FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Mid-Market Business Association & Foundation: Julie Richter | julie@assemblypr.com
Tenderloin Community Benefit District: Kailen Grottel-Brown | kailen@gfpublicaffairs.com
Busk It! expands to the Tenderloin as the Tenderloin Community Benefit District and Mid-Market Business Association & Foundation bring live music to Larkin Street
Busk It! on Larkin launches Monday, August 3,
building on a Mid-Market program that has
paid working musicians more than $300,000 since 2024
SAN FRANCISCO (July 30, 2026) – The Tenderloin Community Benefit District (TLCBD) and the Mid-Market Business Association & Foundation (MMBAF) announced today that Market Street Arts‘ live music series, Busk It!, is expanding into the Tenderloin. Beginning Monday, August 3, Busk It! on Larkin will bring free, weekly live performances to Larkin Street, extending a program that has become a well-loved part of Mid-Market’s broader revitalization into a neighboring corridor.
“Larkin Street’s small businesses are the backbone of this corridor, and programs like Busk It! help fill our streets with music, art, and the kind of vibrancy that brings people together,” said Supervisor Bilal Mahmood. “By creating a more welcoming and lively neighborhood, we’re supporting local artists, driving customers to small businesses, and strengthening our local economy. I’m excited to see TLCBD and MMBAF partnering to bring life back to Larkin.”
The expansion is a partnership between MMBAF and TLCBD, with both organizations working together to connect local musicians with neighborhood businesses and turn Larkin Street’s sidewalks into welcoming, music-filled public spaces. Performances will take place along Larkin Street between Golden Gate and Geary, with participating host businesses Outta Sight Pizza, Emperor Norton’s Boozeland, The Phoenix Hotel, Catrachita Yucateca, Quoc Long, Ember Grill, Tender Noodle and Sgt Macaulay Park.
“We’re celebrating Larkin Street’s multicultural richness by bringing in new activations that spark connection and community. Through partnerships with incredible programs like Mid Market Business Association & Foundation’s Busk It!, we’re filling this special corridor with great energy, live music, and moments that bring people together,” said Kate Robinson, CEO of the Tenderloin Community Benefit District. “Music is a universal language that invites people into the Tenderloin to experience its vibrant arts scene, diverse cultures and languages, local businesses, incredible food, and welcoming public spaces.”
“Busk It! Brings joy and connection to our sidewalks, giving musicians a platform to shine and passerbys a reason to smile,” adds Fernando Pujals, Executive Director of MMBAF. “Partnering with TLCBD to expand into the Tenderloin means more paid opportunities for working musicians and more welcoming spaces for residents and workers.”
Since March 2024, Busk It! has paid over $300,000 to 200 musicians and presented more than 1000 hours of free live music on Market Street across 500+ performances. The program will continue to support working artists and Tenderloin businesses, while transforming community experiences along Larkin. There will be performances by returning Busk It! artists Analog Dog, Black Rabbit Synthony, The Genie, Malpica Live Looping, Tori Roze and the Hot Mess, and the Whoadees alongside musicians from the neighborhood, including Double Helix Peace Treaty, with more to be announced.
In the weeks ahead, MMBAF and TLCBD are issuing a Call to Artists for September performances, prioritizing Tenderloin-connected musicians. Artists interested in performing can apply online at marketstreetarts.org/
ABOUT TLCBD
The Tenderloin Community Benefit District (TLCBD) is a nonprofit organization whose core purpose is to lead the evolution of the Tenderloin into a vibrant community for all. TLCBD develops leaders who actively improve both daily conditions and the neighborhood’s long-term trajectory for residents, businesses, and visitors. Its efforts include street cleaning, public safety initiatives, community events, and advocacy for local improvements. TLCBD collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders, including local community members, organizations, businesses, and local government, to address the unique challenges and opportunities within the Tenderloin while strengthening the neighborhood’s existing sense of pride and belonging.
ABOUT MARKET STREET ARTS
An initiative of the MMBA&F, Market Street Arts is a multi-year collaboration between the City, neighborhood stakeholders, businesses, residents, private donors, and corporate sponsors to actualize the true potential of Mid-Market. It capitalizes on Mid-Market’s centralized location and creative infrastructure as San Francisco’s historic theater district. Implementation strategies specifically leverage the neighborhood’s larger cultural venues with a fabric of new and existing creative entrepreneurs, arts organizations, businesses, public art, beautification, and events of various scales, serving as a multipronged platform for creative expression, human connection, and economic investment.
Market Street Arts is funded by the Mid Market Foundation, a 501c3 established in 2019 to conceive, implement, and manage transformative programs, in partnership with the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development.
ABOUT THE MID MARKET BUSINESS ASSOCIATION & FOUNDATION (MMBAF)
The Mid Market Business Association is a 501c6 and advocates on behalf of businesses, property owners, and other stakeholders along Market Street between 5th and Van Ness and surrounding areas. The Mid Market Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit established in 2019 that accepts charitable donations and seeks funding to conceive, implement, and manage transformative programs. Together, MMBAF works to create a safe, clean, and vibrant Mid-Market corridor where businesses thrive, community flourishes, and residents and visitors alike experience a welcoming neighborhood.
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