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This Week's Top Stories

SF Opera

SF Opera Orchestra Threatens Opening-Night Strike; Opera Ball Moved to November

Contract negotiations between the San Francisco Opera and its orchestra musicians have thrown the season's gala into uncertainty, forcing Opera Ball off its September 12 date — though Simon Boccanegra's opening-night curtain still stands.

San Francisco Opera's annual Opera Ball, one of the Bay Area's most prominent fall galas, will not take place on its planned September 12 date after the orchestra warned it would not perform without a new collective bargaining agreement by opening night. <cite index="110-3,110-4">San Francisco Opera announced its 2026 Opera Ball is delayed; originally scheduled for September 12 at San Francisco City Hall, the Opera Ball will now take place on November 12.</cite> <cite index="110-5,110-6">The season-opening performance of Verdi's 'Simon Boccanegra' at the War Memorial Opera House will continue as planned on September 12 without the gala component of the evening.

Read the full story: San Francisco Chronicle →
City Hall

Supervisors Advance $38.9M OpenGov Permit Contract; Full Board Vote Set for September 15

A key City Hall committee unanimously cleared Mayor Lurie's controversial software deal on September 2, but stopped short of endorsing it, setting up a contentious full Board of Supervisors vote.

<cite index="38-7,38-8">A Board of Supervisors committee on Wednesday unanimously approved extending a contract worth up to $38.9 million for OpenGov, a controversial software that Mayor Daniel Lurie has championed as part of his efforts to overhaul the city's clunky permitting system.

Read the full story: SF Standard →
Tenderloin Museum

Tenderloin Museum Holds Annual Gala at War Memorial After June Fire Closes Its Doors

A fire at the Cadillac Hotel above the Tenderloin Museum in June forced the institution to close; its 11th annual gala on September 23 will be held at the War Memorial Green Room as the museum pursues repairs and fundraising.

<cite index="127-17,127-18">A fire on June 27 forced the Tenderloin Museum to close, the museum reported. The fire originated 'in the residential floors of The Cadillac Hotel, above our space.' The museum has launched a fundraising drive.</cite> <cite index="127-1,127-2">The Tenderloin Museum's 11th Annual Gala, titled 'A Decade Plus One,' is set for September 23 from 5…

Read the full story: Mission Local →

Upcoming & Ongoing in the Neighborhood

Tuesday, September 8

wave to earth at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

<cite index="91-1,91-2">The South Korean indie-pop band wave to earth plays the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Tuesday, September 8, with doors at 7:15 p.m. and show at 8:15 p.m. This event is all ages.</cite> The show is sold out; resale tickets remain available.

  • Location:Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove St, Civic Center
  • Time:7:15 PM (doors); 8:15 PM (show)
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Monday, September 8

SF Symphony: Samara Joy with the SF Symphony

<cite index="48-5">Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy joins conductor Anthony Parnther and the Symphony for an evening featuring jazz standards and original songs</cite> to kick off the SF Symphony's 115th season.

  • Location:Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave, Civic Center
  • Time:7:30 PM
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Friday, September 12, through Saturday, September 27

SF Opera: Simon Boccanegra — Season Opening

<cite index="111-2,111-3">San Francisco Opera's 2026–27 season begins September 12 with Music Director Eun Sun Kim leading an international cast in Giuseppe Verdi's Simon Boccanegra. Last seen on the War Memorial Opera House stage in 2008, the opera will be presented in Claus Guth's production from the Hamburg State Opera.</cite> Note: Opera Ball has been postponed to November 12 due to ongoing orchestra contract negotiations.

  • Location:War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave, Civic Center
  • Time:Various times
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Saturday, September 12

Live on Larkin: Little Saigon 51st Anniversary Block Party

<cite index="59-6,59-7">Celebrate the 51st Anniversary of Little Saigon at Live on Larkin, a huge neighborhood celebration packed with live performances, fashion shows, karaoke, delicious food, and performances by Circus Bella.</cite> <cite index="59-8">Live on Larkin is part of Welcoming Week in SF.</cite> Free to attend.

  • Location:Larkin & Eddy Streets, Tenderloin (Little Saigon)
  • Time:Various times
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Wednesday, September 23

Tenderloin Museum 11th Annual Gala: 'A Decade Plus One'

<cite index="128-1,128-2">The Tenderloin Museum's 11th Annual Gala brings together supporters for live entertainment, community voices, distinctive food and drink, and an opportunity to connect with Tenderloin enthusiasts, set against the backdrop of The Green Room at San Francisco War Memorial.</cite> The museum has been closed since a June fire; the gala doubles as a fundraiser toward repairs and its ongoing $3.7 million expansion. Register via Humanitix.

