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KQED Arts & Culture
@kqedarts.bsky.social
Your one-stop shop for the Bay Area’s cultural offerings, from KQED
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Dzui’s, a snug Vietnamese cafe in Eastside San José, is the South Bay's go-to destination for durian desserts. As Tết, aka Vietnamese Lunar New Year, kicks off this week, many customers are expected to buy the bánh pía pastries for their celebrations.
How Dzui’s Became San José’s Favorite Durian Dessert Shop | KQED
The bakery’s bánh pía pastries are a Chinese-Vietnamese family’s 40-year legacy.
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February 18, 2026 at 1:01 AM
Bruce Springsteen announced The Land of Hope and Dreams Tour on Tuesday, with a stop at San Francisco’s Chase Center right around the corner — on Monday, April 13. Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 20 at noon, Pacific Time. Details ⬇️
Ticket Alert: Bruce Springsteen Is Coming Back to the Chase Center in April | KQED
Tickets to Springsteen’s San Francisco show — with the tagline ‘NO KINGS’ — go on sale Friday, Feb. 20.
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February 18, 2026 at 12:19 AM
Rev. Jesse Jackson St., the civil rights leader, Rainbow PUSH Coalition founder and two-time presidential candidate who later pushed Silicon Valley to diversify its workforce, died Tuesday at 84.
Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., Civil Rights Icon Who Fought for Tech Diversity, Dies at 84 | KQED
Rev. Jesse Jackson St., the civil rights leader, Rainbow PUSH Coalition founder and two-time presidential candidate who later pushed Silicon Valley to diversify its workforce, died Tuesday.
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February 17, 2026 at 11:53 PM
Van Morrison, with a touch of the deadpan, chose The Chapel — a former mortuary — as the site of an invite-only run-through of his new, blues-heavy album, 'Somebody Tried to Sell Me a Bridge.' He performs at the Palace of Fine Arts this week:
Van Morrison Finds His Happy Place in the Mission District
The singer actually smiled and joked around while performing an intimate set of blues songs in the small, 400-capacity club.
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February 17, 2026 at 10:09 PM
The hit modeling show made for ‘good TV’ but had devastating consequences for some contestants.
The ‘America's Next Top Model’ Docuseries Doesn't Let Tyra Off Easy
The hit modeling show made for ‘good TV’ but had devastating consequences for some contestants.
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February 17, 2026 at 9:05 PM
This week, for the 33rd year in a row, Noise Pop will fill the Bay Area’s clubs, art spaces, concert halls and dive bars with live music. From clipping. to Giraffage, here are five Bay Area acts not to miss at the festival ⬇️
Five Bay Area Artists Not to Miss at Noise Pop 2026 | KQED
clipping., Giraffage and Jay Som are part of the festival taking over Bay Area clubs Feb. 19–March 1.
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February 17, 2026 at 7:14 PM
Yosimar Reyes’ new play, set in East San José, shows the close ties of people under the threat of deportation.
While ICE Raids Loom, ‘No Llegamos Aquí Solos’ Is for Immigrants, by Immigrants
Yosimar Reyes’ new play, set in East San José, shows the close ties of people under the threat of deportation.
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February 17, 2026 at 5:50 PM
What makes this particular Blue House so special? A song called 'San Francisco' by Maxime Le Forestier holds the answer.
The San Francisco Landmark You’ve Never Heard Of … Unless You’re French | KQED
What makes this particular Blue House so special? A song called 'San Francisco' by Maxime Le Forestier holds the answer.
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February 16, 2026 at 8:08 PM
The shortest month of the year is packed with highly anticipated new releases.
February May Be Short on Days, But It Boasts a Long List of New Books
The shortest month of the year is packed with highly anticipated new releases.
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February 15, 2026 at 9:59 PM
A little-known Santa Clara County agency is using social media savvy to capitalize on the Bad Bunny and Super Bowl cultural moment.
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Helps a Santa Clara County Agency Go Viral | KQED
A little-known Santa Clara County agency is using social media savvy to capitalize on the Bad Bunny and Super Bowl cultural moment.
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February 15, 2026 at 4:50 PM
An enjoyably absurdist, forebodingly bleak and ridiculously plausible sci-fi from Gore Verbinski.
An Amusing AI Apocalypse in ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’
An enjoyably absurdist, forebodingly bleak and ridiculously plausible sci-fi from Gore Verbinski.
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February 14, 2026 at 6:13 PM
The inaugural Russian River Fungi Fest, taking place Feb. 21–22, brings a two-day celebration of mushrooms to West Sonoma County, blending science talks, forest foraging, art and food.
Fungi Fest Brings Mushroom Foraging, Food and Forest Science to Sonoma County
Guerneville’s inaugural festival is for mushroom lovers and those ‘who are just curious about nature.’
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February 14, 2026 at 4:55 PM
The inaugural exhibition at Art of Contemporary Africa — a brand new gallery at the Minnesota Street Project — features artists from Uganda, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Costa Rica and Barbados.
