The Castro Theatre has announced the first slate of concerts for its grand reopening.
Following a $41 million renovation led by Another Planet Entertainment, San Francisco’s beloved movie palace will reopen in February with a sold-out, 20-night residency by Sam Smith – and a full calendar of concerts, comedy and community events to follow.
Another Planet, which took over operations of the movie palace in 2022, unveiled the initial lineup on Tuesday, Nov. 4, marking the historic venue’s return.
The 2026 schedule features musical artists Lucy Dacus, the Breeders, Father John Misty, Perfume Genius and Santigold as well as “Queer Eye” star and entertainer Jonathan Van Ness, among others.
Tickets for all newly announced shows go on sale 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at thecastro.com.
San Francisco’s Castro Theatre has announced the first slate of concerts for its grand reopening. The 2026 schedule features Lucy Dacus (pictured), Father John Misty, Perfume Genius, Jonathan Van Ness, Santigold, and more. (Jim Dyson/Getty Images)
“The Castro makes its grand return in a new era of programming that bridges cinematic tradition, live music, comedy, community gatherings and service to the LGBTQ+ communities for whom the venue is a treasured asset,” the announcement read.
Built in 1922, the Castro Theatre has long been the heart of San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ neighborhood.
When the doors reopen, Another Planet expects the venue to draw more than 200,000 visitors a year – a welcome boost for nearby restaurants, bars and small businesses that have felt the absence of the neighborhood’s cultural anchor.
Under the new design, the 1,400-seat theater will host both seated and standing events, spanning live music, film screenings, drag performances and comedy nights.
It will also serve as home to Frameline’s 50th San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, scheduled for June 17-27.
The Castro Theatre blade sign is lit after getting an upgrade, during opening night of the Frameline LGBTQ+ Film Festival in the Castro District in San Francisco, Calif. on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Opening night of the largest and oldest such fest in the world featured a special Juneteenth celebration. (Loren Elliott/Special to The Chronicle)
Another Planet Entertainment, which also operates the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in downtown San Francisco and Berkeley’s Greek Theatre, has spearheaded an ambitious overhaul of the 103-year-old landmark, which has become one of the city’s most closely watched cultural flashpoints.
The Spanish Baroque Revival building – closed since February 2024 – has undergone extensive upgrades, including restored ceiling artwork, a reinstalled chandelier and a new motorized seating system that allows the auditorium to shift between screenings and concerts.
At the center of the controversy was the removal of the theater’s traditional raked orchestra seats, a change preservationists feared would erode its historic character. The dispute came to a head at a heated 2023 town hall meeting, and later that summer the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 6-4 against landmarking the seats, clearing the way for retractable platforms.
San Francisco’s Castro Theatre has announced the first slate of concerts for its grand reopening. The 2026 schedule features Santigold (pictured), Father John Misty, Perfume Genius, Jonathan Van Ness, Lucy Dacus, and more. (Cynthia Edorh/Getty Images)
Renovation delays have stretched the project well beyond its original 16-month timeline, frustrating nearby merchants who say business has suffered without the theater’s steady crowds.
More Information
The Castro Theatre 2026 shows
February
10–28 – Sam Smith (multiple dates)
March
24–25 – Father John Misty
April
8 – “Gayme Show” with Matt Rogers & Dave Mizzoni)
14 – “On Cinema Live!” with Tim Heidecker & Gregg Turkington
May
June
17–27 – Frameline Film Festival (screenings TBA)
August
Tensions flared again in May when longtime neighborhood staples Castro Coffee Co. and Castro Nail Salon learned their leases would not be renewed to make way for the theater’s expanded box office. The two family-run businesses, owned by brothers Ken and Riyad Khoury, claim they had been assured they could remain but were later told to vacate by July 1. Both shops remain open.
Before closing its doors, the Castro Theatre hosted a sing-along screening of “Victor/Victoria,” presented by nonprofit partner Oasis Arts. The organization will oversee a new grant program to subsidize rentals for LGBTQ+ performers once the theater reopens.
San Francisco’s Castro Theatre has announced the first slate of concerts for its grand reopening. The 2026 schedule features Father John Misty (pictured), Perfume Genius, Jonathan Van Ness, Santigold, Lucy Dacus, and more. (Mason Trinca/Special to The Chronicle)
This article originally published at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre is back. Here are the first acts performing in 2026.