Are you looking for something exciting to do in San Francisco this week or next? Then check this out!
The annual San Francisco International Arts Festival (SFIAF) opens today and runs from April 30 – May 11, 2025. In this 12 day time span SFIAF presents 50 companies performing 100 concerts and shows across several performance genres: Dance & Cirque, Music, Performance Art, Spoken Word, Theatre and Visual Arts – all scheduled in San Francisco venues, mainly in the Mission. This is a true arts festival which also includes several lectures, performance workshops and even a series of fascinating walking tours led by San Francisco based Precita Eyes Mural Tours, focusing on different areas of San Francisco’s Mission.
Local, national and international performers present their works in a mainly 60 to 70 minute show format, so it’s possible to see more than one show an evening and several shows on weekends! All concerts and performances offer a wide and deep range of original,creative, imaginative and inspirational performing arts entertainment to enjoy – and the prices of tickets range from free to about $28.
If you are a theatre or music fan there are several international productions at this year’s festival that are very powerful in their own way and all are making their US debuts. While their themes and stories vary, these different productions combine issues of politics / policy /, human / civil rights, current affairs, equity and identity, offering different perspectives from distinct parts of the world. Andrew Wood, Executive Director of the San Francisco International Arts Festival travels far and wide to find interesting and talented performing artists to create this festival every year – and it’s certainly an exciting, entertaining and meaningful event in San Francisco’s cultural calendar – not to be missed!
Agathe et Adrien, an international award-winning circus duo from Montreal, Canada, perform their compelling visual physical strength and balance act in N.Ormes that transforms their circus skills into art telling a unique story.
In the Name of the Son by Green Shoot Productions from Northern Ireland is a solo play starring Shaun Blaney that chronicles the extraordinary life of Gerry Conlon (of the Guildford Four) following his release from prison in 1989.
From Poland, Granica / The Border is presented by Wachowicz / Fret Studio and takes as its focus the true story of transgendered Ukrainian performance artist, Antonina Romanova – a member of the Polish theatre ensemble, Teatr ZAR.
From Australia and the UK, Fairly Lucid Productions, MEMBER is an award winning, gripping tale of brutality and brokenness, MEMBER explores Sydney’s gay hate crimes (1970s–1990s). Written and performed by Ben Noble, it follows Corey, a father confronting his own homophobia. Accompanied by Simone Seales on cello.
Musician Duane Forrest from Canada performs Bob Marley: How Reggae Changed the World through an acoustic journey celebrating Bob Marley’s life and the roots of reggae. This interactive show invites audiences to reflect on the life of Marley, sing along and connect through the power of music.
More information is available on the SFIAF website about all the shows, concerts, getting tickets and the calendar: https://www.sfiaf.org/
See you there!
