Bhangra & Beats night market will return to San Francisco this summer with an explosion of South Asian music, food and dance in a new downtown location.
The free event is scheduled for July 24 across Yerba Buena Gardens, Jessie Square and Yerba Buena Lane for the first time. A second edition, timed to coincide with San Francisco’s official Diwali celebration, is planned for Nov. 13.
“Bhangra & Beats Night Market is one of San Francisco’s liveliest night markets, and bringing this celebration to Yerba Buena Gardens will draw thousands of residents and visitors downtown,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a statement Wednesday, May 6.
The move gives Bhangra & Beats a more prominent home in one of the city’s busiest arts and entertainment districts, near the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Moscone Center and several major hotels.
The night market boasts Bhangra music and dance, DJs, dhol drumming, cultural performances, family activities, food and retail vendors, as well as specials at participating restaurants and bars.
Non Stop Bhangra, the Bay Area collective known for mixing Punjabi folk music, dance lessons, dhol drumming and DJs, will again lead the entertainment.
Attendees are encouraged to wear Indian and South Asian festive attire.
“Yerba Buena Gardens has long celebrated world music and culture, and we’re grateful to be part of that celebration — bringing Punjabi music and Indian culture to one of downtown’s most iconic arts destinations,” Non Stop Bhangra Co-Founder Vicki Virk said in a statement.
Bhangra & Beats Night Market began in 2023 as San Francisco was experimenting with street festivals and night markets to bring people back downtown. Since then, it has drawn more than 75,000 attendees and generated $4.36 million in spending for downtown businesses and vendors, according to organizers.
“As San Francisco continues to rise, events like this are helping turn our public spaces into vibrant, welcoming destinations, while supporting small businesses and our downtown recovery,” Lurie said.
Because Jessie Square and Yerba Buena Lane are designated Entertainment Zones, attendees will be able to carry alcoholic drinks through parts of the event area, organizers said.