San Francisco Opera Opens Its 104th Season September 12, With a Free Park Concert the Next Day

San Francisco Opera opens its 104th season on Saturday, September 12 with Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra at the War Memorial Opera House. The next afternoon the company gives Opera in the Park, a free outdoor concert at Robin Williams Meadow in Golden Gate Park. The park concert is the part of opening weekend anyone can walk up to.

Opera in the Park, Sunday, September 13

The concert starts at 1:30pm and runs about two hours at Robin Williams Meadow, 320 Bowling Green Drive, at the east end of Golden Gate Park. Admission is free and there are no tickets. Music Director Eun Sun Kim conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in duets and arias sung by artists from the company’s 2026-27 season.

Seating is first come, first served on the grass. Bring a picnic blanket or a low-profile lawn chair. Food and drinks are sold on site, and there are free water refill stations around the meadow, so bring a refillable bottle. No glass. San Francisco Opera publishes an event map with accessibility and parking details ahead of the concert. Opera in the Park has run since 1971.

For transit, the 7 Haight/Noriega runs along Haight Street to Stanyan and then Frederick, a short walk from the meadow. The N Judah runs along Irving and Judah on the south side of the park.

Opening Night, Saturday, September 12

Simon Boccanegra is Verdi’s late drama about political and family intrigue in 14th-century Genoa. Eun Sun Kim conducts, continuing her practice of programming a Verdi opera each season. Mongolian baritone Amartuvshin Enkhbat sings the title role for the first time, his third consecutive season opening with the company. Italian soprano Eleonora Buratto sings Amelia and Maria, and Mexican American tenor Joshua Guerrero sings Gabriele Adorno, both making their first appearances on the War Memorial stage. Bass-baritone Christian Van Horn sings Jacopo Fiesco. Katherine M. Carter revives Claus Guth’s staging, a production from Hamburg State Opera. Curtain is at 8pm.

The same evening is Opera Ball, the company’s fundraiser with San Francisco Opera Guild. Guests arrive at City Hall at 5pm for a cocktail reception, dinner follows at 6pm, and the after-party returns to City Hall once the curtain comes down. This year adds a buffet dinner soirée option that includes drinks, dinner and the after-party. Proceeds go to San Francisco Opera and to the Guild’s K-12 music education programs. The company announced the details on July 22.

The Rest of September

Thea Musgrave’s Mary, Queen of Scots follows from September 20 to October 4, a new co-production and the work’s mainstage premiere at the company.

Tickets and Address

The War Memorial Opera House is at 301 Van Ness Avenue, across from City Hall. San Francisco Opera lists tickets starting at $30, and the box office is at 415-864-3330. Civic Center station, served by BART and Muni Metro, is about three blocks east at Market and Hyde, and the Van Ness Muni Metro station is on Market at Van Ness.

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Photo: HaeB, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.