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Sunday, November 1, 2026

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Best of the Bay 2024: Arts & Nightlife Winners

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

48 Hills is proud to host the 50th edition of the Bay Guardian/48 Hills 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 Saturday, October 5, at our 11th Anniversary 48 Hills Gala!

BEST MOVIE THEATER
ROXIE THEATER
www.roxie.com
Runners Up: Alamo Drafthouse, Balboa Theater

BEST MUSEUM
De Young Museum
www.famsf.org
Runners Up: SF MOMA, California Academy of Sciences

BEST ART GALLERY
HAIGHT STREET ART CENTER
www.haightstreetart.org
Runners Up: Rosebud Gallery, Creativity Explored

BEST DANCE COMPANY
RAWDANCE
www.rawdance.org
Runners Up: ODC, Detour Dance

BEST THEATER COMPANY
SF PLAYHOUSE
www.sfplayhouse.org
Runners Up: Kat Robichaud’s Misfit Cabaret, ACT

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE
GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL
www.gamh.com
Runners Up: Bottom of the Hill, The Chapel

BEST PERFORMANCE VENUE
CLUB FUGAZI
www.clubfugazisf.com
Runners Up: Oasis, DNA Lounge

Emmylou Harris performs at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Photo by Estefany Gonzalez

BEST ARTS/MUSIC FESTIVAL
HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS
www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com
Runners Up: Stern Grove Festival, Oaklash

BEST RECORD LABEL
DARK ENTRIES
www.darkentriesrecords.com
Runners Up: Broken Clover, Ratskin

BEST BAND
FANTASTIC NEGRITO
www.fantasticnegrito.com
Runners Up: Pleeay, Mitch Rocket

BEST DJ
CHARLES HAWTHORNE
www.instagram.com/djcharleshawthorne
Runners Up: Jamal, Yuca Frita

BEST NIGHTCLUB
DNA LOUNGE
www.dnalounge.com
Runners Up: F8, Oasis

BEST LGBTQ NIGHTCLUB
OASIS 
www.sfoasis.com
Runners Up: El Rio, The Stud

BEST DANCE PARTY
STAMINA SUNDAYS
www.staminadnb.com
Runners Up: Non Stop Bhangra, Death Guild

Monsieur Periné at SFJAZZ. Photo by Jon Bauer

BEST JAZZ CLUB
SFJAZZ
www.sfjazz.com
Runners Up: Mr. Tipples, Black Cat

BEST OPEN MIC
HOTEL UTAH
www.hotelutah.com
Runners Up: The Riptide, Martuni’s

BEST KARAOKE
THE MINT
www.themint.net
Runners Up: DJ Purple, Dimples

BEST DRAG SHOW
REPARATIONS
www.sfoasis.com/reparations
Runners Up: Princess, Clutch the Pearls

Nicki Jizz performs on Dolores’ stage at Outside Lands 2023. Photo by Missy Buchanan

BEST DRAG QUEEN
NICKI JIZZ
www.instagram.com/nicki_jizz
Runners Up: Churro Nomi, Mary Vice

BEST DRAG KING
MUDD THE TWO SPIRIT
www.instagram.com/muddthetwospirit
Runners Up: Jota Mercury, VERA!

BEST BURLESQUE
HUBBA HUBBA
www.hubbarevue.com
Runners Up: HEX, Cheetah Biscotti

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

BEST COMEDIAN
MARGA GOMEZ
www.margagomez.com
Runners Up: Nato Green, Wonder Dave

BEST STRIP CLUB
CONDOR CLUB
www.condorsf.com
Runners Up: Gold Club, Garden of Eden

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

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.

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 Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

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