Need Weekend Plans? SF Live Launches a New Events Calendar

Calendars are so back, if you ask Mayor Daniel Lurie. On Friday, his office announced the launch of a new, city-run site from the Office of Economic and Workforce Development called SF Live, which features event listings for music, theater, comedy, family-friendly activities and more.

SF Live’s calendar is powered by Vibemap, a service that uses AI to automate listings, pulled automatically from pre-approved venue websites. Each month, however, a different group of cultural heavy-hitters will step in to augment the calendar with curator picks.

First up as guest curators are veteran music journalist Ben Fong-Torres, rapper-producer P-Lo and Top Chef: All-Stars L.A. winner Melissa King; their November picks include a PinkPantheress concert at the Masonic on Nov. 12 and Kamasi Washington’s performance at Golden Gate Theatre on Nov. 15. Future curators include bestselling author Dave Eggers, drag artist and Oasis club owner D’Arcy Drollinger and singer and multi-instrumentalist La Doña.

In a press release, the mayor’s office touted Lurie’s commitment to the arts, and emphasized culture’s importance to San Francisco’s economy. Event-goers typically spend $46.54 beyond the cost of a ticket at small businesses, according to city data. San Francisco’s arts sector is a major employer, with 3,380 organizations providing more than 60,000 jobs.

“The arts are leading San Francisco’s comeback — driving cultural activations and economic growth across our neighborhoods,” Lurie said in a statement. “SF Live will support San Francisco’s arts organizations and drive ticket sales for live arts, music, theater, and dance.”

For an venue’s events to be included in the calendar, it “must have live performance every time the venue is open to the general public, or performance four or more days per week,” according to SF Live’s FAQ. Events must be located in San Francisco, and “event marketing must focus on artistic talent.” SF Live is currently soliciting advertising and partnerships, along with nominations for future guest curators.

SF Live is the latest addition to a growing ecosystem of local events calendars. It’s similar to DoTheBay, owned by concert producer Noise Pop, which offers a roundup of mostly concerts, presented in order of upvotes.

Local media outlets also provide their own curated recommendations. In addition to KQED’s The Do List, with previews of concerts, film festivals, plays and all kinds of things to do, Coyote Media, Oakland Review of Books, Screen Slate, the San Francisco Chronicle and 48hills all offer event guides with hand-selected picks from working arts journalists.

SF Live began as a free concert series under former Mayor London Breed, and Lurie has worked to continue the initiative through partnerships with promoter Another Planet Entertainment and record label EMPIRE. The mayor recently announced that San Francisco will celebrate a “Winter of Music” with several (ticketed, not free) concerts by electronic music stars: Fisher at Moscone Center on Dec. 19 and 20, Skrillex and Four Tet at Pier 80 on Dec. 30 and Swedish House Mafia at the same venue on New Year’s Eve.