San Francisco Salsa Festival 2026

About this event

The SF Salsa Festival returns March 26–28, 2026 for its 16th annual edition, with main events hosted at the SF Airport Marriott Waterfront in Burlingame (1800 Old Bayshore Hwy), plus a Thursday welcome party in San Francisco. The weekend program combines workshops, bootcamps, performances, social dancing, and competition programming in a structured festival schedule designed for a range of experience levels.

Across Friday and Saturday, the festival offers daytime workshops and bootcamps (beginner through advanced/master), along with evening performance showcases and late-night socials. Social dancing runs in multiple rooms including dedicated salsa and bachata spaces, with a late-night silent party scheduled on Saturday (headphones; salsa, bachata, and mixed channels). Vendor offerings and special hospitality options such as VIP tables and hotel packages are also part of the weekend experience.

Live music is a key feature of the SF Salsa Festival, including Charlie Aponte (the legendary voice of El Gran Combo) in concert on Saturday night, plus additional live sets such as Cabanijazz Project (Friday) and Edgardo Cambón (Thursday welcome party). Guest DJs are scheduled throughout the salsa and bachata rooms, including a vinyl-focused segment on Saturday during the 3rd SF Salsa Vinyl Expo, paired with social dancing.

Competition and showcase elements include the official SF Salsa Festival Competition on Friday evening (couples and soloist divisions), followed by a performance showcase and continued social dancing. The event also lists a broad roster of featured performers and teams, including Carlos Zapata & Sofia Skvirsky, Jorge & Dulce, Pipe & Kathe, ON2OURAGE, Jayven & Princess, Salsamania Dance Team, Andrew Cervantes, Karel Flores SF, Mambo Dolls, Couture Dance Alliance, Artista Ladies, Takeshi & Jhonner, and additional Bay Area and visiting groups.

The weekend includes themed nights, with Spring Fling (pastels/florals) for Thursday’s welcome party at El Valenciano (1153 Valencia St, San Francisco), Mardi Gras Night on Friday, and a Black Tie Party theme on Saturday. For attendees planning logistics, registration opens Friday at 11:00am, with workshops Friday midday and a full Saturday workshop/bootcamp block starting in the morning. Group and student discounts are available, and the Thursday welcome party has a separate cover charge and is 21+.