How to watch San Francisco’s 2026 Chinese New Year Parade live, plus route and transit details

ABC7 live coverage scheduled as downtown parade returns Saturday evening

San Francisco’s 2026 Chinese New Year Festival and Parade is scheduled for Saturday, March 7, with the grand parade stepping off at 5:15 p.m. The event is one of the city’s largest annual street celebrations and is expected to draw dense crowds along the route through downtown and Chinatown.

Organizers have set the televised broadcast to begin at 6:00 p.m. on ABC7/KGO-TV and to stream across ABC7’s streaming platforms. Distribution for the broadcast also includes ABC News Live, Hulu and KTSF 26. Viewers planning to watch from home are advised to confirm local availability and start times through their TV provider or streaming platform before the broadcast window.

Route: Market Street to Chinatown via Union Square

The parade route begins at Second and Market streets, circles through the Union Square area, and continues toward Chinatown via Kearny Street, with the route ending near Kearny Street and Columbus Avenue. The total route is approximately 1.3 miles.

Bleacher seating is available as a paid option, while curbside viewing remains free. Organizers have indicated multiple bleacher zones along the route and recommend arriving early for check-in and seating ahead of the 5:15 p.m. start.

Transportation: Muni expected to be the primary way in

With street closures and heavy congestion typical around major civic events, public transit is expected to be the most reliable way to access the route. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has announced that Muni service (excluding cable cars) will be free on parade day, a measure intended to reduce vehicle traffic and support access to downtown and Chinatown.

Motorists should anticipate temporary street closures and detours in the hours leading up to and during the parade. Riders should also expect reroutes on some bus lines and should check service alerts before traveling.

Year of the Fire Horse and civic recognition

Lunar New Year begins on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, and 2026 is recognized as the Year of the Fire Horse in the Chinese zodiac. City records describe the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade as the largest parade celebrating Chinese New Year outside of Asia and trace local celebrations in Chinatown back to the 19th century, with later expansions into a broader, multi-event festival season.

At-a-glance

• Date: Saturday, March 7, 2026
• Parade start: 5:15 p.m.
• TV broadcast start: 6:00 p.m.
• Broadcast/streaming availability: ABC7/KGO-TV, ABC7 streaming platforms, ABC News Live, Hulu, KTSF 26
• Route start: Second & Market streets
• Route end area: Kearny Street & Columbus Avenue

For attendees, the main planning variables remain arrival time, transit routing, and street-closure impacts, particularly near Union Square and Chinatown during the evening hours.