Oasis Reopens July 17 in SoMa After Nonprofit Buys Its Building for $3.5 Million
Oasis, the drag club and cabaret at 298 11th Street in SoMa, reopens on Friday, July 17, 2026 after a seven-month hiatus. The venue nearly closed for good: owner and former San Francisco Drag Laureate D’Arcy Drollinger announced in July 2025 that the club would shut down, citing rising costs and declining attendance. A December 2025 foundation grant from philanthropists Mary and Mark Stevens changed that, and the nonprofit Oasis Arts has since purchased the club’s building for $3.5 million.
How the Club Was Saved
Oasis opened in 2015 and spent a decade as one of the city’s main stages for drag and original cabaret. After Drollinger’s closure announcement, the club planned a final New Year’s Eve party before going dark on January 1, 2026. Days before that party, the Stevens family grant arrived; their son Sky Stevens was an Oasis regular, according to SFist. The grant, whose total was not disclosed, allowed Oasis Arts, the nonprofit Drollinger founded, to buy the building at 298 11th Street for $3.5 million.
The club now runs under a split structure. The original Oasis LLC continues to manage bar operations, while Oasis Arts oversees programming with an 11-person board of directors. Investor Greg Sottolano serves as the nonprofit’s executive director, and Madeline Howard joined as director of development.
What Changed Inside
The building got a light remodel during the closure. The front Champagne Room bar was upgraded, and new murals are planned for the bathrooms pending further fundraising. A fuller structural renovation is planned for a later date, according to SFist.
Opening Weekend
The reopening party on Friday, July 17, called The Grand Reveal, is sold out, per the San Francisco Standard. The first weekend continues on Saturday, July 18 with two performances of Princess: Homecoming at 6pm and 9:30pm, featuring Julie J. The club is also back in time to host its annual rooftop party during the Up Your Alley street fair on July 26. Tickets and the current calendar are at sfoasis.com.
Getting There
Oasis sits at the corner of 11th and Folsom Streets in SoMa. The 12 Folsom bus runs along Folsom Street, and Civic Center Station (BART and Muni Metro) is about a half-mile walk. Street parking in western SoMa is limited on club nights, so transit or rideshare is easier.
Photo: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
