San Francisco City Hall has debuted a brand new holiday installation: City Hall Winter Lights, a free projection mapping show that turns both the Polk Street and Van Ness Avenue sides of the building into a giant animated storybook.

The month-long display runs nightly through December 30, with shows every 30 minutes from 5:30 PM to midnight. Each sequence lasts about ten minutes and features a synchronized musical soundtrack that you can stream directly on your phone.

The projections cover both façades of City Hall, transforming the dome and columns into moving digital scenes. For the best viewing angles, head to Civic Center Plaza between Polk and Larkin, or stand along the Van Ness Avenue side to see the full scale of the animations.

For more information, please visit the following link

https://sf.funcheap.com/sf-city-halls-brand-new-animated-light-show-thru-dec-30-5/

Ring in 2026 with San Francisco’s annual fireworks show over the Bay.

The big fireworks show will take place at midnight this year (December 31, 2025) on New Year’s Eve 2025/2026.

Say goodbye to 2025 and ring in the 2026 new year with 200,000 fellow bundled-up San Franciscans for an annual tradition as the city once again hosts a free waterfront midnight fireworks show on New Year’s Eve.

San Francisco New Year’s Eve Fireworks
Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | 11:59 pm
Embarcadero from Mission to Folsom
FREE

Arrive by 11:30 pm and head south of the Ferry Building along the Embarcadero for the best view. Fireworks kick off right at the stroke of midnight.

The info below is from past years, but this is what typically happens on SF’s NYE fireworks. We will update this post as soon as we have the confirmed details.

Best SF Fireworks Viewing Location:

The fireworks typically launch from barges located 1,000 feet out in the bay, just south of the Ferry Building near Pier 14 (Mission Street and The Embarcadero), so the best viewing spots will be south of the Ferry Building along the Embarcadero between Mission and Folsom Street.

Please note that standing in front of the Ferry Building will not be a good place to view the fireworks. It’s way too crowded and your view can be blocked by the Ferry Building.

About the Fireworks Show:

Typically, there’s a 15-minute midnight fireworks show. Each year, they unveil a few new and interesting pyrotechnics.

The fireworks are usually synced to music, played out through speakers that are set up along the promenade stretching from Pier 14 down almost to the Bay Bridge. So, although there’s no radio simulcast and no live entertainment, if you’re close to Pier 14, you should be able to hear the music just fine. 

For more information, please visit the following link

https://sf.funcheap.com/san-francisco-new-years-eve-fireworks/

The cosmos’ annual gift to sky watchers, the Geminids Meteor shower, which is visible from November 19 to December 24, will peak on December 13-14, 2025. In 2025, the moonlight won’t interfere with the meteor shower viewing.

During peak activity and perfect weather conditions, which are rare, the Geminids produce approximately 100-150 meteors per hour for viewing.

The shower will peak at 2 am Pacific Time on December 14, 2024.

For prime viewing, find an area away from city and streetlights, bundle up for winter weather conditions, bring a blanket or sleeping bag for extra comfort, lie flat on your back with your feet facing south, and look up.

Be sure to give yourself at least an hour of observing time. It takes about 30 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark. Don’t look at your phone as it will ruin your night vision. Try to find a way to block out the moon from your view for optimal viewing. 

For more information, please visit the following links

https://sf.funcheap.com/geminids-meteor-shower-how-to-watch-in-san-francisco/

https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-geminid-meteor-shower/