Pump up the joy this first Friday at Friday Nights at OMCA! Join us as the intergenerational hip hop group, Alphabet Rockers, explores elements of hip hop and leads audiences to shared moments of joyful expression, uplifting affirmations, and celebratory movement. Drag Storytime keeps the empowering energy flowing as drag artist Per Sia brings Tyler Feder’s preschool picture book, Bodies are Cool, to life with an exuberant read-aloud alongside bright and friendly illustrations to captivate all.

Friday Night’s at OMCA presents an electrifying evening with Oakland’s own Fantastic Negrito as he takes the stage alongside some of his favorite musicians in the Bay Area. Join us for an immersive performance that plays with the boundaries between funk, rock, soul, and blues to produce  a unique and captivating experience. More boundaries are broken as Let’s Lab with KD the Poet makes the mundane fantastic as he centers everyday life in his blend of soulful lyricism and tempered production. The night will be further filled with the groovy blend of rap, soul, R&B, and Afrobeats emanating from Bay Area DJ Mani Draper, all excellent energy to intercut with engaging discussion facilitated by the Gallery Chats taking place in our Special Exhibition, Por el Pueblo: The Legacy and Influence of Malaquías Montoya.

Join OMCA this Friday night as we host Awesöme Orchestra and 100+ musicians for an evening filled with internationally acclaimed guest artists and local composers! Bringing music out of the concert hall and into the wider Bay Area community parks, streets and rock venues, Awesöme Orchestra takes film and video game scores and brings them to life. Both a performance and an invitation, the Awesöme Orchestra invites you to their website for info about how to participate. This Friday Nights at OMCA further invites you into the performance with K-Pop Dance Lessons with Groobeu & Robin Lee as they teach one of NewJeans’ choreography to one of their most popular songs, “Hype Boy!” This will be a supportive space as they walk through each movement, try the choreo many times, and split into smaller groups to give everyone a chance to showcase their new moves!

Friday Nights at OMCA brings back a Thursday After Hours special, Sketchboard Live Drawing! This Friday OMCA invites visitors to bring their sketch pads and appetites and get creative in the Museum’s Gallery of California Art with live drawing sessions.

Friday Nights at OMCA kicks off Oakland Carnival weekend with a bang! In celebration of the vibrant cultures of the Bay Area the night starts at the Garden Stage with a Soca Meets Samba Dance Workshop, a fun, all-levels, all-ages dance class highlighting some of the most popular moves from each genre. Immediately after, the MasFX Carnival Dance Experience will perform a portion of their 2024 showcase that leads into a party worthy blend of Soca, Reggaeton, Dancehall, Afrobeats, Baile Funk, Hip-Hop, House and more with a set from  VibeHauss DJ’s. The Amphitheater will be activated too and will transport you to Trinidad and Tobago with the smooth vibrations of Cardinal Calypso Steel Pan Band. 

Come out with Pride to Friday Nights at OMCA! Krudas Cubensi brings a blend of rap and poetry and Afro-Cuban music beats, like salsa, rumba, and Jazz from their album “They/Them Les Elles” and uplifts the resiliency of non-binary and trans people. The album being a collaboration between Krudas, Greg Landau and many local and international artists is an interwoven sonic tapestry that inspires reflection and action in the service of a better future for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities.

Mark your calendars for another blockbuster evening at Friday Nights at OMCA! The Garden stage will host the distinct and spellbinding, Reyna Tropical. Uplifting the sounds of the tropical diaspora, Reyna Topical is not only a musical exploration and celebration of the pulse of the tropical diaspora, but the band also represents a commitment to creating abundant spaces for Black, Indigenous, and Queer joy. 

Join OMCA this Friday as we host Mak Nova and The Homies to our Garden Stage! A totally sensational mashup of spiritual celebration, authentic hip-hop, lyrical genius, and powerful stage presence Mak Nova and The Homies are sure to leave you smiling, sweating, and spiritually revived!

June’s final addition of Friday Nights at OMCA brings Skip The Needle to the Garden stage! A banging mix of soul, rock, and funk, Skip The Needle is ready to blast sonic love and energy! Furthering the rhythmic love is a Bachata lesson with In Lak’ech Dance Academy. Bachata Queer instructors,  Angelica and Jahaira, are creating a gender inclusive and beginner friendly space to learn and bachata with Pride.