Carnaval San Francisco — 48th Annual Festival

Carnaval San Francisco will return to the Mission District on May 23 and 24 for its 48th annual festival, according to the event’s official website. The free event is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days and will cover 17 blocks on Harrison Street in the Mission. Organizers say the weekend will include five main stages, local performers, food vendors and family activities. A grand parade is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, beginning at 24th and Bryant and running through the Mission’s Latino Cultural District. ### When and where does the festival take place? May 23 and 24 are the festival dates listed by Carnaval San Francisco for the 2026 event. The organization says festival hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day over Memorial Day weekend. SF.gov’s event page also lists the 48th annual celebration for that weekend in the Mission District. (carnavalsanfrancisco.org) Harrison Street is the main festival corridor identified by city and event listings. SF.gov says the festival covers 17 blocks between 16th and 24th streets, while the official Carnaval site describes the event as spanning 17 blocks in the Mission District. ### What will people find once they get there? Five main stages are part of the 2026 festival plan, according to the official festival page. (carnavalsanfrancisco.org) Organizers say the event will feature about 50 local performing artists and 400 vendors, with international food, dancing, sampling sites and entertainment aimed at families, couples and groups of friends. Funcheap’s event listing carries the same core details for the 2026 weekend guide. The 2026 theme is “La Copa del Pueblo — The People’s Cup,” according to a Carnaval San Francisco press release published in January. Organizers said the theme ties this year’s event to the Bay Area’s run-up to the FIFA World Cup and adds a soccer-focused attraction called “La Plaza del Fútbol.” SF.gov’s event page says the community soccer experience will be part of the festival alongside live music and food. (carnavalsanfrancisco.org) ### What is planned for the Sunday parade? Sunday, May 24, is the date listed for the grand parade, which organizers say will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The official parade page says the route starts at 24th and Bryant, moves west to Mission Street, then heads north to 15th Street. The FAQ page adds that the parade concludes at South Van Ness Avenue. (carnavalsanfrancisco.org) Sixty contingents and more than 5,500 artists are expected in the parade, according to the official parade page. Organizers say participants will represent cultural traditions from Brazil, Mexico, Panama, Bolivia, Cuba, Peru, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala, El Salvador and other countries. ### How big is Carnaval San Francisco? (carnavalsanfrancisco.org) More than 400,000 people attend Carnaval San Francisco each year, according to SF.gov. The city describes it as California’s largest and longest-running multicultural celebration. That attendance figure gives a sense of the event’s scale as the Mission prepares for another Memorial Day weekend street closure and festival buildout. (carnavalsanfrancisco.org) The festival’s official FAQ says parking restrictions will begin at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 22, and run through 2 a.m. on Monday, May 25, on affected streets. Organizers direct visitors to the event site for maps, lineup details and festival logistics. ### What comes next before the weekend starts? April 8 is the date of a separate Carnaval San Francisco announcement naming Su Majestad Mi Banda El Mexicano de Casimiro as a 2026 headliner. (sf.gov) The festival website says lineup and map information is posted on its event pages ahead of opening day. The next fixed public milestone is the start of the festival at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 23, followed by the parade at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 24. (carnavalsanfrancisco.org) (carnavalsanfrancisco.org)