San Francisco Zoo & Gardens is flipping the switch on ZooLights for the first time in eight years, bringing more than one million lights, a Golden Gate Bridge display, and a Frozen Zone with 10-foot icicles to the Sloat Boulevard grounds starting Friday, November 6. The nightly show runs through Sunday, January 3, 2027, with adult tickets priced at $30 and admission for kids under 11 set at $21.
The last time the zoo pulled off ZooLights was back in 2018, according to KRON4, which first reported details of the revived event. CEO and executive director Cassandra Costello told the station the effect will be “magical,” a pitch that carries extra weight given how shaky the zoo's finances have been in recent years. Costello was named permanent CEO in February after serving as interim director, stepping into the role following the resignation of former CEO Tanya Peterson amid public scrutiny over mismanagement and animal welfare, according to Axios.
Costello previously held executive roles at SF Travel and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department before taking the zoo's top job, per the same Axios report. Her arrival came at a moment when the 100-acre municipal zoo badly needed stable leadership — and revenue.
A Budget Crisis Behind the Festive Return
Earlier this year, San Francisco officials approved a $6.5 million emergency bridge loan for the zoo, with city discussions extending as high as $8.5 million after an audit uncovered $12 million in unapproved capital spending, according to KQED. Hoodline previously reported on the zoo's $6.5M bridge loan and the financial restructuring it demanded.
The zoo posted a $6.3 million operating loss in fiscal year 2025, driven by a $3 million jump in operating costs and softer gate revenue, per city financial disclosures and zoo leadership statements cited by KQED. Attendance drops in the years following the pandemic ate into ticket, parking, and concession income, leaving the zoo searching for new ways to bring in cash — a gap that high-margin evening events like ZooLights are meant to help close.
That public money came with conditions. Under the bridge loan agreement, the zoo must submit quarterly financial reports, draft a five-year strategic plan, and maintain its accreditation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums during its upcoming review cycle, according to Bay City News. AZA accreditation matters beyond prestige — it's essential for the zoo's participation in cooperative animal breeding and conservation programs.
The City and County of San Francisco owns the zoo's land and buildings, but day-to-day operations have been run by the nonprofit San Francisco Zoological Society since 1993 under a public-private partnership, according to the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. That lease agreement governs how admission fee hikes and city funding approvals move forward, which helps explain why a $30 ticket price for a holiday lights show now requires this level of municipal scrutiny.
What's Inside the 2026 ZooLights
The scale of this year's event dwarfs the zoo's earlier attempt at the format. During a 2016 iteration of ZooLights, adult admission ran just $8 and child admission was $6 for a three-hour nightly window, according to Patch. The 2026 version spans 14 interactive zones with over one million lights, running 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. nightly.
Highlights include lighted tunnels, giant candy canes, ornaments and gift boxes, plus a Frozen Zone featuring 10-foot icicles, sparkling snowflakes, a frozen forest, a massive ice throne, and a sleigh set up for family photos. The event also leans into local identity with a Golden Gate Bridge light display and a cable car installation, per KRON4's reporting.
A rotating calendar of special nights is built into the run: bingo on November 13, a silent disco on November 14, trivia on November 20, and a family techno glow rave on November 21. Star Wars Night lands December 4, with Santa Claus visiting December 11 and 12, and Santa returning alongside Dickens carolers on December 18 and 19. Tickets are available in person at the zoo or through the zoo's website and app.
Competing With Oakland's Glowfari — and Its Own History
The timing puts San Francisco Zoo in direct competition with Oakland Zoo's Glowfari lantern festival, which runs the same November-to-January stretch and features hand-painted animal lanterns built with Tianyu Arts & Culture, according to Oakland Zoo. Both institutions are now vying for the same Bay Area families during the holiday season, with San Francisco's return to the format arriving only after years off the calendar.
The zoo's financial strain hasn't stopped bigger ambitions from circulating. Mayor Daniel Lurie and city officials have pursued plans to bring giant pandas from China to the zoo and convert the former lion habitat into a $25 million panda facility, a proposal that sparked debate among local animal welfare panel members who argued for upgrading existing habitats first, according to CBS News. Hoodline covered the mayor's push in a report on his panda plans before his Asia trip.
The zoo has also been rebuilding its animal collection under current leadership. In October 2025, it introduced Cecil, a 26-year-old male Western lowland silverback gorilla from Louisville Zoo, to lead its gorilla troop following the death of longtime silverback Oscar Jonesy, according to CBS News. Cecil underwent quarantine and social acclimation before his public debut, a transition Hoodline detailed in its report on the zoo's new silverback gorilla.
Founded in 1929 as Fleishhacker Zoo by banker Herbert Fleishhacker, the 100-acre seaside facility near Lake Merced and Ocean Beach was built largely as a New Deal WPA project before being renamed in 1941, according to ThrillZing. Nearly a century later, the zoo's leadership is betting that a revived holiday lights tradition can help carry it through its latest, more modern financial reckoning.
