Sponsored link
Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Sponsored link

Best of the BayBest of the Bay 2021: Arts + Nightlife winners

Best of the Bay 2021: Arts + Nightlife winners

READERS' POLL: Best Nightclub, Best Art Gallery, Best Drag Queen, Best Live Venue, Best Band, more

48 Hills is proud to host the 46th edition of the Bay Guardian Best of the Bay! Congratulations to all the winners of this years Readers’ Poll, and thank you to the thousands of readers who voted this year. See more winners’ categories here. And join us to celebrate on Wednesday, October 20, at our 8th Anniversary Fall Fling!

BEST MOVIE THEATER
TIE
BALBOA THEATRE
www.cinemasf.com/balboa
CASTRO THEATRE
www.castrotheatre.com
Runners Up: Roxie, Alamo Drafthouse

BEST MUSEUM
DE YOUNG
deyoung.famsf.org
Runners Up: SFMOMA, Asian Art Museum

BEST ART GALLERY
CREATIVITY EXPLORED
www.creativityexplored.org
Runners Up: Haight Street Arts Center, Round Weather Gallery

BEST DANCE COMPANY
RAWDANCE
www.rawdance.org
Runners Up: ODC, Smuin Ballet

BEST THEATER COMPANY
BERKELEY REP
www.berkeleyrep.org
Runners Up: SF Playhouse, ACT

BEST PERFORMANCE SPACE
OASIS
www.sfoasis.com
Runners Up: DNA Lounge, CounterPulse

BEST ARTS FESTIVAL
HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS
www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com
Runners Up: Outside Lands, Oaklash

BEST RECORD LABEL
BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS
www.brokenclover.com
Runners Up: Dark Entries, Text Me

BEST BAND
THE SESHEN
www.theseshen.com
Runners Up: Lolly Gaggers, The Sam Chase

BEST DJ
LA FRIDA
www.soundcloud.com/lafrida333
Runners Up: Squidcat, DJ Omar

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE
THE CHAPEL
www.thechapelsf.com
Runners Up: The Independent, Bottom of the Hill

BEST NIGHTCLUB
DNA LOUNGE
www.dnalounge.com
Runners Up: Madrone, Public Works

BEST QUEER NIGHTCLUB
OASIS 
www.oasissf.com
Runners Up: El Rio, Beaux

BEST DANCE PARTY
BOOTIE MASHUP
www.bootiemashup.com
Runners Up: Death Guild, Fringe

BEST JAZZ CLUB
SFJAZZ
www.sfjazz.com
Runners Up: Club Deluxe, Black Cat

BEST OPEN MIC
THE RIPTIDE
www.riptidesf.com
Runners Up: Neck of the Woods, Bird and Beckett

BEST KARAOKE
THE MINT
www.themint.net
Runners Up: Bow Bow, Festa

BEST DRAG SHOW
REPARATIONS
www.sfoasis.com/reparations
Runners Up: Princess, Port Bar Drag Brunch

BEST DRAG QUEEN
NICKI JIZZ
www.instagram.com/nicki_jizz
Runners Up: Heklina, Amoura Teese

BEST DRAG KING
JOTA MERCURY
www.instagram.com/emjaymercury
Runners Up: Lou Reed, Madd-Dogg 20/20

BEST BURLESQUE
HUBBA HUBBA REVUE
www.dnalounge.com
Runners Up: Sgt. Die Wiese, Red Hots Burlesque

BEST COMEDY VENUE
COBB’S COMEDY CLUB
www.cobbscomedy.com
Runners Up: Punchline, Pianofight

BEST COMEDIAN
MARGA GOMEZ
www.margagomez.com
Runners Up: Lisa Geduldig, Dhaya Lakshminarayanan

BEST STRIP CLUB
CONDOR CLUB

www.condorsf.com
Runners Up: Gold Club, Centerfolds

BEST SEX CLUB
EROS
www.erossf.com
Runners Up: Steamworks, Power Exchange

48 Hills welcomes comments in the form of letters to the editor, which you can submit here. We also invite you to join the conversation on our FacebookTwitter, and Instagram

Marke B.
Marke B.
Marke Bieschke is the publisher and arts and culture editor of 48 Hills. He co-owns the Stud bar in SoMa. Reach him at marke (at) 48hills.org, follow @supermarke on Twitter.

Sponsored link

Sponsored link
Sponsored link

Featured

An interstellar drag quest to save the galaxy (and you call the shots)

Media Meltdown's 'Select Thine Own Journey... in Space!' melds love of Dungeons & Dragons, '90s YA lit, and campy cosmic flicks.

Win passes to the Mill Valley Music Festival, May 10 + 11

We've got six pairs to giveaway—funk-rock out with Nile Rodgers & Chic, Gary Clarke Jr., The Crosby Collective, Monophonics, more.

From Kennedy Center to Berkeley Rep, W. Kamau Bell still rides ‘that curiosity thing’

'Going in there to be myself and make my positions clear is my way of protesting,' says the comedian on 'Who's With Me?' tour

You might also likeRELATED