The skinny this week
Updated July 27, 2026.
Thu Jul 30 — WAM Presents Local Sirens: Cilantro & Briana Marela · FREE
100+ free outdoor shows May–November — lunchtime concerts Thursdays 12:30pm, salsa nights, dance, circus, kids' programs. Details on the venue site →
Sat Aug 1 — Yerba Buena Gardens ChoreoFest (Day Two) · FREE
100+ free outdoor shows May–November — lunchtime concerts Thursdays 12:30pm, salsa nights, dance, circus, kids' programs. Details on the venue site →
Sun Aug 2 — Violent Femmes · FREE
Heads up: the advance lottery for these shows is closed. Your way in is the day-of Community Box Office line — 1,500 free tickets per show, 2 per person, come early. Want the 2027 lottery the day it opens? That's what the email is for. Details on the venue site →
Coming up
Thu Aug 6 — AfroSolo Presents: Fely Tchaco · FREE
100+ free outdoor shows May–November — lunchtime concerts Thursdays 12:30pm, salsa nights, dance, circus, kids' programs. Details on the venue site →
Thu Aug 6 — Edgardo Cambón – 40th Anniversary · FREE
100+ free outdoor shows May–November — lunchtime concerts Thursdays 12:30pm, salsa nights, dance, circus, kids' programs. Details on the venue site →
Sat Aug 8 — Pistahan · FREE
100+ free outdoor shows May–November — lunchtime concerts Thursdays 12:30pm, salsa nights, dance, circus, kids' programs. Details on the venue site →
Sun Aug 9 — Patti LaBelle · FREE
Heads up: the advance lottery for these shows is closed. Your way in is the day-of Community Box Office line — 1,500 free tickets per show, 2 per person, come early. Want the 2027 lottery the day it opens? That's what the email is for. Details on the venue site →
Sun Aug 9 — Pistahan · FREE
100+ free outdoor shows May–November — lunchtime concerts Thursdays 12:30pm, salsa nights, dance, circus, kids' programs. Details on the venue site →
Thu Aug 13 — Brazil in the Gardens: Alexandre Ribeiro and Alessandro Penezzi · FREE
100+ free outdoor shows May–November — lunchtime concerts Thursdays 12:30pm, salsa nights, dance, circus, kids' programs. Details on the venue site →
Sat Aug 15 — Public Enemy · FREE
Heads up: the advance lottery for these shows is closed. Your way in is the day-of Community Box Office line — 1,500 free tickets per show, 2 per person, come early. Want the 2027 lottery the day it opens? That's what the email is for. Details on the venue site →
Sat Aug 15 — Helado Tropical · FREE
100+ free outdoor shows May–November — lunchtime concerts Thursdays 12:30pm, salsa nights, dance, circus, kids' programs. Details on the venue site →
Sun Aug 16 — Al Green · FREE
Heads up: the advance lottery for these shows is closed. Your way in is the day-of Community Box Office line — 1,500 free tickets per show, 2 per person, come early. Want the 2027 lottery the day it opens? That's what the email is for. Details on the venue site →
Thu Sep 3 — Los Calderones · FREE
100+ free outdoor shows May–November — lunchtime concerts Thursdays 12:30pm, salsa nights, dance, circus, kids' programs. Details on the venue site →
Rush tickets
SF Opera
Register (free) on sfopera.com; buy 11am–midnight the day BEFORE the performance, select shows.
Times & rules →SF Ballet
When offered: on sale 10am day-of until an hour before curtain. Limit 2/household. Watch the offers page for promo codes.
Times & rules →A.C.T.
2 hours before curtain at the box office — 20 tickets at the Toni Rembe, 10 at the Strand. After those: 50% off day-of rush. One per person.
Times & rules →SF Playhouse
30 minutes before curtain at the box office — say "RUSH". Subject to availability.
Times & rules →SFJAZZ
Select shows, day-of at the venue box office from 30 minutes before showtime: 50% off, limit 2, non-transferable. Two ways in — students at
Times & rules →BroadwaySF
Touring Broadway runs same-day rush (drops 9am) and digital lotteries on some productions — not all — so check the show's page on broadwaysf
Times & rules →Cal Performances
SELECT shows only: rush announced ~3 hours before curtain; cash at the venue box office from 1 hour before, while supplies last. Community $
Times & rules →Standing room
Age discount
Sliding scale / pay-what-you-can
Student & educator
SF Symphony
Student + teacher rush (register with school email), veteran discounts via Vet Tix, free/discount seats via library Discover & Go.
Times & rules →Cal Performances
UC Berkeley students get 50% off single tickets to ALL Cal Performances events, no exceptions — online with CalNet authentication or in pers
Times & rules →Free series
Punch Line + Cobb's
Both clubs run real free stand-up nights. Punch Line: 'Secret Guest List' nights — RSVP free on the official Eventbrite page (multiple 2026
Times & rules →Stern Grove
Free Sunday concerts through Aug 16 (2026: Suki Waterhouse, Violent Femmes, Patti LaBelle, Al Green). Reserve via lottery ~6 weeks out, or 1
Times & rules →Yerba Buena Gardens
100+ free outdoor shows May–November — lunchtime concerts Thursdays 12:30pm, salsa nights, dance, circus, kids' programs.
Times & rules →Frequently asked
What are rush tickets?
Deeply discounted same-day (or day-before) tickets that theaters, opera houses, and concert halls release to fill seats — usually at the box office, often cash, always first-come. San Francisco has 16 standing programs across 13 venues.
What time do rush tickets go on sale in San Francisco?
It varies by venue: SF Opera rush runs 11am–midnight the day BEFORE; SF Opera standing room opens 10am day-of; A.C.T. rush opens 2 hours before curtain; SF Playhouse 30 minutes before. Exact times are on each venue's page above.
How do standing room tickets work?
You pay a flat price — $10 at both SF Opera and SF Ballet — for a designated standing spot, sold day-of at the box office, usually cash with a per-person limit.
Are rush tickets legit and venue-official?
Yes — every program listed here is run by the venue itself, and every link goes to the venue's official page at the venue's own price.
How do I find out when deals drop?
RushTix watches every program on this page and emails SF members when something good opens up. The signup form is below — free, and it is how RushTix has worked since 2014.
Big nights all over town. Tiny prices.
Roscoe, your cultural concierge, emails you when a way in opens up — free, always.