Flower Piano is Coming Soon!

Are you a garden lover? Do you enjoy music, especially piano music? If your answer to either of these questions is yes, then you’ll love our upcoming Flower Piano event! 

What is Flower Piano?

Held annually since 2015, the ninth annual Flower Piano brings the magic of music to the beautiful Botanical Garden! It features 12 pianos spread out across the Garden’s 55 acres, which will feature scheduled performances from professional musicians and community partners. There will also be plenty of time for open play, where anyone can take a seat and play piano to their heart’s content. These moments of spontaneous community music-making, reflecting a wide range of genres, ages, and cultures, are often favorites among Flower Piano attendees. Local press has described Flower Piano as “one of the most unique, innovative, and creative events in the Bay Area”! 

Introduced last year, the intimate Flower Piano Lounge is back by popular demand! Taking place in the Celebration Garden, this separately ticketed space offers access to full-service bars offering alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, delicious food from local vendors, comfortable lounge seating, and expedited entry to Flower Piano. 

The Flower Piano Lounge will host this year’s Special Opening Night Event on September 12, featuring the thrilling Afro-Cuban charangra orchestra Orquesta La Moderna Tradición. The 11-piece group’s mix of contemporary timba-infused arrangements are guaranteed to get you on your feet and traditional danzónes will transport you back to the Havana social clubs of the 1950s. 

The main event runs from Friday, September 13, through Sunday, September 22. This 10-day duration is twice as long as last year’s event! 

Special Guest Performers

In addition to Orquesta La Moderna Tradición, Flower Piano Lounge’s special concerts will feature San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, uplifting soulful music by Martin Luther McCoy & the Robin Hodge Williams Gospel Choir, Eclectic Jazz Latin Funk Fusion from The Orange Sunshine, Soulful Latin Salsa Music by Calito Franco Salsa Anejo, and more. 

This year’s main festival guests include singer-songwriter Noe Venable, cross genre duo Steel & Hammers, the Ensemble San Francisco music collective, Little Mission Studio co-founder Claire Plumb, and percussionist Justin Sun of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. 

Pricing and Accessibility

Purchasing a general admission entry ticket to the Botanical Garden gives each visitor access to Flower Piano activities with exception to Flower Lounge performances.  Entry to Flower Piano Lounge performances require separate purchase of a Lounge ticket.

Please note: San Francisco residents, veterans, and SNAP, WIC, and CalFresh recipients (via the Museums for All program) receive free entry with accepted forms of ID.  In addition, Gardens of Golden Gate Park members and reciprocal garden members also receive free admission, along with their guests, depending on their membership levels.

Most of the Botanical Garden’s pathways are wheelchair-accessible; such pathways are marked with the ISA symbol. Complimentary wheelchairs are available for use at the entrances on a first-come, first-served basis. For more accessibility information, visit our Admissions & Hours page.  

Getting Involved

Both individuals and organizations can sponsor Flower Piano, and enjoy special promotional and hospitality benefits as a result! For more information, visit the Flower Piano page or contact Director of Advancement Brendan Lange at blange@gggp.org or 415-661-1316 x 416. 

This year also features ample volunteering opportunities, from individual roles like greeting and ushering to special Group Volunteering opportunities for groups of 5 to 20 people. To learn more about volunteering, check out our Volunteer page. To sign up for Group Volunteer Service, please fill out this form. 

Written by Masten Peters