Your one-stop shop for the Bay Area’s cultural offerings, from KQED 💃 The Do List: Spice up your plans 📥 Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/arts-and-culture
Robert Townsend hosts special screenings of his own films — including his bold satire ‘Hollywood Shuffle,’ plus his curated picks, Aug. 5–9 at the Balboa and 4-Star Theaters in San Francisco. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992348/robert-townsend-balboa-4-star-artist-in-residence-film-series
A Groundbreaking Black Filmmaker Kicks Off New Artist-in-Residence ScreeningsRobert Townsend hosts nine screenings in San Francisco, including his bold satire ‘Hollywood Shuffle.’www.kqed.orgIs Outside Lands really sold out this year? Where is will call? Can you bring your own food? We have everything you need to know about Outside Lands 2026, including the best ways to get home. https://www.kqed.org/news/12091823/outside-lands-2026-tickets-parking-road-closures-and-bag-rules
Outside Lands 2026: Tickets, Parking, Road Closures and Bag Rules | KQEDIs Outside Lands really sold out this year? What can you bring to Outside Lands? Where is will call, what will the weather be like in Golden Gate Park in early August, and can you bring your own food?...www.kqed.orgOpening this month, the reborn Souk Savanh will bring its Lao sausage, rice ball salad and budget-priced rice plates to San Pablo Avenue. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992097/souk-savanh-lao-restaurant-east-bay-albany-opening
One of the East Bay’s Best (and Most Elusive) Lao Restaurants Finds a New Home in AlbanySouk Savanh is bringing its Lao sausage, rice ball salad and budget-priced rice plates to San Pablo Avenue.www.kqed.orgWhen the newest youth center in East Palo Alto welcomed all generations for music from Vallejo’s own Con Funk Shun, a metaphorical light shined throughout the crowd, with people dancing, smiling and connecting. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992274/epacenter-east-palo-alto-youth-center-concerts
An East Palo Alto Youth Center Makes Space for Adults — With a Side of FunkAt EPACENTER, generations bonded together during Con Funk Shun’s summertime set.www.kqed.orgWant to take a walk in San Francisco’s past? Check out KQED’s compiled list of places to visit that preserve specific eras of the city. https://www.kqed.org/news/12092325/time-travel-to-san-franciscos-past-at-these-local-haunts
‘Time Travel’ to San Francisco’s Past at These Local Haunts | KQEDWant to take a walk in San Francisco’s past? Check out KQED’s compiled list of places to visit that preserve specific eras of the city.www.kqed.orgJP Breganza, the Filipino American DJ who spearheaded a popular series of Seafood City dance parties, is kicking off a new series of Filipino parties in Vallejo called Isa Pa, with the first party taking place tomorrow. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992320/seafood-city-dj-filipino-party-vallejo-isa-pa
Seafood City DJ Brings the Filipino Party Home to Vallejo | KQEDFilipino food, DJs and musicians round out a new, free party called Isa Pa.www.kqed.orgIn this BDSM comedy, Olivia Wilde plays a famous artist who initiates a wild relationship with a younger employee. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992200/olivia-wilde-i-want-your-sex-movie-review
Movie Review: ‘I Want Your Sex’ | KQEDIn this BDSM comedy, Olivia Wilde plays a famous artist who initiates a wild relationship with a younger employee.www.kqed.orgFive local artists will hit the stage for a live music showdown next week, judged by Oakland's finest, Kamaiyah and other local heavy-hitters in the music scene on stage presence, skill, and talent. Details and tickets ⬇️ https://www.kqed.org/event/6616/mic-check-bay-area-music-showcase-feat-kamaiyah
Mic Check, Bay Area: Music Showcase feat. Kamaiyah | KQEDA live music showdown celebrating Bay Area talent. Five rising artists compete for real recognition, judged by Kamaiyah and local music heavyweights on stage presence, skill, and showmanship. Expect h...www.kqed.orgAt 60, Too Short is helping usher hip-hop into what he calls its senior citizen era. The Oakland hip-hop pioneer’s 23rd album, “Sir Too $hort Vol. 2: Drink & Smoke,” arrives Friday. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992187/too-short-at-60-senior-citizen-rappers-new-album-lil-jon
Too Short, Going Strong at 60, Makes the Case for ‘Senior Citizen Rappers’ | KQED‘Who laid the rule down that in hip-hop you gotta stop at 40?’ asks Short, whose 23rd album drops Friday.www.kqed.orgDavid Alvarado’s crisply entertaining documentary ‘American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez’ gives justice to a gifted artist who transcended his circumstances and carved new trails. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992108/luis-valdez-claims-the-spotlight-in-american-pachuco
