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Your Guide to an Arts-Filled Martin Luther King Jr. Day

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Aretha Franklin performing in 2011 at the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC. New arrangements of Aretha Franklin's music will honor the civil rights leader at the Paramount Theater in Oakland on Saturday, Jan. 18.  (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

In a stark study in contrasts, this year’s Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day fall on the same day: Jan. 20.

Here in the Bay Area, we’re going to go out on a limb and suggest that most people will choose to recognize the latter. Whether you prefer to spend the day with live music, viewing art or taking to the streets, here’s a roundup of Bay Area activities, performances and other live events coming up for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

A Musical Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Jan. 14
Old St. Mary’s Cathedral, San Francisco / Online

This year, Noontime Concerts teamed up with the NorCal Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Foundation for a music program curated by Bay Area pianist Dr. Carl Blake. Featured classical artists also included Santa Rosa violinist Joseph Edelberg, soprano Hope Briggs, flutist William Underwood III and others. If you missed it live, you can rewatch the livestream here.

‘Lift Every Voice’ and ‘No More Water’
Jan. 17–19
SFJAZZ, San Francisco

Sponsored

With concerts spread over three days, ‘Lift Every Voice’ celebrates Black music and its roots. Unfortunately, all three shows are sold out. However, another three-day residency at SFJAZZ happens simultaneously: ‘No More Water,’ a James Baldwin-themed musical project by Grammy-award winning bassist and singer Meshell Ndegeocello.

Meshell Ndegeocello. (SFJAZZ)

‘In The Name of Love’: A Tribute to MLK featuring the music of Aretha Franklin
Jan. 18
Paramount Theatre, Oakland

In this all-star evening, the music of the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin, will honor the legacy and impact of Dr. King. (Aretha went on tour with King when she was just 16; after King’s assassination, she sang at his funeral.) A collaboration between Living Jazz and SFJAZZ, the tribute features saxophonist Howard Wiley, pianist Kev Choice, the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and others.

2025 MLK Liberation Film Festival
Jan. 18–20
Various venues

In partnership with California Newsreel, NorCal MLK Foundation’s Liberation Film Festival will take place over three days and showcase films meant to inspire civic and social justice engagement. Screenings are free and open to the public, though registration is encouraged. More details on the full lineup and locations will be announced soon.

Museum of the African Diaspora

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Free Community Day
Jan. 20
MoAD, San Francisco

On MLK Day, the Museum of the African Diaspora is offering free admission. This year, in addition to current exhibition Liberatory Living: Protective Interiors and Radical Black Joy, free programming will include sidewalk chalk art, a gallery scavenger hunt, and Prescott Circus Theater with performances by Marcus Shelby and his Youth Orchestra.

28th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
Jan. 20
Alan Harvey Theater, Piedmont

For their 28th annual MLK Day celebration, the Piedmont Anti-Racism and Diversity Committee is offering a program featuring a keynote presentation by Black Panther Party member Ericka Huggins. There will also be performances by the Oakland Youth Chorus Chamber Singers, a writing showcase and more.

March to Reclaim MLK’s Radical Legacy
Jan. 20
14th & Broadway, Oakland / Online

The Anti Police-Terror Project is back for their 11th annual march inspired by Dr. King’s revolutionary spirit and his radical legacy. The event will include various speakers and include a children’s area. A livestream with ASL interpretation will be available for those wishing to participate online.

Behind the waterfall at the San Franciscos Martin Luther King Memorial designed by Houston Conwill
Behind the waterfall at San Francisco’s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Yerba Buena Gardens, designed by Houston Conwill. (Cy Musiker/KQED)

MLK 2025 Music Festival
Jan. 20
Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco

In its 15th year, NorCal MLK’s 2025 Music Festival brings a variety of artists to the Great Lawn at the Yerba Buena Gardens, the site of a walking Martin Luther King Jr. memorial (above). Those who arrive by 11:45 a.m. will be able to participate in the interfaith commemoration; at noon, the concert kicks off with sets by Dee Dee Simon, Top Shelf Classics, Prentice Powell and more.

Silence The Violence MLK Day Peace Walk
Jan. 20
4th and Townsend St. Caltrain Station, San Francisco

Walk the Block, in collaboration with local groups like United Playaz and the San Francisco Interfaith Council, will host a peace walk through the streets of the city to honor Dr. King’s legacy. The walk will kick off promptly at 11:00 a.m.

Marin City’s Annual MLK Day Celebration
Jan. 20
Manzanita Recreation Center, Marin City

The theme for Marin City’s MLK celebration this year is “Fan the flames of the ‘Dream’ into reality!” Festivities will include youth presentations, music, spoken word and other speakers.

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