Help Restore The Bay Lights

Introducing The Bay Lights 360

$10,579,931
raised
$11,000,000
goal

The Bay Lights 360 Donors

Sarah Buie

January 29, 2026

These are a remarkable gift to the city and all who are fortunate enough to see them. I'm very grateful to … Read more

These are a remarkable gift to the city and all who are fortunate enough to see them. I'm very grateful to those of you who through your vision, hard work and financial contributions are making them possible.

Amount Donated
$206.28

Jennifer Doran

January 17, 2026

Amount Donated
$103.30

Stephen Smoot

December 29, 2025

Amount Donated
$100.00

Anonymous

May 28, 2025

Amount Donated
$26.06

The Bay Lights are now dark. We need your help to bring back this beautiful work of art.

Created in 2014 by arts nonprofit Illuminate and artist Leo Villareal, the Bay Lights are widely considered one of the world’s great public art projects. After nearly 10 glorious years, Illuminate made the decision to turn the lights off. A victim of the harsh environmental conditions on San Francisco Bay, the system of LEDs was failing at a rate faster than could be repaired.

The good news: an extraordinary effort has emerged to bring the lights back more magically than before.

Our Plan

Illuminate’s ambitious plan calls for double the number of LEDs, making the lights visible on both sides of the bridge. This “360-degree” approach will allow the lights to be seen throughout San Francisco, on Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island, and in many East Bay communities, including Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville. And for the first time, we seek to have the lights visible to drivers on the Bay Bridge, creating a world-class, nighttime public art portal into San Francisco.

$11M is needed for their return and we are closing in on that goal through large philanthropic gifts and through this crowdfunding campaign.

Once funding is secured, it will take approximately 10 months to install the lights. Any excess funds will go towards other Illuminate projects.

Looking to make a major gift, non-cash gift, or grant?