The Best Concerts Events in San Francisco Right Now: What’s Actually Worth Going To

If your group chat has turned into a running debate about which concerts events in San Francisco to hit next, you’re not alone—about 4,700 people are already circling this week’s highlights. The city’s in that sweet spot right now: just enough chaos to feel alive, not so much that you can’t still snag a ticket if you move fast.

This month, the best concerts in San Francisco are all about range. You’ve got a Tribute Festival rolling into town at industrial Pier 80 (perfect if you like your classics loud, communal, and within sight of cranes and cargo ships), Russian and Ukrainian pop stars taking over big rooms, jazz nerds quietly losing their minds over rare debuts, and a full-on Mardi Gras brass band parade landing right in the middle of your Valentine’s weekend plans. It’s very SF: a little international, a little underground, and somehow there’s always a saxophone.

On the bigger end, the Orpheum Theatre and The Castro Theatre are still where people go for “tell-everyone-on-Monday” nights—the kind of shows you dress up for, argue about seats for, and pretend you didn’t cry at. When someone drops a line like ✪ LOBODA в Сан-Франциско with tickets starting at $79 and a warning they’ll go up, that’s your hint: this one’s for the superfans who already know all the words. Same story with Группа "СЕКРЕТ"—if you’re in that scene, it’s unmissable; if you’re not, you’ll walk into a room where absolutely everyone else is.

If you’re more into hearing real instruments in reasonably sized rooms, this month’s jazz offerings are where SF quietly flexes. Nick Rossi Quartet making their Keys Jazz Bistro debut is exactly the kind of North Beach night that makes you remember why you live here: intimate room, proper cocktails, a crowd that actually shuts up during solos. Lisa Mezzacappa 5(ish) dropping an otherworldly record release at SFJAZZ is the move for people who collect ticket stubs and weird time signatures—more adventurous, more cerebral, still very fun.

And then there’s the chaos option: the Hot Mountain Dips FREE Mardi Gras Show + Brass Band Parade on Saturday, February 14th. It’s free, it’s loud, it’s Valentine’s Day in SF, which means half the crowd is on a date and the other half is third-wheeling with a trumpet. If you hate big arena vibes but love the feeling of stumbling into a street party, this is the one you put in your calendar first.

So yes, discovery in San Francisco right now looks like this: one night you’re in a velvet seat at the Castro, the next you’re dodging confetti behind a brass band, and somewhere in between you’re at a tiny table in a jazz club pretending you just ‘happened’ to find it. Pick your lane—or don’t. This week, the city’s making it very easy to be that friend who actually knows what’s going on.