People tell me all the time how drab San Francisco is, as they might put it: no one dresses up, and where are the good parties? Glamour does exist in ye olde city of denim, hoodies, and Crocs — you just have to look a little harder.

As an avid high society partygoer, I’m going to tell you how I like to get my red carpet on, either for a little or a lot of money. Bear in mind:

Just like the Met Gala, these parties are charity events, some of them just want your ticket cost, while others will ask you for more at the fancy dinner. Many have auctions and will ask at the door if you want to put your credit card on file.Also included is what I think you should wear, but you don’t have to take my advice.Finally: No one paid me to write these things. But they often invite me to write and to wear fabulous things. We usually end up donating anyway — or convincing friends to come along and donate. These are great parties!Hearts After Dark

This gala benefits the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation — Read my 2024 party rewind.

When: February 12, 2026
Where: The Conservatory at One Sansome
Cost: $50 for the after party. There’s also a dinner portion that’s $1,500 starting.
Details and tickets (These are for the after party)

My take: They say everyone left their heart in San Francisco. Apparently, we stock extras. You’ve probably seen these sculptures all over; they are the physical heartbeat of the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation.

Their main dinner at $1,500 is the heavy hitter, but the “Hearts After Dark” party is the cool, slightly buzzed younger sibling that actually knows how to have a good time. It is, quite literally, the most chill and affordable dress-up party on my San Francisco bucket list. I went in 2024 and felt distinctive prom vibes, like you can get all dolled up in a Valentine’s themed fast fashion or New Year’s sequins and fit right in. The Conservatory at One Sansome is — and I’ll just say it — sort of a weird aesthetic mashup, where it feels at once really big and really small. I’ve been here for a few parties, and the dining area is massive, while the after party is, as I said, sorta like a prom and cramped. But fun! Very communal, and I’m a sucker for soirées that include dancing.

Grace Cathedral’s Carnivale

Benefiting Grace Cathedral — Read my 2025 party rewind.

When: February 13, 2026
Where: Grace Cathedral – 1100 California St, San Francisco, CA 94108
Cost: $100 for an individual after party ticket. $165 for a pair of them. I believe dinner ticket begins at “Enthusiast” level for $600
Details and tickets

My take: Venue is everything, and Grace Cathedral has that in spades. How else to describe it but as a religious experience? As a gay, Jewish, agnostic, nonconforming man, I once thought I’d burst into flame crossing the threshold of Grace Cathedral, but the people here are always extraordinarily warm and encouraging. I’d actually call this one a low-key dinner but for the live band and dancing.

Then the after party always gives me a gothic sort of Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibe. We dance in a small chapel with a live band, and, if memory serves, there’s typically a circus performer or fire spinner. I love, love, love the event photobooths here. I would pay $100 just to come for those. In the past they’ve brought in The Vanity Portrait Studio, which creates these incredible jaw-dropping, sort of 1990s Glamour Shots but for fancy prom photos. The one they took last year inspired the entire decorating scheme for my current home.

How to dress: This is also a flashy event you can go fairly wild for, but I see a lot more classic silhouette here, some ballgowns, and also something to move in because you’ll probably come to dance. Wear whatever you want if you’re just here to get the world’s best photo. I mean it.

Lunar New Year at SF Symphony

Benefiting the SF Symphony — Read my 2025 party rewind.

When: February 28, 2026
Where: Davies Symphony Hall – 201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102
Cost: I’m seeing far-away seats for $125. Dinner starts at $1,500
Details and tickets

My take: SF Symphony must know its soirées are a bit less on the over-the-top sparkles than, say, Art Bash at SF MoMA. But the symphony works quite a bit to create an immersive aesthetic at events like Lunar New Year, where you’ll find a woman handling a live snake, calligraphers painting lucky phrases on red paper, dancers twirling silk fans, and a fortune teller predicting the year ahead.

I’m consistently impressed that the symphony keeps pairing music with interactive elements for our hands and eyes. And they do have fancy fancy if you’re able to get the dinner. The Wattis Room always has amazing table decorations; this past year, full-on lit-up gold trees as centerpieces. I’ve been a bit tardy with my symphony reviewing the past several months, but I hope they know how much I love this event, and also their annual gala and Dia de los Muertos, which I’ll discuss here, too.

