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Culture

The 16 best events in SF this week, from a rooftop dance-off to a Taser knife fight

What’s worth checking out this week? We’ll help you choose.

Five dancers in earthy tones perform expressive, intertwined movements on a shiny floor inside a spacious, light-filled industrial space.
The dance performance “Diasporadica” at Fort Mason is just one of many must-see events this week in SF. | Source: Chani Bockwinkel

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

Unstaged Mid-Market block party

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Bands, DJs, breakdance battles, and interactive art turn Mid-Market into a cultural playground.

Website
Register
Date and time
Thursday, Aug. 21, 4 to 7 p.m.

Taser knife fight club

A wild workshop turned arena, where you build a weapon (with expert guidance), then face off in duels.

Website
Register
Date and time
Thursday, Aug. 21, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

‘Diasporadica’ dance show

The experimental collective Rupture premieres a three-hour interactive odyssey of shipwrecks, sirens, techno, and belonging.

Five dancers interlock in a dynamic pose, balancing on each other with intense expressions inside a spacious, industrial-style dance studio.
Immerse yourself in Rupture's experimental performance. | Source: Choni Bockwinkel
Website
Tickets
Date and time
Friday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m.

Glide summer gala

A classy night of poolside dancing, DJ sets, and performances by the Glide Ensemble, in support of the nonprofit’s community programs.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Friday, Aug. 22, 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.

‘DroneArt Show’ open-air concert

A string quartet plays Vivaldi, Debussy, and Tchaikovsky under a sky lit by hundreds of synchronized drones and 20,000 LED candles, for a magical spectacle.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Friday, Aug. 22, and Saturday, Aug. 23, 8:30 p.m.

A. Deeplove set

Indie hero and MGMT frontman Andrew VanWyngarden spins a genre-bending DJ set in the basement disco at Monarch.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Friday, Aug. 22, 9 p.m.

Ssounds

A late-night dance party with Suhcorro and Yurimagination brings R&B, garage, and club beats downtown.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Friday, Aug. 22, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Rock the Gates summer fleadh

This family-friendly festival in the Outer Sunset shows off more than 20 bands (including Celtic rock and U2, Doors, and Jimmy Buffett tributes), Irish dancers, food, and kids’ activities.

Four girls in black and green Irish dance dresses perform a step dance on an outdoor stage, two holding hands in the air.
Celebrate all things Irish at this year's Outer Sunset festival. | Source: United Irish Cultural Center of San Francisco
Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Aug. 23, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Duboce ParkJam

Enjoy a rare chance to party in Duboce Park with a free afternoon concert and picnic party featuring five local bands.

Date and time
Saturday, Aug. 23, 12 to 5 p.m.

Whale’s Tail lawn party

Bands, lawn games, and food trucks line the art-filled Golden Mile of JFK, hosted by the Bay Lights crew Illuminate.

Date and time
Saturday, Aug. 23, 12 to 6 p.m.

Performative Male contest

Who can rock a pro-justice tote bag, analog camera, poetry book, and liberal campaign slogan? After the NYC contest went viral, this should be a scene.

Date and time
Saturday, Aug. 23, 2 p.m.

Hungry Ghost Festival

Grant Avenue in Chinatown transforms with parades, performances, and ritual art honoring ancestors and confronting modern-day “demons of our times.”

Join the living (and the dead) in Chinatown for the Hungry Ghost Festival. | Source: Courtesy Lotus Taoism Institute
Date and time
Saturday, Aug. 23, 4 to 9 p.m.

Nurave 3.0

A five-hour A/V dance party at the Mission’s futuristic art gallery, with sets led by Jon Casey and the closessions squad.

Date and time
Saturday, Aug. 23, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Sorry Papi: The all-girl rave

This women-founded and -focused rave tour creates a safe space for dancing to Le Twins.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Saturday, Aug. 23, 9 p.m.

Ashes of Eden open-air techno

A secret coastal location hosts this daytime rave with the inclusive 969 collective.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Sunday, Aug. 24, 12:30 to 5 p.m.

Les Play House rooftop party

An indoor/outdoor disco hosts a funky day party for house heads who don’t hate the sun.

Website
Tickets
Date and time
Sunday, Aug. 23, 1 to 7 p.m.
Bright yellow sun rays extend from the right, set against a solid light blue background, creating a simple, bold graphic design.

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