Luis Valdez Claims the Spotlight in ‘American Pachuco’ | KQEDThe director of ‘La Bamba’ and ‘Zoot Suit’ was also the first Chicano playwright on Broadway.www.kqed.orgIrish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, who won an Academy Award for the 2007 film “Once,” died in a motorcycle crash on the outskirts of Dublin early Wednesday, his management said. He was 56. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992146/glen-hansard-irish-musician-and-star-of-once-dies-in-motorcycle-crash
Glen Hansard, Irish Musician and Star of ‘Once,’ Dies in Motorcycle Crash | KQEDThe Academy Award-winning Irish singer-songwriter died in a motorcycle crash in Dublin. He was 56.www.kqed.orgThis year’s Booker Prize longlist, announced today, includes 13 books covering a wide range of genres, from thriller to dystopian sci-fi to romance. Douglas Stuart, Marlon James and Elizabeth Strout are among the authors featured. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992113/booker-prize-longlist-books-2026
Here Are the 13 Books That Made the Booker Prize Longlist | KQEDThe 2026 list includes new works from household names Douglas Stuart, Marlon James and Elizabeth Strout as well as a few debut authors.www.kqed.orgThe Zulu-language drama mixes sex and scandal with a sharp portrait of modern South Africa. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992033/binge-watch-polygamist-netflix-tv-review-south-africa-series-zulu-telenovela
Why Global Viewers Are Bingeing South African Show, ‘The Polygamist’The Zulu-language drama mixes sex and scandal with a sharp portrait of modern South Africa.www.kqed.orgDrummer Sameer Gupta turned a nondescript office building in North Oakland into a vibrant venue and community center celebrating classical Indian music and South Asian musicians. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13991888/rootstock-arts-indian-classical-music-jazz-oakland
RootStock Arts Creates a Hub for Indian Music and Jazz in Oakland | KQEDDrummer Sameer Gupta turned a nondescript office building into a vibrant venue and community center.www.kqed.orgDick Vivian, the widely loved proprietor of Rooky Ricardo’s record shop in San Francisco, died on Friday, July 24. He was 78. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992045/dick-vivian-dies-rooky-ricardos-record-store-owner-san-francisco
Dick Vivian, Rooky Ricardo’s Record Store Owner, Dies at 78 | KQEDThe Lower Haight shop owner with a contagious love for music had been diagnosed with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer.www.kqed.orgBased on Marissa Stapley’s novel, this aggressively entertaining series starring Anya Taylor-Joy is about a con woman on the run. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13992007/lucky-apple-tv-crime-thriller-review-anya-taylor-joy-mob-show
‘Lucky’ Is a Crime Series That Dares You to Keep UpBased on Marissa Stapley’s novel, this aggressively entertaining series is about a con woman on the run.www.kqed.org‘Catch the Devil’ highlights the fatal consequences of securing convictions over finding the truth. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13991874/catch-the-devil-book-review-pamela-colloff-1985-murder-justice-system
New Book Tracks Case of Murdered Teen Through a Broken Legal System‘Catch the Devil’ highlights the fatal consequences of securing convictions over finding the truth.www.kqed.orgThe new Apple TV movie “The Dink” is a comedy about a former tennis prodigy who learns to embrace pickleball. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13991897/dink-pickleball-comedy-film-review-ben-stiller-jake-johnson-ed-harris-mary-steenburgen
‘The Dink’ Is the Pickleball Comedy You Didn’t Know You NeededThe Apple TV comedy runs a grounded but goofy route, with eccentric characters and quality cameos.www.kqed.orgTo cut through the Bay Area’s high cost of living, artists have learned to carve out exhibition spaces where they can, showing art in homes and workplaces as part of an artist-centered ecosystem. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13991969/bay-area-alternative-art-spaces-attic-202019-occasions-small-works
How Bay Area Artists Foster Belonging in Unexpected SpacesThree alternative art galleries carved out of homes and workplaces are part of an artist-centered ecosystem.www.kqed.orgEvery Tuesday and Thursday, a parking lot in Richmond transforms into one of the Bay Area’s most vibrant street food markets — the smell of fish sauce, Thai basil, smoked meat and fried plantains wafting in the air. https://www.kqed.org/arts/13991940/best-dishes-the-lot-richmond-street-food-market
The Five Best Things I Ate at The Lot in RichmondA guide to one of the East Bay’s most diverse — and most underrated — street food markets.www.kqed.org