How to dress: If I’m honest, you can get away with anything from a Patagonia vest or a full-on ballgown. The latter makes more sense if you’re doing VIP cocktails pre-show and at the banquet, and I’d actually recommend that. If you’re just in it for the concert, however, a seatmate might say, “My, you’re certainly dressed up!” Once, I wore a black gown to this event, and an older gentleman came up behind me and said, “The homework assignment was red,” lol.

ODC Dance Downtown Gala

Benefiting ODC — Learn more about them here.

When: March 6, 2026
Where: Performance at The Forum & Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA
After Party at W San Francisco
Cost: I’ve seen two different sales listings for this, but I believe the performance + after party is $190. Dinner tickets begin at $925.
Details and tickets

My take: If San Francisco’s dance scene had a North Star, it wouldn’t be a gilded opera house; it would be a converted factory in the heart of the Mission. Before ODC was a Mission District powerhouse in contemporary dance, they were a literal collective of artists who loaded their lives into a yellow school bus at Oberlin College and drove West. Their work is mind-bendingly athletic, but it feels human. It’s the kind of dance that makes you want to move.

I snuck in slightly late to their performance last year and remember it as fun, fluid, and y’know, a bit gay. My perceptions are influenced by ODC dancer Christian Squires and his designer friend, Christopher James Dunn. Also thanks to Navid Armstrong, a quite prominent do-gooder in the San Francisco charity world who always wears the best ballgowns. On her suggestion that I attend last year, I remember feeling pretty gobsmacked by an after party with a cotton candy machine, incredible floral centerpieces, and this great photobooth that printed out a literal flipbook of people moving in front of the camera.

This year, I hear Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is coming! You know, if you like to hobnob. And I almost forgot, the more expensive ticket holders last year got treated to a private dance at the freaking Gucci store downtown. I want to goooo.

How to dress:  Dress to impress, as Navid always tells me. I really love when queer dancers come out to play in sequins and risqué cuts, and ODC had a lot of that the year I went. Be bold, whether that’s bodycon or huge gown. I should note with the latter though that audience seating is always a thing.

Benefiting the Community Music Center — Learn more about them here and read my 2024 party rewind.

When: March 14, 2026
Where: The Ritz Carlton at 600 Stockton Street, San Francisco
Cost: Typically I can find after party pricing; on this one I only see a $500 intro option for the whole thing.
Details and tickets

My take: While other institutions are busy gatekeeping, the Community Music Center has been busy expanding its Mission District campus with a $15 million glow-up that includes a restored 1880s Victorian painted a sky blue. Students range from toddlers to centenarians. You’ve got the New Voices Bay Area TIGQ Chorus (for the trans and genderqueer folks) sharing space with old-school neighborhood choirs. And they really mean “Music for All”: They operate on a sliding scale that fits a budget for everyone.

I’ve been to this gala a couple of times, and it’s quite a high-end vibe while also being pretty calm. A lot of children perform and there’s an auction and dancing. I was thrilled — the Garden Court at The Palace is one of my favorite rooms in all of San Francisco. It looks like CMC has moved its party to The Ritz, which I’m sure is also quite glamorous.

How to dress: In my experience this event actually gave me more of a blue-blooded vibe, lots of suits and cocktail looks. It’s always billed as a spring gala, so I like to bust out my florals when I go. 

Benefiting the San Francisco Community Health Center — Read more about them here and for the party, see their 2024 highlight reel.

When: April 4, 2026
Where: Hyatt Regency at 5 Embarcadero Center
Cost: Currently it looks like a one-tier price at $350 for the whole evening, including dinner
Details and tickets

My take: The Community ​​Health Center is San Francisco’s cardiovascular system. They provide primary care, mental health support, and dental work to the people who actually keep this city running: the artists, the line cooks, the gig workers, and the folks who were here long before the first “For Lease” sign appeared on a shuttered dive bar.

