This Friday Night at OMCA, Oakland Rising takes over the Garden Stage with a dynamic live set rooted in the city’s cultural legacy. Known for lush harmonies, original music, and soulful reinterpretations of classics, the collective brings together some of Oakland’s most exciting emerging voices in a celebration of collaboration and community.
Friday Night at OMCA comes alive during the opening week of OMCA’s latest Special Exhibition, Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory, with a lineup inspired by the artist’s deep connections to music, movement, cultural memory, and public engagement. On the Garden Stage, the Kim Nalley Band delivers powerhouse vocals that blend jazz, blues, and soul. Known for captivating audiences from intimate clubs to global concert halls, Nalley brings warmth, wit, and commanding presence to every performance.
Friday Night at OMCA brings The Seshen to the Garden Stage with their signature blend of R&B, synth-pop, and electronic sound. Powered by lush synth layers, live percussion, and magnetic vocals, the six-piece crafts a fluid set that shifts between intimate moments and full-bodied sonic lift.
Experience ThursDates at OMCA – your weekly night out at the Museum rich with cocktails, culture, and community. Mingle at Town Fare Cafe by Chef Michele McQueen, where you can enjoy drinks and light bites against a backdrop of music, or explore the galleries which come alive at night with a mix of pop-up performances, chats, live drawings, and more– just for adults!
Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid, Oakland’s favorite free weekly block party is back, April—October!
Gather with family, friends, and community every Friday 5—9 pm for live music, hands-on activities, Off the Grid (OTG) food trucks, and late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions, with a Museum ticket.
Join us for Gallery Chats, an opportunity to chat with and ask questions of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable OMCA Facilitators.
Every third Sunday, OMCA invites visitors to Spotlight Sundays, a series of conversations, performances, and experiences that showcase California visionaries.
Every first Sunday of the month, General Admission to OMCA’s Galleries of California Art, History, and Natural Sciences is free and tickets to Special Exhibitions in our Great Hall are offered at a discounted price of $6.
Interested in bringing a group to engage more deeply with our gallery content? Sign up for a Group Tour where knowledgeable facilitators share insights and help make meaning with your group in OMCA’s galleries.
The Oakland Museum Women’s Board started the White Elephant Sale over sixty years ago. The annual event is not-to-be-missed.
OMCA celebrates the Lunar New Year and explores the shared connections between the diverse Asian cultures of the Bay Area. These family-friendly programs will include both virtual and in-person offerings that celebrate and honor Lunar New Year traditions through storytelling, performances, activities, cooking demonstrations, and more. OMCA holds space for our AAPI communities to come together and uplift each other with both in-person and virtual healing circles.
OMCA X Black Freedom Fund present Juneteenth! at the Museum—a vibrant, full-day celebration of Black culture, creativity, and community. Guests can expect a dynamic campus filled with live performances and DJ sets from boundary-pushing artists, delicious offerings from standout Bay Area Black chefs and food vendors, and hands-on activities that invite visitors of all ages to move, make, and connect in celebration of Black culture.
In collaboration with OMCA’s Día de los Muertos Committee, we honor Day of the Dead every October and November.