All About San Francisco Opera’s Pride Concert Community Partners
Marigold Project
The Marigold Project is a community-based organization rooted in the rich cultural traditions of the Indigenous/Latinx community in San Francisco’s Mission District. Their mission is to create spaces that connect us to our ancestors.
Photo by Matthew Washburn
At the Pride Concert:
On the front steps of the War Memorial Opera House, the Marigold Project will present “Rainbows All Around Us” Community Altar. Inspired by the prayer walls commonly found at churches all over the world, this piece will be an invitation to reflect and remember. Guests will choose a strand of fabric from the rainbow-colored assortment offered to represent whoever (or whatever) they want to put their energy and love toward. Guests will then tie their strand(s) to the trifold, color-coded grid display, transforming their thoughts into a collective display of care, healing, and well-wishes. After the concert, “Rainbows All Around Us” will be a beautiful photo backdrop for all audience members to enjoy.
Learn more about the Marigold Project
Hand Bookbinders of California
Hand Bookbinders of California is a community of dedicated artisans, collectors, and bibliophiles united by a passion for the traditional craft of hand bookbinding and the book arts. Founded to promote the exchange of ideas and the preservation of fine binding techniques, HBC fosters a vibrant network of makers who transform the book into a vessel for both personal expression and cultural history.
The Rainbow Pride Flag Project:
In a unique collaboration with the Castro Merchants Association, HBC was entrusted with a massive, retired 30-by-20-foot Rainbow Pride Flag that previously flew over Harvey Milk Plaza in San Francisco’s Castro District. This specific flag carries deep historical weight; it began its flight on the day of Senator Dianne Feinstein’s passing, serving as a symbol of both mourning and resilience for the city. Rather than allowing this iconic fabric to be retired to a shelf, HBC members have given it a "second life." The flag was sectioned and distributed to book artists, who have repurposed the vibrant material into a series of unique hand-bound books and book-art objects.
Photo by https://handbookbinders.org/prideflagproject
At the Pride Concert:
Attend the pre-opera talk at 7:05pm to hear a panel featuring Rainbow Pride Flag project creators Servane Briand, Bridget McGraw, and Dominic Riley, moderated by lead artist Insiya Dhatt. Then head up to the north Grand Tier to see an exhibition of the Rainbow Pride Flag Project books by Hand Bookbinders of California.
Learn more about Hand Bookbinders of California
National AIDS Memorial
The National AIDS Memorial is the steward of the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park and the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Their work also includes scholarships, quilt workshops, and oral history projects.
“By sharing the story of the struggle against HIV/AIDS, we remember, in perpetuity, the lives lost, we offer healing and hope to survivors, and we inspire new generations of activists in the fight against stigma, denial, and hate for a just future.”
—National AIDS Memorial
About the AIDS Memorial Quilt:
Considered the largest community arts project in history, the AIDS Memorial Quilt allows us to remember the unique lives and stories of those we’ve lost to HIV/AIDS. Today, there are roughly 50,000 panels dedicated to more than 110,000 individuals in this epic 54-ton tapestry.
Photo by Stefan Cohen
At the Pride Concert:
Throughout the month of June, the National Aids Memorial will be displaying panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the north Grand Tier level of the War Memorial Opera House.
Learn More about the National Aids Memorial
GLBT Historical Society
“The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society is a global leader in LGBTQ+ public history. The GLBT Historical Society collects, preserves, exhibits, and makes accessible to the public materials and knowledge to support and promote understanding of LGBTQ+ history, culture, and arts in all their diversity”
—GLBT Historical Society Mission Statement.
The GLBT Historical Society Museum is the first LGBTQ+ museum in the United States, and is located in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood, and the Dr. John P. De Ceco Archives and Research Center is open to researchers in the Mid-Market District.
At the Pride Concert:
On the southside of the Grand Tier level, look for custom light box displays featuring imagery from the GLBT Historical Society’s collection.
Photo by Stefan Cohen
Learn more about the GLBT Historical Society
San Francisco Pride
San Francisco Pride is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a vibrant and inclusive community for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies.
As the largest gathering of the LGBTQ+ community and allies in the nation, San Francisco Pride’s annual celebration brings together over 200 parade contingents and exhibitors, featuring community-run stages and venues that showcase the diversity and resilience of our community.
Photo by Kristen Loken
At the Pride Concert:
San Francisco Opera is a non-profit sponsor for San Francisco Pride 2026. We kick off Pride Weekend with the Pride Concert, and then on Sunday, June 28, you can catch San Francisco Opera marching in the main parade!
Learn more about San Francisco Pride
We hope to see you for the Pride Concert on Friday, June 26 at 8pm!
Come early and enjoy all the exhibitions throughout the War Memorial Opera House. Stay late and dance the night away to DJ Juanita More!
Photo by Matthew Washburn