  • Location:The Green Room, San Francisco War Memorial, 401 Van Ness Ave
  • Time:5:00 PM–8:30 PM
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Thursday, September 24

SF Symphony: Opening Gala with Hilary Hahn

<cite index="48-1">The Symphony officially opens its new season on September 24 with its annual Opening Gala, led by conductor Giancarlo Guerrero and featuring superstar violinist Hilary Hahn performing Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto.</cite> <cite index="48-2">During the concert, the Symphony will present the Ellen Magnin Newman Award to Cultura y Arte Nativa de las Americas (CANA), recognizing the organization's more than four decades of preserving and celebrating Latino, Caribbean, and African diasporic cultural traditions in the Bay Area.</cite>

  • Location:Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave, Civic Center
  • Time:7:00 PM
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Through October (Tuesdays & Thursdays)

Civic Center Soundtrack — Free Lunchtime Concerts

<cite index="13-14">The Civic Center Soundtrack returns for its third season starting Tuesday, April 14, 2026, bringing live music to Fulton Plaza twice a week through October.</cite> Concerts run Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 3 p.m. and are free.

  • Location:Fulton Plaza, Civic Center (Fulton St at Larkin St)
  • Time:12:00 PM–3:00 PM
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More from the Neighborhood

SFPL

New Exhibition Opens at SF Main Library September 4, Running Through January 2027

<cite index="76-9">A new exhibition opens Friday, September 4, 2026, at the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library and runs through Thursday, January 21, 2027, with hours from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.</cite> The Main Library at 100 Larkin Street is closed Monday, September 7, for Labor Day but otherwise…

Read the full story: San Francisco Public Library →
Tenderloin

Larkin Street Revival Gains Momentum as New Businesses Open in Little Saigon Corridor

<cite index="56-15,56-16,56-17">A new bookstore/café has opened on Golden Gate between Hyde and Larkin, businesses backed by OEWD grants are opening on Larkin, and a Mexican restaurant is even opening at the long drug-challenged southwest corner of Ellis and Jones.</cite> The activity is part of the Larkin Street Revival project, funded…

Read the full story: Beyond Chron →

Neighborhood Directory

Know of a listing that's wrong or a business that's closed? Report a correction →

Sources & Editorial Notes

Stories in My Town News are compiled from public sources, and with assistance from AI. Please verify important details at the cited source. All named individuals appear only in their publicly documented roles. Directory listings reflect publicly available contact information and are updated periodically.
1

San Francisco Opera postpones annual ball as musicians threaten opening-night strike

 ·  https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/classical/article/sf-opera-opening-ball-postponed-22411896.php

2

San Francisco Opera & Opera Guild's Fundraising Gala Postponed Due to Orchestra Negotiations

 ·  https://operawire.com/san-francisco-opera-opera-guilds-fundraising-gala-postponed-due-to-orchestra-negotiations/

3
4

San Francisco advances up-to-$38M OpenGov permit deal

 ·  https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/02/san-francisco-opengov-daniel-lurie-contract-software/

5

Controversial PermitSF Contract Extension Advances Without Supervisors' Support

 ·  https://sfist.com/2026/09/03/extension-of-controversial-permitsf-contract-advances-without-supervisors-support/

6

S.F. is poised to spend $33M more on OpenGov. It's still only handling basic permits.

 ·  https://missionlocal.org/2026/09/opengov-permitting-san-francisco-daniel-lurie/

7

What's on now at San Francisco museums, September 2026

 ·  https://missionlocal.org/2026/09/whats-on-now-at-san-francisco-museums-september-2026/

8

A Decade Plus One: Tenderloin Museum's 11th Annual Gala

 ·  https://www.tenderloinmuseum.org/public-programs-2026-2/2026/9/23/tlm-11th-annual-gala

9
10

San Francisco Symphony 2026-27 Season Calendar

 ·  https://www.sfsymphony.org/

11

wave to earth at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, September 8, 2026

 ·  https://billgrahamcivic.com/events/wave-to-earth-260908

12

Live on Larkin: Free Street Fest 2026 (Tenderloin)

 ·  https://sf.funcheap.com/live-on-larkin-free-street-fest-2026-tenderloin-3/

13

Civic Center Soundtrack Free Concerts

 ·  https://sf.funcheap.com/region/civic-center/

14

San Francisco Public Library — Home

 ·  https://sfpl.org/

15

Is SF's Tenderloin Bouncing Back?

 ·  https://beyondchron.org/has-sfs-tenderloin-bounced-back/

16

San Francisco Opera presents Opera Ball to open 104th season

 ·  https://www.sfopera.com/press/press-releases/Opera-Ball-2026/