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DJs, comics, and burlesque dancers take the stage for SF’s best year-end events

Fireworks illuminate the sky during the New Year celebrations in San Francisco, CA, USA on January 01, 2018. | Getty Images
The Ferry Building is a great place to catch New Year’s fireworks. | Source: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Outgoers is a weekly column published in partnership with the event newsletter of the same name founded by Josh Constine. Each week, Outgoers texts readers a list of San Francisco events and activities worthy of their time. The Standard features those events, plus a few extra. Sign up for Outgoers by clicking this link on your phone.

Misfit Cabaret’s ‘Divine Decadence’

This new variety show has burlesque, drag, acrobatics, aerials, and all manner of debauchery.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Friday, Dec. 27, 8 p.m.

DJ Primo all-vinyl set

The SF legend returns to blanket a wine bar in lush Italo disco and epic acid house.

Date and time
Friday, Dec. 27, 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Flight Facilities: Five Decades, Two Nights

Remix masters Flight Facilities bring their house and disco sounds to the Regency Ballroom, where they’ll lead a journey from the ’70s to today.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Friday, Dec. 27, and Saturday, Dec. 28, 9 p.m.

Chromeo DJ day party

Audio will open its skylights for electro funk superstars Chromeo, backed up by local hero Starfari. 

A crowd watches a live band on stage with two performers playing keyboards. Bright lights shine towards the audience, creating an energetic atmosphere.
Chromeo returns to SF for a pre-New Year's Eve weekend party. | Source: Joel Umanzor/The Standard
Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Dec. 28, 12 to 5 p.m.

Shaq’s Bass All-Stars

Basketball giant Shaq, who has become quite the prolific DJ, brings his big remixes and light show to the Midway for an all-day party featuring Troyboi and Eliminate.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Dec. 28, 3 to 10 p.m.

Squarehead Floating Museum

Board a historic boat-turned-museum for surprise performances and surreal company.

Date and time
Sunday, Dec. 29, 2 to 5 p.m.

Madeon DJ set

Warm up for New Year’s with Grammy-nominated drum machine master Madeon in an intimate venue.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Monday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m.

Lo-Fi Oyster Co. day party

Jazz, oysters, caviar, and chill vibes will delight those pregaming for a big night or those planning to stay in.

Website
Bar Gemini
Date and time
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 12 to 5 p.m.

Fresh Start with 30 DJs

All of the Midway’s rooms will open for Charlotte De Witte, Cloonee, Channel Tres, and Anderson.Paak’s DJ Pee.Wee on New Year’s Eve, followed by Chris Lake, Zhu, and Disco Dom on New Year’s Day.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2 p.m. to 4 a.m., and Wednesday, Jan. 1, 1 to 10 p.m.

Teapocalypse World Folk Jam

Explore rooms full of performers across Balkan, Sufi, Turkish, Indian, and other styles, plus fire dancing and tea lounges.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 7 p.m. to 4 a.m.

HellaFunNYE Comedy Explosion

Close out the year with comics from Punchline, Cobbs, and “The Stephen Colbert Show.”

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 7 and 8:45 p.m.

Brownies & Lemonade’s ‘The Heist’

The L.A. EDM crew and SF promoter DJ Dials present a secret New Year’s Eve lineup at the 120-year-old Hibernia Bank, with high-energy dance music on two levels and an open bar.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 9 p.m.

Mira’s Berlin techno

Mira, who broke out of Berlin’s Kater Blau club to become one of the world’s top techno DJs, will offer a sophisticated New Year’s dance party for mature club heads, backed up by Yamagucci in the loft.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 9 p.m.

Comfort & Joy’s Afterglow queer masquerade ball

Don a mask and your most sensational fit for this all-night dance party complete with face and body painting, tea service, miso station, and day-glow decor.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

NYE fireworks on the Embarcadero

Head south of the Ferry Building (not in front of it) for the best view of the midnight fireworks, shot from barges in the bay.

Date and time
Tuesday, Dec. 31, midnight

Breakfast of Champions 10-stage block party

Come straight from your NYE party (or grab a nap first) and take in sets from Atish, DJ Tennis, Mira, Marques Wyatt, DJ Dan, N2N, Horse Meat Disco, Justin Martin, Mark Farina, and many more.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Wednesday, Jan. 1, 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Polar Plunge

The 10th annual gathering will kick-start the year with a naked bike ride down Great Highway before a plunge in the ocean.

A group of people in swimsuits run into the ocean, splashing through shallow waves on a sunny day, with a clear blue sky above.
Start the year with a frigid shock to the system at Ocean Beach. | Source: Gina Castro/The Standard
Date and time
Wednesday, Jan. 1, 10:30 a.m.

Sunset Sound System after-party

After Breakfast of Champions, the party moves inside the Great Northern with this SF house music crew and Idjut Boys, the Carry Nation, and Galen.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Wednesday, Jan. 1, 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.