KQED Arts & Culture

‘Fairyland’ Revisits the Joys and Tragedies of ’70s and ’80s San Francisco This moving film adaptation of Alysia Abbott’s 2013 father-daughter memoir is a thing of jagged beauty.

Andrew Durham’s film adaptation of ‘Fairyland,’ Alysia Abbott’s 2013 memoir about being raised in San Francisco in the 1970s and '80s by her bisexual father, manages to thoughtfully honor the source material without getting bogged down by its scope.

‘The Smashing Machine’ Is a Career High for Dwayne Johnson The former wrestler has drained away much of his big-screen charisma to play MMA pioneer Mark Kerr.

The former wrestler has drained away much of his big-screen charisma to play MMA pioneer Mark Kerr.

La Llorona, Legend and Protector, in the Streets of San Francisco | KQED For many, La Llorona is a ghost story intended to scare, learned in childhood. But for others, this legend has evolved from deep roots into a powerful symbol of feminism and protection.

For many, La Llorona is a ghost story intended to scare, learned in childhood. But for others, this legend has evolved from deep roots into a powerful symbol of feminism and protection.

This R&B Singer Has Made a Lifelong Study of Human Behavior | KQED Cash Campain’s grasp on relationships fuels his R&B songs, writing, acting and work at UC Berkeley.

Cash Campain’s grasp on relationships fuels his R&B songs, writing, acting and work at UC Berkeley.

The Chinese Roots of Northern California’s Wine Industry Run Deep | KQED Despite a long association with Europeans, Chinese laborers established the iconic vineyards of Sonoma and Napa Valleys.

Though it’s rarely spoken of today, a majority Chinese labor force planted Northern California’s iconic wine country. The stories of those Chinese workers offer a compelling counterpoint to the notion that wine country was created by European immigrants.

‘Orwell: 2+2=5’ Argues That the Modern World Is Close to Dystopia In this powerful film, Raoul Peck mingles George Orwell’s reflections with archival footage and images.

In this powerful film, Raoul Peck mingles George Orwell’s reflections with archival footage and images. It screens daily at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco between Oct. 7-16.

This Ethiopian Dive Bar’s Most Surprising Hit Is Its All-You-Can-Eat Veggie Combo Club Waziema is one of SF’s classic neighborhood dives — and serves great misir wat and beef stew too.

Club Waziema is mostly known as a friendly neighborhood dive bar on San Francisco's Divisadero Street, but it also serves solid Ethiopian food — including an all-you-can-eat veggie combo.

MoAD Reopens With Its Imagination ‘Unbound’ | KQED A new exhibition envisions bold futures at the Museum of the African Diaspora, kicking off Black Art Week.

After spending six months closed for lighting and HVAC upgrades, a new exhibition envisions bold futures at the Museum of the African Diaspora, kicking off Black Art Week.

Taylor Swift Feels Love’s Glow and the Spotlight's Glare on ‘Life of a Showgirl’ On her 12th album, the most dominant pop star of our era makes a spectacle of herself in full flower.

On her 12th album, the most dominant pop star of our era makes a spectacle of herself.

A Post-Retirement Daniel Day-Lewis Makes Bleak ‘Anemone’ Bearable Day-Lewis returns to acting after 8 years to collaborate with his director son, Ronan.

Daniel Day-Lewis returns to acting after 8 years to collaborate with his director son, Ronan.

RM From BTS Will Curate an SFMOMA Exhibit in 2026 | KQED The Korean rapper will bring works from his personal collection to San Francisco.

Fans recently spotted RM from the K-pop juggernaut BTS at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, taking in the woven sculptures of local icon Ruth Asawa. The Korean rapper is partnering with the museum for a new exhibit that will open in October 2026.

For Ledisi, Channeling Blues Queen Dinah Washington Is Spiritual The R&B supernova returns to San Francisco, where her career began, to sing a tribute at Davies Symphony Hall.

Twenty years before she sang “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” at the 2025 Super Bowl or performed on Broadway, R&B supernova Ledisi was just another Bay Area artist, hustling to make ends meet. She performs at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco next week:

Derby, Disco and Dirty Devils: 11 Bay Area Halloween Events for 2025 The Bay Area tends to outdo itself every Halloween, and 2025 is no different.

The Bay Area tends to outdo itself every Halloween, and 2025 offers something for everyone, whether you want to go on your own ghost hunt, boo-gie down with disco freaks or get spooky with a symphony. This year's best events:

Have Other Musicians Benefited From Taylor Swift’s Fight for Her Masters? Taylor Swift turned masters ownership from a behind-the-scenes conversation into a mainstream debate.

Taylor Swift turned masters ownership from a behind-the-scenes conversation into a mainstream debate.

The Bay Area’s First Kerala-Style Chai Shop Opens in San José | KQED Chayakada has wowed customers with its showy meter chai, authentic street snacks and friendly atmosphere.

At Chayakada in San José, chai baristas juggle a meter-long stream of tea through the air like master waterbenders, effortlessly filling each cup to the brim with hot, frothy chai. It claims to be the first Kerala-style chai shop in the United States.

Belva Davis Showed Me I Belong in Journalism | KQED Meaghan Mitchell reflects on the fearless legacy of the West Coast’s first Black woman television reporter.

