Bay Area Arts Pulse

The East Bay's live music scene draws strength from its historic venues: a lavish 1928 movie palace, a Jack London jazz club, and a Berkeley folk...

West Edge Opera's revival of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw highlights major technical evolution since 2013, with Yuri Izumihara’s imposing scrim...

East Bay's independent theater scene pulses with energy as Royal Underground stages Selina Fillinger's POTUS at Berkeley's Live Oak Theater this...

The third annual NAFA Film Festival turned San Jose's California Theatre into a global stage for Marathi cinema, drawing filmmakers and fans from...

Portal Cinema opens this fall in Bernal Heights as a 49-seat nonprofit space for curated indie, global, and repertory films—directly countering the...

Freak Nest marks its 10th anniversary with a massive independent festival at PUBLICWORKS on August 22–23.

• Headliners SunSquabi, Sugar Candy...

A community-driven mural at Y Market now honors East San Jose legends Jim Plunkett, Dr. Roberto Cruz, and Luis Valdez, painted by Francisco Ramirez...

Groove to over 30 Motown classics like "My Girl" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" as Forever Motown pays tribute to icons including The Four Tops,...

Comedy Oakland has anchored the East Bay's nightlife since 2009 as the Bay Area’s longest-running independent stand-up show, earning “Best Comedy...

Elephant Revival brings its distinctive sound—like weather systems meeting in the sky—to Berkeley's UC Theatre on October 17, 2026, blending Celtic,...

• Venue losses mount: Bay Area lost many vital independent theaters over the past decade, including Embarcadero Center and Sundance Kabuki.
• First...

San Francisco's Fillmore native Lil Pete brings his signature Bay Area sound to nine West Coast cities this October with the Real Is Back Tour,...

Catch these standout shows and concerts this weekend across the region.

• Karol G headlines Levi’s Stadium Aug. 21-22 with her Tropitour, fresh off...

Does cheering spectacle make us complicit in violence?

• Jon Tracy’s staging blends WWII tensions with emerging tech in a woodland amphitheater,...

Union Market launches its new season of live music on the patio every Sunday from 6-8:45p through October 18, weather permitting, featuring local acts like Jacob Ritter, Mink’s Miracle Medicine, and Tarrant Trio.

Casa BACARDÍ infused Outside Lands with Caribbean and Afro-Latin energy through reggaetón and perreo, turning a small Polo Field corner into one of...

The original Furthur bus—psychedelic symbol of 1960s experimentation and the Merry Pranksters' 1964 journey—makes its first public appearance in over...

Miss Faye Carol, the Bay Area jazz and blues legend who mentored Kehlani, headlines the fifth annual Black Music Festival with a multigenerational...

Oakland transforms into a hub of Hispanic culture this month with food, performances, and traditions.

• Culinary highlights: Over 70 Latin American...

Two upcoming performances spotlight the region's deep-rooted vocal artistry in soul and jazz.

• Black Music Festival unites generations with Faye...