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Karaoke in San Francisco, CA
San Francisco runs two completely different kinds of karaoke night, and it is generous with both: free open mics that get going before dinner, and private rooms you can book before lunch. Knowing which night you are walking into is the whole game.
15written up in this guide238tracked in and around San Francisco
This guide covers the standouts, and every confirmed bar is listed below by neighborhood. The KaraokeList app keeps it current, free, and shows who’s singing tonight.
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The split is between open mic — put your name in the book, wait, sing to a room of strangers — and a private room, rented by the hour for you and your friends and nobody else. The city has plenty of both, and they ask completely different things of you.
Open mic is cheaper, usually free, and the wait is the price of the crowd. A room costs money and removes every reason to be nervous. If you have never done this before, start in a room; the open mics will still be there when you want an audience.
The map
Where San Francisco sings
3 confirmed venues
If you want to sing to a room
Open mic, no booking, put your name down when you get there. These three run every night of the week, which makes them the safe answer when the night is already underway and nobody planned anything.
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Sool Bar
ChinatownFree, every night, on the main stage from early evening. The lowest-commitment way to find out whether you like doing this at all.
Sool Bar runs karaoke every night.
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Bow Bow Cocktail Lounge
ChinatownA little further up the same street, a small dive that runs karaoke every day of the week, starting early. Early enough to be a first stop rather than a last one.
Bow Bow Cocktail Lounge runs karaoke every night.
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Silver Clouds
MarinaSeven nights a week, with a later start. A louder room than the Chinatown two, and the Marina's default answer.
Silver Clouds runs karaoke every night.
4 confirmed venues
If you want a room of your own
Booked by the hour, doors closed, no audience but the people you came with. Several of the city's rooms sit within a few blocks of each other in Japantown — see below — so these are the ones worth knowing, plus a couple further out.
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Do-Re-Mi
JapantownSeven nights, and the latest room in the city on a Friday — the reason a Friday here can go badly wrong.
Do-Re-Mi runs karaoke every night.
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K-BOX
FillmoreOpens before lunch, seven days a week. Almost nowhere else will sell you a karaoke room in the early afternoon.
K-BOX runs karaoke every night.
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K-Time Karaoke
ParksideRooms every night, out in the Sunset. The one that saves you a trip across town if you already live out here.
K-Time Karaoke runs karaoke every night.
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L 2 Karaoke
FillmoreAnother Fillmore room that runs every night, a few doors from the other one on the street. A useful second answer when the first is booked.
L 2 Karaoke runs karaoke every night.
The whole lineup is below.
Every confirmed bar in and around San Francisco is listed further down, by neighborhood. The KaraokeList app keeps it current and shows who’s singing tonight, along with the fun part: what you’ll sing.
The Post Street run
Four karaoke venues sit within a few blocks of each other on Post Street, in and around Japantown: Taisho, Do-Re-Mi, Dimples and Festa. All four run seven nights a week, though Festa, upstairs, is on borrowed time: its Japantown lease ends in December.
It is the stretch of the city where the choice is genuinely made on the pavement. Taisho and Do-Re-Mi are private rooms; Dimples is an open-mic bar that keeps going late. You can walk out of one and into the other kind of night in a few minutes, which is a useful thing to know when the group cannot agree.
Nights that are their own thing
A handful of San Francisco karaoke nights are not really karaoke nights in the ordinary sense, and they are worth planning around rather than stumbling into.
Martuni's, where Hayes Valley meets the Mission, does piano karaoke on Mondays — a live pianist instead of a backing track, which changes the job considerably. Lion's Den Lounge, tucked into an alley in Chinatown, runs live band karaoke on Thursdays; you are fronting an actual band. And on Tuesdays in SoMa, Cat Club runs two at once — a general night in the front room and a goth and industrial one in the back.
Jolene's in the Mission holds a weekly queer karaoke on Thursdays. Bottom's Up in the Excelsior runs Thursdays, late, 21 and over.
Neighborhoods and nearby towns
Every karaoke night we’ve confirmed in and around San Francisco, sorted by where it is, so you can sing close to home (or close to the after-party). Tap a bar for its nights and times, or a neighborhood for its own page.
