Mayor Lurie Celebrates Major Events Surpassing $1 Billion in Economic Impact for San Francisco, Following Successful Fleet Week

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today celebrated that recent large special events hosted in San Francisco have generated more than $1 billion in combined economic impact for the city. With Fleet Week alone generating more than $200 million in economic benefit, San Francisco continues to show that hosting safe and successful large-scale events is one of the most powerful ways to fuel the city’s recovery and support local businesses while generating tax revenue that funds essential services in every neighborhood.

This past weekend, San Francisco safely welcomed hundreds of thousands of people for Fleet Week, marking yet another major event helping to drive the city’s economic recovery and support neighborhoods and small businesses. After successfully hosting six FIFA World Cup matches this summer, the Super Bowl in February, and NBA All-Star Weekend last year, San Francisco will welcome the WNBA All-Star and MLB All-Star games in 2027 and 2028. Live music and other cultural events are also accelerating the city’s recovery, from "Summer of Music" to Vogue World, which is coming next year. Downtown conferences and large events remain essential drivers, with the recent Dreamforce and Pokémon World Championships bringing a combined total of more than 100,000 people to the downtown core. Large events and conventions are also fueling San Francisco’s recent tourism growth, with the city on track for record-breaking tourism numbers in 2026 and 2027.

“When we host a big event, our whole city benefits,” said Mayor Lurie. “The fans who stay in our hotels, eat at our restaurants, shop in our stores, and experience our neighborhoods support tens of thousands of jobs and small businesses across our city—generating revenue that helps keep our streets safe and clean, our parks beautiful, and our transit affordable and reliable. Major events across sports, music, and culture are driving San Francisco’s comeback, and we can’t wait to welcome more.”

The economic impact from recent major events includes:

• Super Bowl LX, $425 million
• SF Pride, $357 million
• FIFA World Cup, $240 million
• Fleet Week, $200 million
• Summer of Music, $193 million
• Dreamforce, $130 million
• Pokémon World Championships, $130 million
• Portola Music Festival, $3 million

San Francisco hosted two of the world’s biggest sporting events in 2026: Super Bowl LX, which generated an estimated $425 million, and six FIFA World Cup matches, which generated an estimated $240 million. During both events, neighborhoods and commercial corridors were activated across the city, bringing fans to shops, restaurants, and businesses well beyond where the games were played. Biederman Redevelopment Ventures Corporation hosted “Big Game on the Square” in Union Square during the Super Bowl, drawing more than 13,000 visitors over four days of programming—the success of which has led to the continuation of regular programming through summer 2027. 

For FIFA World Cup over the summer, the city worked across departments and together with partners like the Bay Area Host Committee to take the tournament directly to San Francisco’s neighborhoods. The Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) launched the Shop Dine World Cup SF website guide, connecting visitors to more than 100 local businesses and experiences, while FIFA licensed 20 public viewing events and watch parties. With Muni Goal Rush, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce encouraged residents and visitors to explore local businesses and World Cup‑themed activities by public transit. Local businesses felt the impact: Visa data shows that during the tournament period (June 11– July 19), spending in San Francisco increased approximately 14% year over year—the most of any U.S. host city.

“San Francisco is showing what’s possible when a city welcomes the world and ensures the benefits reach local businesses and neighborhoods,” said Zaileen Janmohamed, Bay Area Host Committee President and CEO. “The NBA All-Star Game, Super Bowl LX, and FIFA World Cup 2026 together generated nearly $1.9 billion in economic impact for the Bay Area, while bringing communities together and introducing visitors to our region’s hospitality. That momentum reflects the partners, businesses, and residents who made these events successful. With WNBA All-Star in 2027 and MLB All-Star in 2028 ahead, we’re excited to keep building on it.”

“With more major events on the horizon, we have an opportunity to build on this momentum and bring even more economic activity to San Francisco,” said Anne Taupier, OEWD Executive Director. “Our priority is to extend the impact of these events beyond the venues and into our commercial corridors, driving foot traffic to local businesses, supporting jobs, and ensuring that the benefits of hosting world-class events are felt across our neighborhoods.”

"The SFMTA is stepping up to help San Francisco host events that bring the world to our city,” said Julie Kirschbaum, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “From our parking control officers who help keep traffic moving during events to transportation plans and service that get people to music festivals, sporting events, conferences, and other events, the SFMTA is working with our city partners to help make our city shine on the world's stage.”