I see their gala as – and how do I put this – one of the city’s gayest. I don’t know about this year’s roster, but in prior ones, I’ve only seen it hosted by Reggie Aqui, who recently left his seat as a news anchor for SF’s ABC affiliate. He’ll often bring along with him TV celebs Drew Tuma and Kumasi Aaron, and alongside them, I’ve spotted a number of notable drag queens like Donna Sachet and Juanita More. In both years I’ve gone, the message is pro-progressive healthcare, delivered first by Nancy Pelosi, then later via video by Dr. Anthony Fauci. 

When I hear “Hyatt Regency,” I’ll be honest, I sort of think of a corporate-looking event. But this venue they glam up quite well with amazing centerpieces, along with great lighting, tunes, and performances. It’s a bit pricey but I do recommend it.

How to dress: Put on your best drag, really. But a suit is also just fine.

de Young Gala and Late Night

Benefiting de Young and (I think) the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco — Read my 2024 party rewind.

When: April 16, 2026
Where: de Young at 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr.
Cost: Late night starts at $150 and the dinner intro price is $5,000 (lower prices are already sold out)
Details and tickets (main gala), tickets (late night only)

My take: Arts museums host the best parties because artists are — duh — the most expressive. The de Young is a fun one because there are so many rooms to explore, from event activations all night in the main lobby areas, to breezy jazz in the tower when my heels are murdering me. Everyone is decked out in amazing fashion, and we’re all admiring each other and the art. If you’ve got the big dollars, a super fancy dinner takes place out back under a big tent and mood lighting.

Something I’ve not mentioned yet here is community. A bartender at this event told me last year he became sober after reading my work. This is the sort of connection that keeps me coming back. That and pop-up exhibits like when they featured vintage clothing shop ReLove. Anna-Alexia Bastile — I’ve spotted her both years I’ve gone — always has the best outfits and vibes. She meanders the party with a Polaroid camera and takes artsy photos you can collect later.

LGBT Center Soirée

Benefiting the SF LGBT Center – Read my 2024 party rewind.

When: April 18, 2026
Where: City View at Metreon – 135 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Cost: $95 for after party. Dinner tickets begin at $349
Details and tickets

There are only a few annual events where many of the main LGBTQ+ luminaries of San Francisco will cram into one space. Not long ago I remember it happening at Hunky Jesus, Cleve Jones’ birthday, and the LGBT Center Soirée. This event always feels like sort of a casual meet-and-greet cocktail hour, but with dinner, dancing, and an auction. They will ask for them dollars – you are warned, lol. Sister Roma and Honey Mahogany know how to raise those funds, so if you attend the dinner, probably plan to donate.

The after party includes a healthy set of drag numbers and songs curated by one Ms. Juanita More and Mr. David Glamamore. And this all happens in a venue space above the Metreon. I have a soft spot for the Yerba Buena area and its downtown city lights, and this space has a very chic terrace to hang out and catch up with queer people of the community you’ve probably crossed paths with before.

How to dress: Get your drag on! Be rainbow bright. Or go casual – this one you can come as you are, but I do always see quite a few sequins and a handful of custom looks.

Dress for Success SF Gala

Benefiting Dress for Success SF. Read more about them.

When: Also April 18, 2026
Where: Terra Gallery – 511 Harrison St, San Francisco, CA 94105
More details
For tickets: Email hello@sfdress.org – and I will update with a ticket link here when one is available.

My take: Dress for Success operates like a master atelier of human potential. For nearly two decades, this organization has treated the act of “suiting up” as a high-stakes performance art—one where the costume change is the catalyst for a radical personal metamorphosis.

I went to this gala on a personal invitation of gala chair Sharon Seto last year and was pleasantly surprised. You never know with fresh additions to the calendar. They went all-out 70s with a full casino night, with glittery dancers in head-to-toe disco mirrors. Then there was some James Bond realness with a full casino night, which I always love. And Mayor Daniel Lurie made an appearance! Like I said, I was impressed.

How to dress: It’s disco again this year, so definitely pull out your bell bottoms, roller skates, and Farrah Fawcett wig.

Art Bash

Benefiting the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art – Read my 2024 party rewind.