Mission District 8 bars
- Bissap BaobabThu
- Delirium BarMon
- El RioThu
- Jolene'sThu
- KiitosTue
- KilowattTue
- Martuni'sMon
- MothershipWed
South of Market 6 bars
- Dragon HorseFri, Sat
- Question Mark TavernSun, Mon
- Cat ClubTue
- Rumpus RoomTue
- SF EagleMon
- ZOËThu
Japantown 5 bars
- DimplesEvery night
- Do-Re-MiEvery night
- FestaEvery night
- K-BOXEvery night
- L 2 KaraokeEvery night
Lower Nob Hill 5 bars
Lower Nob Hill: nights, times and addresses →The Castro 4 bars
- Toad HallSun, Tue, Thu
- BeauxMon
- LookoutMon
- Midnight SunWed
Inner Richmond 3 bars
- 3910 LoungeThu–Sat
- Ireland's 32Wed
- Neck of the WoodsTue
North Beach 3 bars
- Maggie McGarry'sWed
- Paris 75Sun
- TupeloTue
Bernal Heights 2 bars
Chinatown 2 bars
- Bow Bow Cocktail LoungeEvery night
- Lion's Den Lounge and BarThu
Civic Center 2 bars
- CAVESun, Thu–Sat
- The Function SFThu
Cow Hollow 2 bars
- Broadway Sing Along BarEvery night
- The Blue LightMon
Inner Sunset 2 bars
- Blackthorn TavernTue
- The Temple BarMon
Tenderloin 2 bars
- Pandora Karaoke Crown Royal RoomMon–Sat
- Record Bar SFWed–Sat
Union Square 2 bars
- Sool BarEvery night
- Ginger's BarWed
Alamo Square 1 bar
- Madrone Art BarTue
Duboce Triangle 1 bar
Excelsior 1 bar
- Bottom's UpThu
Financial District 1 bar
- Unicorn Pan Asian CuisineFri
Marina District 1 bar
- Silver CloudsEvery night
Outer Richmond 1 bar
Outer Sunset 1 bar
- The RiptideTue
Parkside 1 bar
- K-Time KaraokeEvery night
Polk Gulch 1 bar
- Bamboo RestaurantSun, Sat
Western Addition 1 bar
- Fillmore KaraokeWed–Sat
One bar each
- Madrone Art BarAlamo SquareTue
- Mint Karaoke LoungeDuboce TriangleMon
- Bottom's UpExcelsiorThu
- Unicorn Pan Asian CuisineFinancial DistrictFri
- Silver CloudsMarina DistrictEvery night
- Goemon Izakaya Bar & Karaoke LoungeOuter RichmondFri, Sat
- The RiptideOuter SunsetTue
- K-Time KaraokeParksideEvery night
- Bamboo RestaurantPolk GulchSun, Sat
- Fillmore KaraokeWestern AdditionWed–Sat
Nearby towns
Redwood City 5 bars
- Villa RomaSun, Tue, Thu, Fri
- Sodini'sThu–Sat
- 840 Wine Bar & Cocktail LoungeThu
- Alhambra Irish HouseMon
- BlacksmithThu
San Mateo 5 bars
- The Swingin' DoorMon, Wed, Fri, Sat
- Blue Moon BarWed, Fri
- McGovern's BarSun, Thu
- WildStyle KaraokeFri, Sat
- Bel Mateo BowlFri
Walnut Creek 4 bars
Downtown Alameda 3 bars
- Alameda Cinema GrillWed
- Club House Sports BarThu
- HobnobFri
Downtown Oakland 3 bars
Downtown Oakland: nights, times and addresses →Hayward 3 bars
- Hayward Music StudioWed–Sat
- karaoke dance eventTue, Wed
- Dark Horse LoungeSat
Northgate, Oakland 3 bars
- The Legionnaire Karaoke SaloonEvery night
- The New ParkwayFri
- There/ThereTue
San Rafael 3 bars
- FlatironThu
- Ranch WaterWed
- The Mayflower PubSat
Temescal, Oakland 3 bars
- Jaguar KaraokeEvery night
- Artichoke Basille's PizzaThu–Sat
- Root'd in the 510Fri
Vallejo 3 bars
- Town HouseThu, Sat
- Bay Hibachi ExpressThu
- The ExchangeWed
Burlingame 2 bars
Concord 2 bars
- Captain's Chest Cocktail LoungeWed–Sat
- Red HatTue
El Sobrante 2 bars
- Rancho Sports BarThu–Sat
- Clancy'sFri
Emeryville 2 bars
- Bank Club CafeThu
- Bay Break Dining TerraceThu
Half Moon Bay 2 bars
- Cameron's Pub, Restaurant and InnFri, Sat
- American Legion Post 474Wed
Lakeshore, Oakland 2 bars
Martinez 2 bars
- Cue & BrewSun
- Nu-Rays BarThu
Old Oakland 2 bars
- Summer Bar & LoungeTue, Wed
- 811 ParliamentTue
Pacifica 2 bars
Pleasant Hill 2 bars
- CJ's SaloonMon
- TJ's Karaoke Crew - Dallimonti'sFri
San Leandro 2 bars
South San Francisco 2 bars
- E-Plus CafeEvery night
- WavEvery night
Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley 2 bars
- Jaguar KaraokeEvery night
- Kip's Bar and GrillSun, Wed
Belmont 1 bar
- VipEvery night
Benicia 1 bar
Berkeley 1 bar
- Yeti Sports Bar and RestaurantWed, Fri
Brisbane 1 bar
Colma 1 bar
- Round Table PizzaWed
Daly City 1 bar
- Nick & NoraWed
El Cerrito 1 bar
