Christmas Day is fast approaching, with residents having tons of fun to unwrap before and after the holiday.
Here are 18 events to check out this week in The City.
Holiday carol concert (Monday)
The First Unitarian Universalist Church and Center hosts an evening of holiday cheer, during which attendees can hear their favorite carols while supporting local nonprofits, music-education programs and scholarships. Musical acts include the Mistletoe Carolers, the Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers and 2025 “American Idol” finalist Filo Ebid.
Tickets can be purchased online at prices ranging from $33.85 to $76.54 including fees. The two-hour show starts at 7:30 p.m and takes place at 1187 Franklin St.
‘Winter Wonderland Ice Skating’ at Thrive City (Tuesday)
A temporary rink has been built at Chase Center’s public plaza, where guests can do laps around the area as part of a synthetic ice-skating experience. Sessions, which last between 20 to 30 minutes, include free skate rentals, photo opportunities and other treats.
A temporary ice-skating rink has been built at Thrive City, the public plaza at Chase Center.
Courtesy Joshua Leung
‘Rain: A Beatles Christmas Tribute’ (Tuesday)
A show dedicated to one of popular music’s best-known bands debuts a holiday edition of its production at Golden Gate Theatre. This version of the theatrical production combines some of The Beatles’ most famous hits with popular holiday classics.
‘Sing You a Merry Christmas’ at Grace Cathedral (Tuesday)
Toys in St. Nicholas’ workshop come to life as part of an interactive performance that explores the magic of Christmas with holiday carols. The production, which takes place at Grace Cathedral, runs for one hour, with no intermission.
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Holiday Spectacular (Wednesday)
The musical group’s annual “Home for the Holidays” production comes to Davies Symphony Hall, where two performances take place Christmas Eve. The show combines seasonal classics such as “What Christmas Means to Me” and “Silent Night” with modern offerings, such as an entire medley dedicated to Lady Gaga.
Tickets can be purchased online, priced from $30 to $105 including fees. Children must be age 4 and up to attend the performances, which take place at 4 and 7 p.m.
Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir Ensemble concerts (Wednesday)
The East Bay nonprofit, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, brings the 36th edition of its Christmas Eve concert to the Tenderloin’s Great American Music Hall. Shows, which take place at 7 and 9:30 p.m., are open to audience members age 6 and up.
Beacon Grand Hotel’s Christmas Day Celebration (Thursday)
The Post Room, the Powell Street hotel’s restaurant, serves a family-style Christmas Day menu. Diners will gather around the table and enjoy dishes including chestnut soup, prime rib, risotto and yule-log cake.
Golden State Warriors vs. Dallas Mavericks (Thursday)
Christmas Day hoops brings a familiar face back to the Bay Area, as the contest marks this season’s return of former Warrior Klay Thompson to the region. Thursday’s game is also the Chase Center debut of Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA draft.
The Golden State Warriors game on Christmas Day marks this season’s first Chase Center appearance by the team’s former star shooting guard Klay Thompson.
Craig Lee/The Examiner
‘Die Hard’ screening at the 4 Star Theater (Thursday)
Audiences can transport themselves back to Christmas Eve with “Die Hard,” the 1988 action film starring Bruce Willis as a cop visiting his estranged wife and kids for the holiday. Matinee moviegoers are encouraged to make the day a double feature, as “The Muppet Christmas Carol” is also being screened at the theater at 5 p.m.
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Ape Drums at 1015 Folsom (Friday)
DJs are playing sets at this Folsom Street nightclub to raise money for Titanic’s End, a San Francisco nonprofit artist collective focusing on immersive arts and alternative performance culture. Nine musical acts will perform throughout the night, and attendees are encouraged to wear festive, flashy attire.
Savoy Tivoli presents Jules Broussard (Saturday)
The Grant Avenue bar hosts musician Jules Broussard and his New Orleans Jazz Band for an afternoon of live music. Over the course of three hours, Broussard and his crew will play various works from his 70-year career.
Broussard’s no-cover show runs from 2 to 5 p.m. The Savoy Tivoli is located at 1434 Grant Ave.
‘The Man of Many Fathers’ book tour (Saturday)
Best known for his stint as a “The Daily Show” correspondent, comedian Roy Wood Jr. comes to The City’s Palace of Fine Arts Theatre for a night featuring standup comedy and a moderated conversation. Wood Jr. will discuss “The Man of Many Fathers,” his memoir released in October that recounts lessons from personal father figures.
Oasis dance party (Saturday)
Before staging its final New Year’s Eve celebration, the SoMa nightclub will host a party honoring past and present venue performers. Over 10 drag performers will take the stage, with the club also trying to break a world record for the largest drag kick line.
Tickets can be purchased online for $29.68 including fees, and attendees must be ages 21 and up. Doors open at 9:30 p.m., with the show starting an hour later.
San Francisco Ballet’s sensory-friendly ‘Nutcracker’ performance (Sunday)
The City’s dance company partners with the Autism Society San Francisco Bay Area to stage a full-length performance of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic in a relaxed environment. Show elements include house lights remaining on at a low level during the performance and the absence of loud noises, such as a cannon being fired during a battle sequence.
San Francisco Ballet’s sensory-friendly “Nutcracker” production is a full-length performance of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic.
Courtesy Erik Tomasson
The 40th annual Japanese New Year bell-ringing ceremony (Sunday)
Participants will ring a 2,100-pound, 16th-century Japanese temple bell as a way of leaving behind 2025’s regrets and worries as a new year soon begins. Rev. Gengo Akiba will lead a chanting of the Heart Sutra, a Buddhist sacred text, and strike the bell 108 times, an action symbolizing the vanquishing of the 108 “sins” that plague humanity.
Museum of the Eye Champagne toast (Sunday)
“Celebratory Bubbles, Not Eye Troubles” returns to the Museum of the Eye for a fourth year. The event features a presentation by cocktail and spirits writer Camper English, as well as a licensed sommelier, who will share the history of Champagne and a live demonstration of the proper bottle-popping technique to avoid eye injury.
Kwanzaa celebration at the Main Library (Sunday)
San Francisco Public Library hosts the 20th edition of the institution’s annual Kwanzaa celebration. The Village Project, a local nonprofit, leads a traditional ceremony, while musican Azere Wilson and percussionist Manas Itene play original and classic songs inspired by the holiday’s seven principles, collectively known as the Nguzo Saba. The afternoon concludes with a feast of cultural dishes.
Sunday’s event takes place at the Main Library’s Koret Auditorium and Latino/Hispanic Meeting Rooms A and B. It runs from 2 to 4:30 p.m.
Performances by the Guilhem Fourty Quartet (Sunday)
Mr. Tipple’s Jazz club hosts the French composer, producer and drummer, who will perform with bassist Aidan McCarthy, pianist Brahm Sasner and trumpeter Skylar Teng. Fourty’s 75-minute shows take place at 6 and 7:45 p.m. respectively.
Led by Guilhem Fourty, the French composer’s quartet will play two shows at Mr. Tipple’s Jazz Club.
Courtesy Guilhem Fourty