When: April 29, 2026
Where: SFMOMA
Cost: $95 gets you in at 10 p.m., $250 to $500 (premium) at 8 p.m., and $3,500 for the dinner.
Details and tickets

My take: This is quite often the party to end all parties. Everyone goes. Everyone dresses up. It’s like the Coachella of the gala world. Red carpets be damned! The entire party is a runway, and often there is a runway for you to strut down. SF MoMA opens up many levels with DJs, heavy bites, dancing, shows, dinner, photos, and art galore. It’s not especially the party for introverts.

Last year still delights me: a MoMA employee sees me in my white LED gown and says, “You look important,” whisking me up via private access to the $3,500 dinner. I did not dine, but did get the photo of my life in the Chronicle.

Really, go. You must go. It’s an amazing party.

How to dress: Honestly, anything goes. Be wild. Be explosive. But please, be fashion. Dress it up like it’s your wedding on a cruise ship as it docks at a music festival.

SFJAZZ Gala

Benefiting SFJAZZ’s artistic and education initiatives. Learn more about SFJAZZ.

When: May 7, 2026
Where: SFJAZZ Center at 201 Franklin St. and at SF City Hall
Cost: $250 for the concert, $150 for the after party. Dinner tickets begin at $2,000

My take: Since its 2013 opening, SFJAZZ is the first freestanding building in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to jazz, and it has redefined the genre’s cultural standing.

I only went the once to this gala, but it was truly an impressive set of performances, nighttime activities, food, and drink. They trusted us with glass champagne flutes! And some super fancy desserts. I’ve been meaning to cozy up more to this organization and hope this year is the year. And I’ll be honest, a party that happens at SF City Hall never disappoints me.

How to dress: So the website actually says black tie optional, festive required. I would double down on this recommendation, given the genre. The body is meant to move to jazz.

SF Symphony Gala

Benefiting the San Francisco Symphony. Read my 2024 party rewind.

When: TBA, it’ll be in September 2026. We should have details by March.
Where: Davies Symphony Hall
Cost: Concert tickets in 2025 ranged from $30 to probably a more typical $100ish. I believe dinner began at $2,500.

My take: You’ll never find a sour word from me when it comes to the San Francisco Symphony. They are world-class musicians, and I’m so glad this past year saw a resolution to ongoing salary discussions with them.

The gala is a great time to get your feet wet with what SF Symphony plans for the upcoming year. As I said earlier in this story, it tends to be a little more dressed down at this event, but more sparkly outfits came out to play this past year I think in deference to Yuja Wang, a glamorous pianist who turned it out in glittery silver this past September. Higher ticket tiers get you into a dinner and party I’ve yet to personally see, but I gravitate toward the VIP receptions, where you hobnob with the typical gala regulars. They pack it in there in the Wattis room lobby; you squish around and gossip as much as possible before the symphony takes the stage. And it’s equally fun to prance around the Davies Symphony Hall lobby before and after the event.

I’m sad the Madrigal closed! I used to love heading there after a symphony concert.

How to dress: Do it fancy black tie, cocktail dress, or gala gown for the dinner. If it’s just the concert, casual suiting is fine. But I like to dress up for these things, personally.

Fall Show Opening Night Gala

In 2025, this benefited the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco – Read my 2025 party rewind.

When: October 14, 2026
Where: Fort Mason Center, Festival Pavilion
Cost: Gala tickets began at $400 (I believe) in 2025. Their price is not yet listed for 2026.
More details

My take: Fort Mason is–quite honestly–a weird one for me. It’s like a convention center gallery space? Think booths. But then around those booths is just MONEY in capital letters. I remember spotting at FOG Design + Art Fair sconces costing more than $16,000. This year at that party, they sold at least one piece for more than $1 million.

The Fall Show is a similar cohort but even more lavishly decorated and catered. Last year’s black and white ball came complete with a color-matching carpet and cocktails blackened with food-safe charcoal. If you want to converse with the city’s big spenders, this really might be the place to do that. Are you one of those big spenders? By all means, drop on by and throw your credit card at something that costs more than three times what I make in a year.

How to dress: This event bills itself as “the leading international art, antiques, and design fair on the West Coast.” Dress. Upppp.

SF Symphony Dia de los Muertos

Read my 2024 party rewind.