- Mel-O-DeeWed–Sat
Fairview Park, Oakland 1 bar
- White Horse BarTue, Thu
Lafayette 1 bar
- Roundup SaloonWed, Sat
Longfellow, Oakland 1 bar
Merritt, Oakland 1 bar
- Lakeside LoungeWed, Thu
Mill Valley 1 bar
Millbrae 1 bar
- Millbrae Karaoke HouseEvery night
Novato 1 bar
- Finnegan's MarinWed, Fri
Oakland 1 bar
Piedmont Avenue, Oakland 1 bar
Pinole 1 bar
- Bar NoneSat
Point Richmond 1 bar
Richmond 1 bar
- Sky Music KTVSun, Fri, Sat
Rockridge, Oakland 1 bar
- The RICSun, Fri, Sat
San Bruno 1 bar
San Carlos 1 bar
San Lorenzo 1 bar
- Fresh Pizza RestaurantFri, Sat
San Pablo 1 bar
- Rumba Night ClubFri, Sat
Southwest Berkeley 1 bar
- Missouri LoungeMon
Tiburon 1 bar
Upper Laurel, Oakland 1 bar
- Lounge 3411Wed
One bar each
- VipBelmontEvery night
- The Rellik TavernBeniciaWed
- Yeti Sports Bar and RestaurantBerkeleyWed, Fri
- Brisbane Happy HourBrisbaneWed
- Round Table PizzaColmaWed
- Nick & NoraDaly CityWed
- Mel-O-DeeEl CerritoWed–Sat
- White Horse BarFairview Park, OaklandTue, Thu
- Roundup SaloonLafayetteWed, Sat
- Eli's Mile High ClubLongfellow, OaklandSun
- Lakeside LoungeMerritt, OaklandWed, Thu
- Lighthouse Bar & GrillMill ValleyFri
- Millbrae Karaoke HouseMillbraeEvery night
- Finnegan's MarinNovatoWed, Fri
- Dragon Gate OaklandOaklandThu
- Cato's Ale HousePiedmont Avenue, OaklandSat
- Bar NonePinoleSat
- Up & Under Pub and GrillPoint RichmondSat
- Sky Music KTVRichmondSun, Fri, Sat
- The RICRockridge, OaklandSun, Fri, Sat
- Newells Cocktail LoungeSan BrunoWed
- Rail Sport Bar & ClubSan CarlosFri
- Fresh Pizza RestaurantSan LorenzoFri, Sat
- Rumba Night ClubSan PabloFri, Sat
- Missouri LoungeSouthwest BerkeleyMon
- Cinelounge TiburonTiburonFri
- Lounge 3411Upper Laurel, OaklandWed
Questions
Do I need to book karaoke in San Francisco?
For an open-mic bar, no — you turn up and put your name in the book. For a private room you should book, especially Thursday through Saturday, and especially in the Japantown cluster on Post Street, where several venues share the same few blocks and fill up on the same nights.
Where can I do karaoke in San Francisco on a weeknight?
Several places run seven nights a week, so a Tuesday is not a problem here. Sool Bar, Bow Bow Cocktail Lounge and Silver Clouds all run open-mic karaoke every night; Do-Re-Mi, K-BOX, K-Time Karaoke and L 2 Karaoke all rent private rooms nightly. Nights change, so check before you go.
What is the difference between open-mic karaoke and a karaoke box?
Open mic means one stage and one queue: you sign up, wait your turn, and sing to whoever is in the bar. A karaoke box or private room is a room you rent by the hour for your own group, with its own screen and mics and nobody watching. Bars are cheaper and usually free; rooms cost money and are far easier if you are nervous or if your group wants to sing together.
How late does karaoke go in San Francisco?
Latest at Do-Re-Mi in Japantown, on a Friday — the latest we have confirmed in the city. At the other end, K-BOX opens before lunch if you want to sing in daylight. The KaraokeList app has each venue's hours.
Is this every karaoke bar in San Francisco?
Every bar we've confirmed is on this page, listed by neighborhood with the nights each one runs. The KaraokeList app keeps the list current and shows which bars are singing on the night you go.
Pick your song before you go
You know where to sing in San Francisco. Here's what to sing when you get there, every pick with its reason.
- Easy karaoke songs for beginnersEasy means where a song sits, not how good you are.
- Easy karaoke songs for menLow, steady songs you can sing with a grin, not a grimace.
- Easy karaoke songs for womenBig fun, no diva finish required.
You found the bar.
Now what are you singing?
Keep every karaoke song you nail. Stuck? Tap the Magic Mic for your next one. The San Francisco karaoke map is in there too.
