
- July 3 (6:00pm-7:30pm) – Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers
- July 5 (2:00pm-3:30pm) – Gamelan Sekar Jaya
- July 6 (2:00pm-4:00pm) – San Francisco Mime Troupe
- July 10 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto (Lunchtime Concert)
- July 12 (2:00pm – 4:00pm) – Hailu Mergia
- July 17 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Arun Ramamurthy Trio (Lunchtime Concert)
- July 19 & 26 (1:00pm-2:30pm) – YBG ChoreoFest
- July 20 (10:00am-3:00pm) – YBG Dance Day
- July 22 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Poetic Tuesday
- July 24 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Dani Offline (Lunchtime Concert)
- July 26 (12:00pm-1:00pm) – Poetry Workshop with Nia Pearl
August
- August 2 (12:00pm-3:00pm) – Viet Day featuring Vân-Ánh Võ’s Blood Moon Orchestra
- August 3 (12:00pm-4:00pm) – SF Uke Jam’s Summer Uke-splosion
- August 7 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Lady Bianca & The West Coast Caravan of All-Stars (Lunchtime Concert)
- August 7 (6:00pm-7:30pm) – Combo Chimbita
- August 9-10 (11:00am-5:00pm) – Pistahan
- August 14 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Brazil in the Gardens (Lunchtime Concert)
- August 16 (12:00pm-1:00pm) – Poetry Workshop
- August 16 (2:00pm-3:30pm) – Marcus Shelby Orchestra: Blues and the Pursuit of Freedom
- August 21 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – WAM Local Sirens Presents B. DeVeaux + Mare (Lunchtime Concert)
- August 23-24 (2:00pm-3:30pm) – SAMMAY: The Way Home is an Upwards Spiral
- August 28 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Trío Guadalevín (Lunchtime Concert)
- August 30 (2:00pm-3:30pm) – The Saúl Sierra Quintet
September
- September 20 (2:00pm-4:30pm) – Samora Pinderhughes + SOL Development
- September 21 (2:00pm-3:30pm) – Mornings in Jenin Musical: A Playlist
- September 25 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Bia Ferreira (Lunchtime Concert)
- September 27 (2:00pm-4:00pm) – Movement Immigrant Orchestra
- September 28 (11:00am-4:00pm) – Litquake Out Loud + Book Fair
October
- October 2 (12:30pm-1:30pm) – Lucía (Lunchtime Concert)
- October 4 (2:00pm-3:30pm) – Parangal Dance Company
November
- November 1 (12:00pm-3:00pm) – 25th Annual Halloween Hoopla
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Programs & Series 2025
Children’s Garden Series
June through August is a great time for parents, caregivers, and camp counselors to bring kids to the Children’s Garden for sunshine and a show. The Children’s Garden Series features professional artists with expertise in engaging children under 10 and their adults. Each show features excellent performers skilled in puppetry, music, dance, acrobatics, body percussion, clowning and more! Outstanding featured groups like Ka-Hon and Duniya Dance & Drum demonstrate diverse musical and dance traditions from all over the world. With such rich cultural and artistic experiences, the Children’s Garden is the place to be in the summertime.Thursday Lunchtime Concert Series
From May to October, the Thursday Lunchtime series features artists carving out their own niches in the world of music and dance. While international and touring artists perform in the Lunchtime Series, many homegrown Bay Area artists view Yerba Buena Gardens as the perfect venue for new works. These fantastic performers are exploring new depths in jazz, blues, soul, classical, world, swing, modern dance and more!
Thursday Lunchtime Concert Series takes place on Thursdays from 12:30pm to 1:30pm and features local and international musicians including CMC Older Adults Choirs on May 15, Aguidavi do Jeje x Batuki on May 22, VEN Trio of Vinicius Gomez, Elé Howell, Noah Garabedian on May 29, Sundra Manning on June 19, Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat on June 26, Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto on July 10, Arun Ramamurthy Trio on July 17, Dani Offline on July 24, AfroSolo Arts Festival Presents Lady Bianca & The West Coast Caravan of All-Stars on August 7, Brazil in the Gardens on August 14, WAM Local Sirens Presents B. DeVeaux + Mare on August 21, Trío Guadalevín on August 28, Bia Ferreira on September 25, and Lucía on October 2.
Always free, fresh and outdoors, Thursday Lunchtime programs are a great way to reinvigorate the day. Downtown office workers, neighborhood groups, students and even out-of-towners needing a break from the city’s hustle and bustle come down to the Gardens with lunch in hand. Then, stroll through Yerba Buena Gardens for a jolt of fresh air, art and inspiration.
Poetic Tuesdays
A fabulously curated line-up of poets and musicians grace Yerba Buena Gardens to share poems and songs that delight, provoke, stir and inspire. Poetic Tuesdays make for a lovely lunch. Downtown office workers, neighborhood groups, students and even out-of-towners needing downtime from the city’s hustle and bustle come down to the Gardens. Poetic Tuesdays are the perfect midday breather over line breaks.Performances are approximately 60 minutes long, at Yerba Buena Gardens on Mission Street between Third and Fourth Streets, San Francisco.
San Francisco locals and visiting out-of-towners can look to these outdoor classes to refresh their body and spirit through dance, music, movement, public art and more. On any given day of the week, you can always find something Free, Outdoors and Fresh at Yerba Buena Gardens.
Outdoor Classes are each approximately 60 minutes long at at different spaces in Yerba Buena Gardens, on Mission Street between Third and Fourth Streets, San Francisco.
The Weekend Sessions is the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival’s premier program series, highlighting touring and regional artists performing to delighted audiences. Each weekend program features a diversity of world-class artists giving thrilling performances not to be missed. Crowds of arts-lovers, Bay Area locals and out-of-towners flock to Yerba Buena Gardens for outstanding entertainment in music, dance, poetry, circus, theater or large-scale cultural festivals.
Free of admission and open to the public, all are welcome to enjoy the fresh air and the truly memorable cultural experiences. Located in the cultural heart of San Francisco, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival’s Weekend Sessions make for a refreshing and inspiring weekend outing in the City.
Weekend Session performances begin at 1pm (unless noted otherwise), so plan ahead and arrive early! Performances are approximately 90 minutes long, located at Yerba Buena Gardens on Mission Street between Third and Fourth Streets, San Francisco.
Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.
Cost: FREE*