Live music events continue to be essential drivers of San Francisco’s recovery. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass most recently brought more than 60,000 people to Golden Gate Park each day, while last year’s “Summer of Music"—which included three weekends of major concerts in Golden Gate Park—drew an estimated 437,000 people to San Francisco and generated more than $193.1 million in economic activity. The annual Portola Music Festival brings in another estimated $3.3 million in economic activity, drawing electronic music fans from around the region and beyond to the waterfront.

San Francisco’s signature celebrations and conventions continue to deliver economic benefit. SF Pride generates an estimated $357 million in visitor impact each year, while other iconic parades and heritage festivals also draw large crowds to neighborhoods across the city, with the Italian Heritage Parade this past weekend attracting record participation. In downtown, the annual Dreamforce conference generates an estimated $130 million in economic impact, with the Pokémon World Championships estimated to have generated another $130 million. Following the success of Shop Dine World Cup SF, OEWD launched Shop Dine Pokémon World Championships, which saw over 12,000 unique site visits.

“Yerba Buena drives economic activity for the city through its arts, hospitality, and convention businesses," said Scott Rowitz, Yerba Buena Partnership Executive Director. "And our efforts to keep Yerba Buena clean, safe, and welcoming have stimulated investment and accelerated vitality. In the past year, more than 20 new street level businesses opened in Yerba Buena. Moscone Center will host 38 conventions this year, and neighborhood small businesses embrace and enjoy success from events like the Super Bowl Fan Fest, Pokémon World, and the upcoming Winter FancyFaire. The district is energized by major events like RM x SFMOMA, artist Saype's Beyond Walls at Yerba Buena Gardens, World Cup watch parties, Bhangra & Beats, and Downtown First Thursdays. It's exciting to see how these elements are gelling to benefit the city, neighborhood residents, workers, and visitors.”

“We are thrilled to see the surge in tourism from the numerous large events this year,” said Laurie Thomas, Golden Gate Restaurant Association Executive Director. “We have been delighted to welcome so many of them to our restaurants, bars, and cafes to experience our vibrant and exciting food culture. We look forward to even more great events in 2027.”

“Major events like the Super Bowl have a significant economic impact on San Francisco. They fill our hotels, bring visitors into our neighborhoods, drive business to our restaurants and small businesses, support local workers, and strengthen our city’s tax base,” said Alex Bastian, Hotel Council of San Francisco President and CEO. “Just as importantly, they showcase to the world that S.F. is a premier destination for hosting major global events. As a San Franciscan, that fills me with tremendous pride. A sincere thank you to our mayor and his team for doubling down on hospitality and continuing to attract big events, business, and investment that help our city thrive.”

“The energy and global attention generated by these major events turn into lasting opportunities for local small businesses and entrepreneurs,” said Masood Samereie, San Francisco Minority Chamber of Commerce Foundation President. “Small businesses create jobs, support families, activate our commercial corridors, and give our neighborhoods their character and special glam. When San Francisco hosts major events like these, it helps our local businesses attract customers, increase revenue, and thrive long after the crowds leave—creating a lasting investment in the future of San Francisco.”

“The word is out: If you're holding a major event, San Francisco is the place to do it,” said District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter. “We’ve been on the world stage for countless occasions, and each time we’ve shown that we can host celebrations with success and a dash of our own San Francisco spirit. Each event means that more people come to discover San Francisco and contribute their dollars toward supporting the small businesses and services that make our city special.”

“District 6 has been at the center of San Francisco’s resurgence as a destination for major events, from NBA All-Star Weekend at Chase Center to the Pokémon World Championships at Moscone Center,” said District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. “These events bring thousands of visitors into our neighborhoods, support local businesses, create opportunities for hospitality workers, and showcase the very best of our city. Mayor Lurie’s commitment to attracting world-class events is delivering real economic benefits, and this billion-dollar milestone demonstrates just how important these events are to San Francisco’s continued economic recovery.”

“San Francisco is a world-class city, and hosting world-class events shows everyone what we already know - this city is amazing,” said District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill. “From downtown to our neighborhoods, these events bring people together, support our small businesses, and build momentum for our city’s future.”