New Years San Francisco 2019-2020
Top Events & Activities for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in SF
San Francisco is one of the best places to celebrate New Year's Eve. You'll find a variety of celebrations from 21 and older pub crawls to theater performances.
On New Year's Eve, you can also take a cruise, catch some live music, or join friends for a night out on the town.
This year, New Year's Eve falls on a Tuesday night.
You'll find plenty of activities on New Year's Day too. You can head out on a special New Year's Day cruise, visit a few of the famous San Francisco attractions, or lay low watching some great college football games.
Disclaimer: I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.
Concerts, Live Music & Shows
There are several great shows on NYE in San Francisco. You will find these concerts at venues all over town including The Warfield, The Fillmore, and The Independent. These are top shows scheduled so far this New Year's in San Francisco.
Learn More: Additional NYE Live Music Performances
Fireworks Over the Bay
One of the largest events this New Years in San Francisco is the Fireworks display over the Bay. This annual event is just to the south of the Ferry Building near the SF Bay Bridge. The show kicks off at 11:59pm.
Learn More: Tips to Attend the New Year's Eve Fireworks Display
New Year's Eve Cruises
A unique way to spend your New Year's is aboard a cruise on the SF Bay. It's one of the few places in the US you can enjoy this type of adventure on NYE. You will find a variety of cruises from high-end dinner cruises to 21+ party boats.
Here are a couple of my top picks.
Hornblower Premier New Year's Eve Dinner Cruise: This 4-hour cruise offers a high-end New Year's Eve experience. Once the cruise leaves SF around 9pm, you can enjoy a few drinks. You will then be treated to a gourmet four-course seated dinner. The night continues with some music, dancing, more drinks, and the fireworks over the bay at midnight. You will return to SF around 1am. Visit the Hornblower site for more details.
Speakeasy New Year's Eve 2020 Fireworks Cruise: This 21+ party offers you the chance to dance the night away on the water. This 4 hour themed cruise will take you back to the 20s with 2 of SF's top DJs, black jack tables with dealers, and an open bar. It's the perfect way to soak in the views around the SF Bay, meet some new friends, and ring in the new year at midnight with SF's large fireworks display. SOLD OUT
Learn More: Discover Additional Options for NYE
Holiday Attraction Schedule
Many attractions close early on New Year's Eve. As you plan your visit, make sure to check out my list of closing times for top SF attractions on New Year's Eve.
Learn More: Holiday Attraction Schedules
21+ Parties & Events
One of the most popular ways to ring in the New Year in San Francisco is at a fun 21+ party. You will find dozens of options, many are at high-end hotels. They feature a variety of music options, dancing, and a night full of fun and entertainment. My favorite part about them is that most charge a set fee and include drinks all night long.
Learn More: Check Out the Top 21+ Parties for New Year's Eve
Additional Things to Do on NYE in SF
Hamilton at the Orpheum Theater
Start your NYE off right with a trip to the Orpheum Theater to see Hamilton. This award-winning musical features a walk through the life of Alexander Hamilton. It features hip hop, R&B, traditional-show tunes and more throughout the show. All of the characters are non-white and play the roles of many of our founding fathers and the people they surrounded themselves with.
The NYE performance is at 1pm.
Cirque du Soleil Near Oracle Park
Catch a performance of Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna. This year's show takes places on an island where only women live. The queen's daughter is becoming a woman, so she performs a special ceremony to celebrate. Afterwards, she creates a large storm that washes several men ashore.
Her daughter falls in love with one of the new young men on the island. The story follows their love and what they need to overcome in order to keep their lives together.
There is one performance at 4:30pm.
Cityscape SF - NYE Celebration in the Sky
Soak in the views from the 46th Floor Cityscape Lounge this NYE in San Francisco. This year's Celebration it the Sky sponsored by Moet & Chandon includes music, drink specials, and 360 degree views of San Francisco.
DJ MOJO will be spinning music all night long. You can also enjoy Cityscape's tasty drinks with specials throughout the night. At midnight, there will be a special ball drop to ring in 2020 plus a Champagne toast sponsored by Moet & Chandon!
The festivities start at 9pm and last until 1am. You will find the Cityscape Lounge inside Tower 1 of the Hilton Union Square at 333 O'Farrell Street. Tickets start at $150 per person.
NYE at the SF Jazz Center
Head over to the new SF Jazz Center on New Years Eve for Maceo Parker. This funky New Year's Eve Party includes two shows. The first is at 8pm. The second is at 10:30pm and is for members only. The second show includes complimentary champagne and a balloon drop at midnight.
>> SF Jazz Center's Official Website
John Oliver at the Masonic in Nob Hill
Spend the night with funny man John Oliver. He will be performing at the Masonic Auditorium in Nob Hill on New Year's Eve. You will recognize Oliver from his hit show, Last Week Tonight. He rose to fame as a correspondent on the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. You will find two shows that night. The first is at 7pm and the second at 9:30pm. He will also perform on January 1 and 2.
Comedy Shows on NYE
Another fun thing to do on NYE in San Francisco is to catch a comedy show. SF brings in big name performers all year long and NYE always offers up some great options. You can catch an earlier show which will end well before midnight so you can still head out on the town. You can also catch a show that runs through midnight to escape the chaos all around town.
>> Find a full list of performers on NYE here
Best Deals on San Francisco Hotels
Don't pay full price for your room this holiday season. Start your search by checking out the great deals all throughout the city. You can save on your room rate and/or get discounts on popular amenities such as wifi, parking, breakfast, and more.
