San Francisco’s holiday season is announced piece by piece, and in mid-September most of it is not public yet. This page lists what is confirmed for 2026, what is free, and what has not been announced, and we update it as organizers publish dates.
Confirmed for 2026
| What | When | Cost | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightscape, SF Botanical Garden, Golden Gate Park | 20 Nov 2026 – 3 Jan 2027, timed entry | Adults from $32; 5–17 from $20; under 5 free | Confirmed |
| Safeway Holiday Ice Rink, Union Square | 4 Nov 2026 – 18 Jan 2027; 60-minute sessions 10am–11pm daily (closes 9:30pm on 31 Dec) | $22 with skate rental; 8 and under $17 | Confirmed |
| Macy’s and SF SPCA holiday windows, Macy’s Union Square | 20 Nov – 31 Dec 2026, Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 5pm (Macy’s is closed 26 Nov and 25 Dec) | Not stated | Confirmed |
| Conservatory of Flowers light show, Golden Gate Park | Every night, from about 30 min after sunset until midnight | Free | Year-round |
| The Bay Lights, Bay Bridge | Nightly | Free to see | Relit March 2026 |
Lightscape
A mile-long trail through the Botanical Garden lit with about a million lights. Members get a preview night on 19 November and 20% off. Buy ahead: the popular times sell out.
The Conservatory of Flowers Light Show
The free “Photosynthesis” show projects onto the Conservatory’s glass every night of the year, starting about half an hour after sunset. Each loop is roughly half an hour and it repeats until midnight. No tickets, no RSVP. Combine it with a walk past Lightscape’s entrance for a cheap holiday evening.
The Bay Lights
The LED sculpture on the Bay Bridge’s western span was relit on 20 March 2026, and it is the best free night-time sight in the city. Watch from the Embarcadero, anywhere south of the Ferry Building.
Not Announced Yet
As of 21 September 2026, these had no 2026 dates on their organizers’ own pages. We list last year’s pattern where it helps you plan, clearly as last year’s.
| What | What we know |
|---|---|
| Union Square / Macy’s Great Tree lighting | Not announced. In 2025 the tree was lit on 11 November. |
| Winter Walk, Stockton Street | Not announced. In 2025 it ran 13–24 December between Post and O’Farrell. |
| Embarcadero Center building lighting | Not announced; Embarcadero Center’s events page has no lighting date yet. |
| Ghirardelli Square tree | Not announced. |
| PIER 39 tree | PIER 39’s page lists a lighting on Thursday 3 December and a season of 23 November to 10 January, but prints no year. 3 December is a Thursday in 2026, so this is very likely the 2026 date; confirm before you go. |
Just Outside the City: The Dickens Fair
The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is at the Cow Palace, which is in Daly City, not San Francisco. It runs on five weekends, 21 November to 20 December 2026, plus the Friday after Thanksgiving, from 10am to 6pm. Early Bird tickets go on sale online on 16 October ($40 adults, $25 ages 5–12, before fees; valid on the first two weekends only, 21–29 November), and general tickets on 1 November ($50 adults, $30 ages 5–12; Twilight entry after 3pm $35 and $20). Under 5 free. There is no box office on site. By transit, take BART to Balboa Park, then the Muni 8 bus; there is no shuttle. Parking is $20.
More for December: cheap date nights and free things to do with kids.
Here for Thanksgiving? Our Thanksgiving weekend guide has what is open on Thursday 26 November, the Golden Gate Park Turkey Trot and the long-weekend shows.
Correction, 1 October 2026: this guide said Dickens Fair tickets go on sale on 1 October. The fair’s own site says Early Bird tickets go on sale on 16 October 2026.
On 1 October 2026 we re-checked the Dickens Fair, the Union Square ice rink, Lightscape, Illuminate (the Bay Lights), Embarcadero Center, Ghirardelli Square and PIER 39 on their own sites; the Union Square tree lighting, Winter Walk, the Embarcadero Center lighting and the Ghirardelli tree were still not announced.
Indoors: San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker runs from 4 to 27 December 2026 at the War Memorial Opera House. Every date, the age rules and how to get there are in our Nutcracker guide.
Checked against the Golden Gate Park Conservancy (Lightscape and the Conservatory show), the Union Square rink, the Union Square Alliance, the SF SPCA, Embarcadero Center, Ghirardelli Square, PIER 39 and the Dickens Fair on 21 September 2026; the ice rink’s season dates were re-checked on its own site on 29 September 2026. The Bay Lights’ own site was not loading when we checked; we will confirm the nightly schedule there.
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When does Lightscape open in 2026?
Lightscape runs at the San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Adult tickets start at $32, ages 5 to 17 from $20, and children 4 and under are free. Popular nights sell out.
What holiday lights in San Francisco are free?
The Conservatory of Flowers light show in Golden Gate Park runs every night of the year, starting about 30 minutes after sunset and looping until midnight, with no tickets. The Bay Lights on the Bay Bridge are free to see from the Embarcadero. Union Square’s tree and windows have been free in past years; their 2026 dates are not out yet.
When is the Union Square tree lighting in 2026?
Not announced yet as of 1 October 2026. For reference, in 2025 the Macy’s Great Tree was lit on 11 November, well before Thanksgiving.
When does the Union Square ice rink open?
The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square reopens on 4 November 2026. It runs to 18 January 2027 with 60-minute sessions from 10am to 11pm daily (closing at 9:30pm on 31 December). Admission with skate rental is $22, or $17 for children 8 and under.
Is the Dickens Fair in San Francisco?
No. The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is at the Cow Palace, which is in Daly City, just outside San Francisco. It runs on weekends from 21 November to 20 December 2026, plus the Friday after Thanksgiving, 10am to 6pm; Early Bird tickets go on sale online on 16 October and general tickets on 1 November.
More to Explore
Happening Soon
- Treasures of the Pharaohs Sat, Aug 1, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 · de Young Museum
- Ferry Plaza Farmers Market Sat, Sep 12 – Dec 31 · Ferry Building Plaza
- Heart of the City Farmers Market Sun, Sep 13 – Dec 31 · Fulton Plaza, Civic Center
- Clancy’s Pumpkin Patch Fri, Oct 2–31 · Clancy's Pumpkins & Christmas Trees
Places to Check Out
- Alta Plaza Park Parks & Playgrounds
- Aquarium of the Bay Attractions
- Balmy Alley Murals Attractions
- Coit Tower Attractions
Cite this page: Project SF, “San Francisco Holiday Lights 2026: Lightscape, the Bay Lights, Union Square and What Is Free”, projectsf.com/guides/san-francisco-holiday-lights-guide/ (updated ).