When: TBA, but I expect November 1 or 2, 2026.
Where: Davies Symphony Hall
Cost: Single tickets in the past began at $50; I typically see symphony tickets closer to $85 to $115. If they have a dinner, those tickets began in the past at about $350.

I used to love celebrating Dia de los Muertos in the Mission with the big crowds and installations. As I get older, though, I prefer a bit more of a chill afternoon with SF Symphony. The lobby is much like the Lunar New Year celebrations, with many people coming in costume, sugar skulls, and coloring activities for the kids. They always pick great guest conductors for these events, and they get the audience to participate in non-cringey ways. The dancing performances are always a highlight for me, and there’s always something fun happening up and down the seating aisles.

I don’t know if it’s every year, but in 2024, Sharon Seto hosted a lovely dinner afterward at the Green Room in the War Memorial Opera House. Again, these are fancier packages for high rollers. But if my research is right, and these tickets began at $350, that’s a good deal! On the less expensive end for that sort of sit-down experience.

How to dress: Definitely dress in festive attire appropriate for Dia de los Muertos. Dress in vibrant colors and elegant symbols that celebrate the continuation of life rather than the “spooky” themes of Halloween. The most iconic looks are inspired by La Catrina for women and El Catrín for men, emphasizing formal, sophisticated styles adorned with floral and skeletal motifs.

I published this story when these parties already passed. But they are also on my must-attend list, I just wanted the upcoming to be at the top of your mind:

SF Ballet Gala

Benefiting the San Francisco Ballet – Read my 2026 party rewind.

When: This year’s was January 14, but it’s never too late to plan ahead.
Where: City Hall and the War Memorial Opera House
Cost: Tickets range from $200 to $$$$. The Young Patron’s Circle is a good grab to get a dinner invite for less than $1k.

My take: Another must-attend. You must go.

Ballet is all about beauty, glamour, costuming, and storytelling, so it’s no wonder they throw an amazing party. City Hall as a venue means you get to make an entrance like Carol Channing down an excessively grand staircase. There’s live music in one room, a DJ in another, and amazing heavy bites, candy, and coffee, along with photo stations and other cute party tricks. This past year we saw a flashmob, and I was happy to see Ocean Beach Cafe owner Joshua James serving up non-alcoholic beverages. Bring him back for 2027, SF Ballet — court that Gen Z sobriety!

How to dress: The night is as much watching a show as it is being your own show. Definitely dress to impress, and if you ask me, go wild with it. Sure a conventional ballgown works, but people are definitely upstaging each other more and more as we exit the pandemic.

FOG Design + Art Fair Opening Night Gala

Benefiting SFMOMA’s education initiatives, which served over 140,000 students, teachers, youth, and families through diverse online and in-person resources, programs, and visits this year. Read my 2024 party rewind.

When: January 20 to 24, 2027. I am guessing opening night will be January 19, 2027.
Where: Fort Mason
Cost: This year’s entry began at $250
More details

My take: FOG is another one of those art-forward shows that focuses on buyers. Fort Mason goes in deep with the booths, and you browse in your Armani. It’s a big deal. Last year, FOG landed on the same day as the SF Ballet opening gala, and it was a big enough deal that people were having like a full crisis of conscience over which one to attend. Many people I spoke to that night simply went to both.

For me it goes to show that while the glamorous, high-rolling crowd in San Francisco is mighty, it is a very specific set of people who enjoy these events.

I’ve enjoyed FOG’s gala for the same reason all these parties are fun – meet-cutes with new friends and familiar faces alike, fashion watching, and shopping for that $16,000 sconce I’m personally never going to buy.

What to wear: Honestly I sort of see this gala as a high-end Art Bash. Outfit choices can be a bit wild, but when they are, they are most often high fashion and expensive AF.

Saul Sugarman is editor in chief and owner of The Bold Italic.

The Bold Italic is a not-for-profit media organization, and we publish first-person perspectives based in San Francisco and the Bay Area. We operate under a fiscal sponsorship of a 501(c)(3). Learn more about us.

Most of the photos in this story are courtesy of the very talented team at Drew Altizer Photography. Thank you Drew, Jessica Monroy, Devlin Shand, and the entire group of people there. Hire them.