A little history

Located at 443 Broadway in the heart of North Beach near the Financial District of San Francisco, Mabuhay is Bay Area’s premiere venue for public and private events, featuring all kinds of music. Our historic building has hosted hundreds of live music concerts, movie premieres, comedy specials, theater performances, fashion shows, and private parties.

Mabuhay has been celebrated for over a century as the place to go for entertainment in San Francisco. Its classic Mission-style building was built in 1919 by the Italian community, and began its first incarnation as Garibaldi Hall. In the 1930’s it was a favorite ballroom for swing and jazz nights, and saw the likes of Louis Armstrong grace its stage. In the ’70s the venue became known as Mabuhay Gardens (“The Fab Mab”), and was host to many memorable events including appearances by Robin Williams, Blondie, The Go-Go’s, and other now-legendary rock bands. In the ‘80s, the club was the epicenter of the San Francisco punk scene, with acts like The Dead Kennedys, Iggy Pop, Devo, Black Flag, and The Nuns playing to packed houses. “The Mab was the CBGB’s of the whole West Coast” said Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys.

Mabuhay is ready for its next chapter, and is looking forward to hosting live shows and private events for many decades to come. Do you want to book a show or rent Mabuhay for a special occasion? Drop us a line.

Mabuhay Gardens photo by Bobby Castro