PHOTOS | San Francisco Ballet’s 2026 Opening Night Gala

Event: San Francisco Ballet’s 2026 Opening Night Gala
Date: January 13, 2026
Location: San Francisco City Hall
Photos: Drew Altizer, Jessica Monroy, Natalie Schrik, Devlin Shand and David Zahrobsky for Drew Altizer Photography

San Francisco Ballet kicked off its season in style on January 14, drawing an A-list crowd that included Mayor Daniel Lurie, honorary gala chair Rita Moreno, former SF Giant Hunter Pence, GAP’s Zac Posen, Paul Pelosi, and more. The black-tie evening opened with an elegant dinner in City Hall, setting the stage for a one-night-only performance celebrating the company’s much-anticipated 2026 Season. Curated by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo and presented at the War Memorial Opera House, the program offered a dazzling glimpse at SF Ballet’s artistic range. Highlights from the season’s repertory—including William Forsythe’s Blake Works I and Helgi Tomasson and Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote—spotlighted the company’s virtuosity and the bold vision of today’s most celebrated choreographers.

Following the curtain call, guests returned to City Hall for a high-energy after party, where DJ Shellheart of the Golden State Valkyries and DJ Chris Clouse kept the dance floor buzzing well into the night. Proceeds from the annual gala support the creation of groundbreaking new works, the preservation of classical ballet masterworks, scholarships for SF Ballet School students, and the company’s wide-reaching community education programs.
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​Notable attendees:
​Tamara Rojo – SF Ballet Artistic Director, Branislav Henselmann – SF Ballet Executive Director, Rita Moreno – Honorary Chair, ​Alison Mauzé – Chair of the Board, Daniel Lurie – Mayor of San Francisco