"It was Belva Davis — the woman who became the first Black female television reporter on the West Coast — who showed me that growth in this field meant courage," Meaghan Mitchell writes in her tribute to the late Bay Area journalist.

Need Community Support? Dial 'MYSTERY' to Reach San Francisco’s Creative Mutual Aid Hotline | KQED A San Francisco arts collective is reimagining solidarity, one wacky request at a time.

A San Francisco arts collective is reimagining solidarity, one wacky request at a time.

Plantain Peels, Sugar and Style: Oakland Teens Weave Food Into Fashion At the first-ever Cuisine and Couture, students at the Oakland School for the Arts team up with some of Oakland’s top chefs to celebrate the local food scene.

Students at Stephanie Verrières’ fashion design class at the Oakland School for the Arts partnered with 11 of the city’s top chefs to design original couture garments inspired by the chefs’ flavors, ingredients and personal stories. Take a look:

More Big Burning Man Art Is Coming to San Francisco | KQED A private foundation hopes to place up to 100 large-scale sculptures in public spaces over the next three years.

Five months after the installation of the giant metal sculpture of a nude woman in Embarcadero Plaza, the Sijbrandij Foundation has unveiled the latest piece of “big art” in San Francisco and announced a new project dubbed the “Big Art Loop.”

San Francisco’s Castro Theatre Will Reopen With a Sam Smith Residency The British hitmaker will usher in a new era for the 103-year-old movie palace.

In February 2026, the Castro Theatre will reopen its doors after two years with a concert residency by British hitmaker Sam Smith, ushering in the 103-year-old movie palace’s new era as a concert and entertainment venue. Details:

‘Reading Rainbow’ to Return, With New Host Mychal Threets | KQED The popular Bay Area librarian will step into LaVar Burton's role as host when the series relaunches.

'Reading Rainbow' is returning to TV with a new host: Mychal Threets, also known as Mychal the Librarian, a Bay Area librarian immensely popular on TikTok and Instagram.

Giants Fire Veteran Manager Bob Melvin After 2 Years | KQED Manager Bob Melvin has been fired by the San Francisco Giants after the club missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season.

Manager Bob Melvin was fired Monday by the San Francisco Giants after the club missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season.

A Bad Bunny Concert With a Side of Football Comes to the Bay Area The star is skipping the U.S. during his world tour — except for a Super Bowl halftime performance in Santa Clara.

When it came time to plan his 57-stop world tour this year, Bad Bunny chose to skip the U.S. entirely — except the Bay Area. The Puerto Rican star will be performing at halftime during the Super Bowl on Feb. 8, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

‘The Art of Manga’ Brings New Worlds to the de Young Museum A 50-year retrospective of the Japanese art form is a delight for fans and newcomers alike.

As the first large-scale exhibition of its kind in North America, 'Art of Manga' at San Francisco’s de Young Museum is a 50-year retrospective of the Japanese art form and a delight for both longtime fans and newcomers.

Cheers to ‘House of Guinness,’ Which Feels Like an 1860s, Irish ‘Succession’ The creator of ‘Peaky Blinders’ fictionalizes the battle for control of the famous Irish brewing company.

The creator of ‘Peaky Blinders’ fictionalizes the battle for control of the famous Irish brewing company.

Oakland’s Smartbomb Takes Over SFMOMA for an Experimental Art Party On Oct. 2, during free first Thursday, Waves of Knowing brings together musicians, poets and filmmakers.

Next Thursday, Oct. 2, when SFMOMA is free to Bay Area residents from 4–8 p.m., the experimental Oakland artist collective Smartbomb will take over multiple floors of the museum with music, poetry, film screenings, free screen printing and more.

Artist Tiffany Conway is Bringing the Bay to the Florence Biennale | KQED With her colorful paintings, Tiffany Conway has a unique way of balancing light and darkness.

Bay Area artist Tiffany Conway will show her colorful paintings at this year’s Florence Biennale in mid-October. Before then, you can check out her work at events in Richmond and San Francisco:

‘Kim’s Convenience’ at ACT: A Funny, Touching Story of an Immigrant Family Business | KQED Ins Choi stars in his own play about family and forgiveness, set inside a Korean-owned corner store.

Ins Choi stars in his own play about family and forgiveness, set inside a Korean-owned corner store. ‘Kim’s Convenience’ runs through Oct. 19 at the Toni Rembe Theater in San Francisco. Read our review:

Tony Hawk’s San Francisco X Games Skateboard Just Sold for $1.15 Million The Birdhouse ‘Falcon 2’ deck was used by Hawk at Pier 30 in 1999 to land the first-ever 900 trick.

The Birdhouse ‘Falcon 2’ deck, which was used by Tony Hawk at Pier 30 in 1999 to land the first-ever 900 trick, has sold for a record-breaking $1.15 million.

Assata Shakur, Godmother of Tupac Who Found Asylum in Cuba, Dies at 78 | KQED The Black liberation activist who escaped from U.S. prison in 1979 died of ‘health conditions and advanced age.’

Assata Shakur, a Black liberation activist who was given political asylum in Cuba after her 1979 escape from a U.S. prison where she had been serving a life sentence for killing a police officer, has died, her daughter and the Cuban government said.