Click the links below to start saving today!
Booking: Find great deals all around San Francisco for your upcoming stay!
TripAdvisor: What's the #1 hotel in San Francisco? Read reviews & find hotel deals on TripAdvisor!
Fancy Dinner Options
If you love heading out for a nice dinner to celebrate NYE in San Francisco, then you have many of great options. Here are a few places to check out this year. I recommend making your reservations ASAP, as they fill up quickly.
- Big 4 Restaurant at The Scarlet Huntington
- Fairmont Nob Hill: 2 Options
- Laurel Court
- Tonga Room
- Foreign Cinema
- Michael Mina
- Zingari Ristorante
Public Transit Hours
On New Year's Eve in San Francisco, you will find extended hours for BART, Caltrain, and SF's Muni.
BART
BART runs trains until around 3am. Special service running to and from San Francisco will start at 8pm. This gives you a little extra time to catch a ride home. Also, please note, due to the additional trains running after 8pm, not all trains stop at all stations. Here is what you can expect.
| Into San Francisco after 8pm | |
| BART Line | Service Details |
| Antioch & Richmond | Exit at Montgomery (no stop at Embarcadero) |
| Dublin/Pleasanton & So. Fremont/Warm Springs | Exit at Embarcadero (no stop at Montgomery) |
| Millbrae, Daly City, and SFO | Stop at all stops |
| Leaving San Francisco after Midnight | |
| BART Line | Service Details |
| Antioch & Richmond | Board at Montgomery (no stop at Embarcadero) |
| Dublin/Pleasanton & So. Fremont/Warm Springs | Board at Embarcadero (no stop at Montgomery) First East Bay stop is Lake Merritt (no West Oakland stop) |
| Millbrae, Daly City, and SFO | Board at Montgomery and then makes all stops |
>> Visit the official BART site for additional details on these holiday changes
Caltrain
Caltrain is offering additional trains to San Francisco before the fireworks and also later trains southbound after the fireworks. They have added on two additional northbound trains.
Additional trains will head out after the NYE fireworks display with the last train leaving at 2am. Make sure to get to the Caltrain station as quickly as you can after the show as these trains fill up quickly.
Here are more details on their site.
Caltrain also offers free rides on NYE starting at 8pm and ending when the final special train arrives in San Jose.
SF Muni
SF's Muni offers free transit from 8pm to 5am. Here are a few additional details:
- Muni Metro hours will extend to 2:15am between West Portal and 4th and King Streets and extend to 5am between West Portal and the Embarcadero
- F Market streetcar line will be serviced by buses all day
- Cable car lines will be serviced by buses after 6pm
- Extra Owl Service for the following routes from 1am to 5am: 5 Fulton, 14 Mission, 22 Fillmore, 24 Divisadero, 25 Treasure Island, 38 Geary, 44 O'Shaughnessy, 48 Quintara/24th , 90 and 91 Owl and the L and N Owl bus routes
Do not tag your Clipper Card during these times or you will be charged the regular fee.
New Year's Day
If you didn't party too hard on New Year's Eve, you can also enjoy a number of fun activities the next day. Here are just some of the top things to see and do on New Year's Day in San Francisco.
Attractions Open on New Year's Day
On New Year's Day, you will find a number of attractions open including the Aquarium of the Bay on Pier 39, the SF Zoo, and the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. One special treat this day is that you will also get free admission into the gorgeous Botanical Gardens.
Learn More: Hours for All Top Attractions on New Year's Day
Tours & Cruises
Bay Cruise Adventure
- 60-minute ride around the SF Bay
- Cruise past Alcatraz Island, the Palace of Fine Arts, and Fort Point
- Ride under the Golden Gate Bridge - twice!
- Listen to narration along the way about the attractions and SF's history
- Several cruises between 10:15am and 5pm
- Buy your tickets today
Bike the Golden Gate Bridge
- Guided three-hour tour from SF to Sausalito
- Ride along the SF waterfront, up and over the Golden Gate Bridge, and on some small hills until you reach the seaside town of Sausalito
- Stop along the way for pictures and to learn more from your expert guide
- Ferry back to SF from Sausalito
- Reserve your spot today
Best Places to Watch College Football
One of my favorite things to do on New Year's Day is watch some college football. Here are some great sports bars where you can enjoy the games.
Nickies: Lower Haight neighborhood; pub food available all day including beer battered fish & chips, mac & cheese and gourmet burgers; normally opens at noon; 466 Haight Street (between Webster & Fillmore Streets)
Final Final: Marina District; fun, but often crowded sports bar; mostly locals; very limited food menu; 2990 Baker Street (at Lombard)
Green's Sports Bar: Russian Hill/Nob Hill area; great place to watch football; bar only - no food; normally opens around 10am; 2239 Polk Street
Kezar Pub: Haight Ashbury/Cole Valley; small, but popular sports bar near Golden Gate Park; full pub menu that includes wings, tacos and burgers - their Bangers and Mash is also amazing!; usually opens around 11:30am; 770 Stanyan Street
Union Square Sports Bar: Union Square; it's a little bit of a dive bar, but has several TVs and centrally located; drinks only - no food; usually opens around 11am; 115 Mason Street
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San Francisco is currently on a shelter-in-place order through May 3, 2020. Learn more on my coronavirus page.
Hi there! I'm Jill Loeffler and welcome to my site. I've been exploring San Francisco for almost two decades and I can't wait to help you find the best things to do here! Thanks for stopping by and please contact me if you have any questions before your trip.
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