San Francisco Gets a Brand New Gallery — With a Focus on African Artists
Art of Contemporary Africa opens with a group show in one of Minnesota Street Project’s recently vacated galleries.
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February 13, 2026 at 10:20 PM
Anthony Ant spent his adult life bringing the Bay Area music scene together. On Thursday night, the scene convened at the Starry Plough in South Berkeley to dance, shout, jam and remember the powerful trumpeter.
Remembering Anthony Ant, Trumpeter and Indefatigable Scene-Builder | KQED
At the Starry Plough, loved ones praised Ant's dedication to uplifting and supporting fellow musicians.
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February 13, 2026 at 6:30 PM
We’re experiencing something of a golden age for Asian-style afternoon tea here in the Bay Area, as new pop-ups and standalone tea rooms crop up to satisfy the growing demand.
It’s a Golden Age for Asian-Style Afternoon Tea in the Bay Area | KQED
Scones and clotted cream come with a side of pandan and curry.
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February 13, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Marco Cochrane’s 48-foot-tall metal sculpture of a nude woman, which arrived at San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza nearly a year ago, is seeking approval from city agencies to extend the artwork’s temporary installation for another six months.
‘Temporary’ Public Art Seeks Another Six-Month Extension From SF
The Big Art Loop organizers propose to keep ‘R-Evolution’ at Embarcadero Plaza until October 2026.
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February 13, 2026 at 12:08 AM
The Roxie’s Valentine’s weekend offering, the quasi-supernatural Thai romantic fantasy 'A Useful Ghost,' conceals a deep well of weirdness beneath its placid and gorgeously manicured surface.
For Valentine’s, a Thai Fantasy About a Ghost in a (Vacuum) Machine
Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s omnisexual comedy of conscience hides deep weirdness under a manicured surface.
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February 12, 2026 at 11:20 PM
Due to the ongoing San Francisco teachers strike, the Exploratorium was flooded with children on a Wednesday afternoon. Here is a list of the museums, galleries, libraries and other locations offering a space for SFUSD families during the strike:
Where Can SFUSD Families Take Children During the Teachers Strike? | KQED
From museums to libraries, here are some of the places San Francisco families can take kids as the teachers' strike rolls on.
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February 12, 2026 at 8:09 PM
San Francisco’s film incentive program just got a major update to attract more movie productions to the city. Filmmakers are now eligible for a 100% rebate on permits, police costs and other city fees totaling up to $1 million.
Making Movies in San Francisco Just Got Less Expensive | KQED
The city is covering up to $1 million in city fees for filmmakers, plus other incentives.
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February 12, 2026 at 6:45 PM
If all you want is corset kink, power games and two genetically blessed Australians, this will suffice.
The New ‘Wuthering Heights’ Is Barely ‘Wuthering Heights’ At All
If all you want is corset kink, power games and two genetically blessed Australians, this will suffice.
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February 12, 2026 at 5:36 PM
The first season of ‘The Pitt’ was about acute problems. The second is about chronic ones.
This Season, ‘The Pitt’ Is About What Doesn’t Happen in One Day
The first season of ‘The Pitt’ was about acute problems. The second is about chronic ones.
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February 11, 2026 at 11:38 PM
In the late ’80s and early ’90s, a group of five African American men — all famous comedians — created a body of work that shifted popular culture, altered the entertainment industry and impacted generations to come.
How ‘The Black Pack’ Used Comedy to Combat Racism | KQED
Dr. Artel Great's new book examines the collective of Paul Mooney, Eddie Murphy, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Robert Townsend and Arsenio Hall.
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February 11, 2026 at 10:20 PM
La Onda Festival returns to Napa Valley Expo on May 30 and 31, with a stacked lineup headlined by Colombian reggaetonero J Balvin; Mexican mariacheño singer Christian Nodal; Mexican rock icons Maná and Californian música mexicana singer Ivan Cornejo.
La Onda 2026 Lineup: J Balvin, Christian Nodal, Maná, Ivan Cornejo, More in Napa | KQED
One of California's biggest Latin music festivals returns to the Napa Valley Expo on May 30 and 31.
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February 11, 2026 at 5:55 PM
San Francisco's free Valentine’s Day block party gets underway on Feb. 14 in the area surrounding Balmy Alley, offering live music, kids’ activities, local vendors, an art gallery, live painting, custom cars and wellness services.
Lovers Lane Unites San Francisco’s Mission District with Art and Cultura | KQED
The free Valentine’s Day block party features bands, muralists, lowriders, kids’ activities and wellness offerings.
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February 11, 2026 at 12:53 AM
“This is a state of emergency and urgency,” SOMArts Executive Director Maria Jenson says. The cultural center will host a community meeting on Feb. 13 in an effort to save the local arts ecosystem. Learn more:
SOMArts to Gather SF Arts Community During ‘State of Emergency’
The cultural center will host a community meeting on Feb. 13 in an effort to save the local arts ecosystem.
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February 10, 2026 at 7:11 PM