Let’s Glow SF lights six downtown San Francisco buildings with free holiday art Dec. 4–13

SAN JOSE — Six downtown San Francisco landmarks, from the Ferry Building to the top of Salesforce Tower, will become giant screens for animated holiday art for 10 nights, Dec. 4 through 13, during Let’s Glow SF, according to the Downtown SF Partnership, the nonprofit that hosts it.  Watching is free, and no ticket is needed.

Shows run from 5:30 to 10 p.m. each night, except opening night, Friday, Dec. 4, when they run from 7 to 10 p.m. after a free 6 p.m. kickoff at the Ferry Building.  The projections play on a continuous loop, so visitors can arrive at any time during those hours, the festival’s official Eventbrite listing says.

For San Jose residents, it is a free holiday night out that BART and Caltrain both reach.  It also has a local tie:  San Jose-based Adobe is one of the 19 featured artists and studios.  Its piece, “Story by the Bay,” uses colorful, origami-style images to tell San Francisco’s history on the Pacific Exchange building at 301 Pine St.  Visual Endeavors, a studio from Santa Cruz, has a work on the Hobart Building on Market Street.

What you’ll see

The partnership calls Let’s Glow SF the largest holiday projection arts festival in the United States.  This is its sixth year.  Projection art uses powerful projectors to fit moving images to the shape of a building, so windows, columns and ledges become part of the picture.  This year’s artists come from San Francisco, Santa Cruz, New York, Paris, Istanbul, Lisbon, Birmingham in England and Indonesia, among other places.  Here is what plays where, with the best viewing spot the partnership lists for each:

• Ferry Building, 1 Ferry Building:  works by Doddz, Glitch, and Edmosh with Bruno Bez.  Watch from Harry Bridges Plaza.
• 101 California St.:  Fearmos, Immerse Studio and Jake Oleson, whose “The Way Home” follows a boy lost in a winter storm through memories of his father.  Watch from inside 101 California Plaza.
• Pacific Exchange, 301 Pine St.:  Ouchhh, Adobe, and GMUNK with Peter Clark.  Watch from 300 Pine St.
• Hobart Building, 582 Market St.:  Visual Endeavors, David Ariew and Spectre Lab.  Watch from 1 Post St.
• Yerba Buena Lane at Market Street:  Andy Gilmore with META, and Leslie Epsztein, on the historic Humboldt Bank Building.  Watch from Yerba Buena Lane.
• Top of Salesforce Tower, 415 Mission St.:  San Francisco artist Michaela Mitchum’s “The Lights,” inspired by the northern lights.  It can be seen from much of downtown.

Before each show, a countdown by Portuguese artist Tim Re4ee plays at every site, tying the six locations together, the partnership said in its Nov. 2 announcement.

Who it’s for

Organizers describe the festival as free and family-friendly.  It is entirely outdoors, on public sidewalks and plazas, so dress for a December evening.  The six sites are within walking distance of one another in the Financial District and along Market Street, and visitors can see them in any order.

Opening night adds a free “Countdown to Glow” in front of the Ferry Building from 6 to 7 p.m., with city officials, artists, free hot cocoa and a live choir, according to the announcement.  Amazon will collect food donations for the SF-Marin Food Bank there.  The partnership asks people to RSVP for free on Eventbrite.

Tours and deals

The partnership offers a free audio walking tour that tells the stories behind the projections; the link is on its festival page.  For the first time, San Francisco Pedicab is selling 90-minute festival rides for $195 each night.  GoCar is back with GPS-guided driving and walking audio tours that include artist biographies and parking tips; booking is on the partnership’s festival page.

Dozens of downtown restaurants and bars, among them Boichik Bagels, Perbacco and Sam’s Grill & Seafood Restaurant, are offering 5% off to diners who mention Let’s Glow SF, the festival page says.

Why downtown is doing it

The Downtown SF Partnership is a community benefit district, a nonprofit funded by local property owners, that covers 43 blocks in the Financial District and Jackson Square.  It says the 2025 festival drew more than 128,000 visitors, up 47% from 2024, and brought an estimated $15.2 million to $18.9 million in economic activity, with attendees spending an average of $164 each.  Those are the organizer’s figures.

Amazon presents this year’s festival, with support from Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office, the city’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the Downtown Development Corporation, JPMorganChase, Gap Inc. and Panasonic.  A3 Visual produces it with the partnership.

“Back for a sixth year, Let’s Glow SF has become one of San Francisco’s most beloved seasonal traditions.” — San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, in the Nov. 2 announcement

Robbie Silver, president and CEO of the Downtown SF Partnership, said in the announcement that the festival shows “what can happen when we use our public spaces creatively.”

If you go

• When:  Dec. 4–13.  Friday, Dec. 4:  free Countdown to Glow at the Ferry Building, 6–7 p.m.; shows 7–10 p.m.  Dec. 5–13:  shows 5:30–10 p.m. nightly, on a continuous loop.
• Cost:  Free.  Free RSVP on Eventbrite.  Optional pedicab tours cost $195 for 90 minutes.
• Where:  Ferry Building; 101 California St.; Pacific Exchange, 301 Pine St.; Hobart Building, 582 Market St.; Yerba Buena Lane at Market Street; and the top of Salesforce Tower, 415 Mission St.
• BART from San Jose:  Board at Berryessa/North San José or Milpitas.  Until 9 p.m., Green Line trains run straight to Embarcadero and Montgomery St. stations, a short walk from the sites.  After 9 p.m., there is no Green Line service; ride the Orange Line and change at Bay Fair to a Blue Line train toward Daly City, BART’s system map shows.  Check BART’s trip planner for the last connection home.
• Caltrain from San Jose:  Ride to the San Francisco station at Fourth and King streets, then walk or take Muni about 1 to 1.6 miles to the sites.  Check caltrain.com for the last southbound train.
• Driving:  Downtown San Francisco is about 50 miles from downtown San Jose by U.S. 101 or Interstate 280.  The festival page’s map shows nearby parking garages.
• More:  downtownsf.org/things-to-do/lets-glow-sf

Source:  Downtown SF Partnership, Let’s Glow SF festival page; Downtown SF Partnership news release, Nov. 2, 2026, also in the Let’s Glow SF 2026 media kit; Let’s Glow SF 2026 official Eventbrite listing; BART system map, October 2026.