Why 2027 is the year to experience San Francisco’s art and music scene

Sixty years after the Summer of Love helped redefine fashion, music and popular culture, San Francisco is preparing to celebrate the movement’s enduring influence with a year dedicated to creativity. In 2027, the city will count among its offerings an ambitious regional art triennial, a new waterfront creative hub and a music calendar that continues to draw audiences outdoors. The Summer of Love in 1967 saw thousands of young people gather in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood, drawn by ideals of peace, freedom and artistic experimentation. Even the bell-bottom jeans that became synonymous with the era have a San Francisco connection: a design crafted in Haight-Ashbury was acquired by Levi’s, helping turn the silhouette into a lasting fashion statement. 

The anniversary celebrations begin on January 1, 2027, when San Francisco Travel returns to the Rose Parade with a floral tribute to the Summer of Love. The float will mark the beginning of a year-long celebration of the city’s creative legacy, connecting the ideals of the 1960s with the artists, designers and performers shaping its cultural identity today.

Art finds new spaces

One of the major cultural highlights of 2027 is the inaugural Further Triennial, running from March 10 to June 10. Bringing together more than 80 nonprofit visual arts organisations across Northern California, the event will explore the region’s artistic histories and lesser-known creative movements with exhibitions will spanning themes from psychedelia and skate culture to California craft and Zen Buddhism.

The city’s waterfront will also welcome a new creative destination with the launch of Art + Water at Pier 29 in January. Spearheaded by writer Dave Eggers and artist JD Beltran, the non-profit will establish artist residencies within a transformed 100,000-square-foot industrial building. 

A city that moves to its own beat

Music remains central to San Francisco’s cultural identity. Golden Gate Park, in particular, remains a gathering place for music lovers, hosting events that bring together different generations, genres and communities. The Stern Grove Festival, held between June and August, brings free outdoor concerts to a leafy natural setting. In August, Outside Lands combines live music with art, food and other cultural experiences in Golden Gate Park. September brings Portola, a waterfront festival focused on electronic music and dance, while October’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass celebrates folk, roots, country and related genres in the park. 

The next year will also see San Francisco welcome the Banana Ball World Tour to Oracle Park for the first time, with the Party Animals taking on the Indianapolis Clowns in a two-game series on July 30 and 31. 

The next chapter of the Summer of Love

For visitors, the anniversary offers multiple ways to engage with that legacy: exploring Haight-Ashbury, discovering emerging and established artists, attending an outdoor concert or experiencing the intersection of fashion and culture. Rather than treating the Summer of Love as a moment confined to history, San Francisco is using its 60th anniversary to celebrate the creative spirit that continues to shape the city.

In 2027, that spirit will be visible across neighbourhoods, galleries, parks and waterfront spaces, reaffirming San Francisco’s place as a city where art and entertainment do more than reflect culture. They help move it forward.