The eight-night To Be Free: San Francisco run starts in February 2026
Global superstar Sam Smith announces, To Be Free: San Francisco, an eight-night residency at the Castro Theatre. Kicking off February 10th, Smith’s rare, up-close performances will officially ring in the venue’s eagerly awaited reopening following two years of renovations. To mark the announcement, Smith has shared a soul-stirring cover of the 1971 Bill Withers classic “Ain’t No Sunshine” set to a video filmed at the beloved theater and in the surrounding Castro District.
Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, October 7th at 10 am local time.
The series is a continuation of Sam’s upcoming residency, To Be Free: New York City, which begins on October 8th at Brooklyn’s historic Warsaw club. With the New York City residency kicking off next week, Smith is appearing tonight on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for a sit-down interview. They’ll also return to the show tomorrow night (Wed, Oct 1st), as the featured musical guest. The initial run of 12 shows for To Be Free: New York City sold out immediately, prompting Smith to add 12 additional dates at the intimate venue, stretching into November and December.
Smith’s cover of “Ain’t No Sunshine” is both stunningly beautiful and rich with meaning. Over a raw acoustic guitar, they begin the song: “Ain’t no sunshine when he’s gone / It’s not warm when he’s away.” With their unmistakable voice, Sam gives a haunting performance that captures the chill of loneliness, while the accompanying video brings immense warmth. We first see Sam inside the Castro Theatre, scaffolding still in place. Soon, we’re out on the streets of the Castro District, meeting friendly faces from the community. By the end, Sam has led a small celebratory parade of folks to the iconic theater marquee, and stepped into the box office to tear tickets themself.
Both residencies take their name from Smith’s soaring new single, “To Be Free.” The soulful acoustic song, which explores how vulnerability can unlock bravery and freedom, includes moving vocals by The Two City Chorus and came with a joyous (LA)Horde-directed music video filmed at Warsaw.
Another Planet Entertainment’s The Castro will be a fittingly timeless home for the West Coast installment of the To Be Free series. Built as a movie palace in 1922 with an interior designed by one of San Francisco’s most prominent architects, Timothy Pfleuger, the captivating space swirls up an array of worldly influences and includes stunning original artwork on the ceilings, famous sgraffito murals along the walls, and an ornate chandelier, among other features. All of that has been restored as part of a $40 million rehabilitation project that’s also opened the venue up for standing-room music performances and facilitated the installation of “the world’s largest and most versatile digital organ.”
Sam Smith To Be Free: San Francisco 2026 Castro Theatre Residency Dates:
Tuesday, February 10
Wednesday, February 11
Friday, February 13
Saturday, February 14
Tuesday, February 17
Wednesday, February 18
Friday, February 20
Saturday, February 21
