The Bay Lights Are Back: SF’s Iconic Bay Bridge Light Installation Will Shimmer With Twice As Many LEDs In Early 2026

We all remember when the Bay Bridge’s well-known Bay Lights installation went dark in March of 2023. But after a long fundraising campaign raised over $10 million, the Bay Lights are about to come back bigger and better! According to a press release from SF Travel, arts nonprofit Illuminate and artist Leo Villareal’s *Bay Lights 360* will finally flicker back on in “early 2026.” *Bay Lights 360* ---------------- Arts nonprofit Illuminate was forced to dismantle the ten-year-old Bay Lights installation in 2023 due to deterioration from the harsh weather conditions of the SF Bay. The team immediately launched an ambitious plan with artist Leo Villareal, with the goal of fundraising $11 million to bring the lights back bigger and better than ever along the entire 1.8-mile length of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. When the project secured its installation minimum of $10 million in May of 2024, they began the months-long process of positioning the 50,000 LEDs . *Bay Lights 360* presents the Bay Lights on both sides of the bridge , meaning that they will now be visible from the East Bay in Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville. The world-class installation uses double the previous number of LEDs so it can be seen from all sides, and by drivers as they cross the bridge. The lights will “shimmer in abstract, wavelike formations that never repeat,” according to the press release. More about Illuminate SF ------------------------ Illuminate was founded in 2011 to create large-scale [public artworks](https://secretsanfrancisco.com/illuminate-sf-map/) throughout the city. Some of their most popular installations include *Grace Light* at Grace Cathedral, the after-dark *Photosynthesis* light show that illuminates the Conservatory of Flowers, the 4-mile laser Pride flag on Market Street, and the popular Golden Mile project in Golden Gate Park. 🌐 Learn more : Illuminate Source: https://secretsanfrancisco.com/bay-lights-360-bay-bridge-san-francisco/