Yes, the arts and entertainment world in the Bay Area and beyond continues to struggle to find its footing, beset by a continued lag in post-pandemic ticket sales in some quarters, and changing audience habits in others.

But as our roundup of upcoming performances and productions makes clear, the entertainment industry is not hurting for talent or ingenuity. As 2025’s entertainment calendar takes shape, we are already looking forward to appearances from hip-hop superstar Kendrick Lamar and pop star in the making Tate McRae; a Ryan Coogler horror film starring Michael B. Jordan; a new work by legendary composer John Adams; a boatload of young and established talent at the Black Choreographers Festival; and a stage mystery surrounding a mysterious album of Nazi-era photographs.

So as we cross our fingers that arts groups will find the path to continued financial stability, let’s rejoice in the rich bounty of entertainment headed our way in 2025.Popular music

There is still so much we don’t know about the Bay Area live music scene in 2025.

Will such top rock acts as Phish and AC/DC announce local dates? What will the festival lineup be for BottleRock Napa Valley, Outside Lands, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and Monterey Jazz? What cool surprises — like a Talking Heads reunion or Roger Waters’ 50th anniversary “Wish You Where Here” Tour — could be awaiting us?

And definitely fingers crossed that The Throwing Muses will head to North America after finishing up in Europe.

What we do know about 2025, however, looks mighty cool — with so many big shows already on the docket. Here are just five that we are looking forward to.

Kendrick Lamar, SZA >> The former just released the best rap album of 2024 — “GNX.” The latter is responsible for the finest R&B album of the decade thus far — “SOS.” And the last time we caught her in concert — at Oakland Arena — it turned out to be single best show we reviewed in all of 2023. Put it all together and it sure looks like the Kendrick Lamar and SZA tour is the co-headlining show to beat in 2025.

Details >> May 29; Oracle Park, San Francisco; tickets start at $311; ticketmaser.com.

Metallica >> Local fans were definitely starting to get worried after watching these metal men announce two years’ worth of shows — with none scheduled for the Bay Area. Oh, but James, Lars, Kirk and Robert weren’t about to forget their hometown fans and finally announced Metallica M72 Tour dates at Levi’s Stadium. We caught this show down at Southern California’s SoFi Stadium back in 2023 and it was magnificent.

Details >> June 20 and 22; Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara; 2-day tickets $189 and up, single-day tickets go on sale Jan. 17; ticketmaster.com.

Zach Bryan >> The Pride of Oologah, Oklahoma, is headlining the 2025 edition of the Golden Gate Park Concerts series, which is presented by Berkeley-based promoter Another Planet Entertainment and happens the weekend after the popular Outside Lands Music Festival takes place at the same site. The red hot country star will be joined in concert by Kings of Leon and other acts.

Details >> Aug. 15; Golden Gate Park, San Francisco; $199.70-$479.70; GoldenGateParkConcerts.com

Tate McRae >> People are expecting really big things from this 21-year-old Canadian pop star, who launches her first arena headlining trek — the Miss Possessive Tour — on March 18 in Mexico City. The singer will be supporting her third album, “So Close to What,” which feels like an absolute lock to debut at No. 1 when it’s released in February. We’re predicting a Sabrina Carpenter-type year for McCrae in 2025.

Details >> Sept. 24; Chase Center, San Francisco; $132 and up; ticketmaster.com.

Dua Lipa >> The dance-pop star was terrific the last time we caught her in the Bay Area; she even managed to do the unthinkable and distract a crowd of some 12,000 at SAP Center in San Jose from yakking more about the whole Chris Rock/Will Smith slap fiasco that happened earlier that night (March 27, 2022) at the Oscars. We’re expecting more great times when Dua Lipa brings her latest road show — the Radical Optimism Tour — to the home of the Golden State Warriors.

Details >> Oct. 11-12; Chase Center; $198 and up; ticketmaster.com.

— Jim Harrington, Staff

Film

Everything old is new again in 2025. Just consider the sequels, reboots and reimaginings heading to theaters this year:

“Guardians of the Galaxy” whiz James Gunn gives audiences another update of “Superman” (July 10) with a dashing Clark Kent (David Corenswet), a hip Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and a menacing Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). Disney de-animates (sort of) “Snow White” (March 21) with Rachel Zegler whistling a happy tune. Director Maggie Gyllenhaal brings back to life “The Bride” (of Frankenstein, that is, Sept. 26) with Jesse Buckley and Christian Bale.

Meanwhile, Hollywood ensures the “Jurassic Park” franchise won’t go extinct with “Jurassic World Rebirth” (July 2) with Jonathan Bailey and Scarlett Johansson battling dinos. The trailer for Danny Boyle’s latest zombie odyssey “28 Years Later” (June 20) with Aaron Taylor-Johnson promises to be one of the must-see horror films of 2025. And of course, “Wicked For Good” (Nov. 21) wraps up Jon M. Chu’s magical adaptation of the Broadway smash. It’s certain to be ever so popular. There’s also “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” (May 23) starring American cinema’s Energizer Bunny Tom Cruise as super-spy Ethan Hunt; and Pixar’s annual summer release “Elio” (June 13).

And here are four “original” releases I can’t wait to see.

“Sinners” >> Oakland native Ryan Coogler enters Jordan Peele terrain with his first horror entry, starring frequent collaborator Michael B. Jordan. The freaky trailer looks to raise not only the stakes but the shivers of what looks to be a vampire blood-chiller involving twin brothers in the 1930s.

Details >> Due in theaters March 7.

“Black Bag” >> Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender play married spies whose work duties create major headaches in this Steven Soderbergh-directed thriller. The trailer promises a sexy cat-and-mouse game and we’re more than happy to play along.

Details >> In theaters March 14.

“I’m Still Here” >> Already a major hit in Brazil, celebrated filmmaker Walter Salles’ first film in 12 years serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the courageous families who survived an oppressive South American regime in the ‘70s. Based on one family’s true story, it’s a powerful indie drama with a knockout lead performance from Fernanda Torres.

Details >> Due in Bay Area theaters Jan. 24.

“Death of a Unicorn” >> Who could resist an irreverent and goofy/scary tale about the discovery of a unicorn that spawns something monstrous? We’re ordering tickets right now. Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni and Richard E. Grant headline the A24 genre bender.

Details >> Slated for spring release.

“Mickey 17” >> Oscar-winning filmmaker Bong Joon-ho (“Parasite”) is set to trip us out yet again by sending Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) into space to die again and again in this sci-fi epic. It’s based on a well-received novel.

— Randy Myers, Correspondent

Classical music

2025 is just getting started, but the Bay Area’s classical music organizations have already announced events that fans won’t want to miss. With a new John Adams concerto, a solo concert by a top-tier soprano, piano music in San Francisco and Palo Alto, and one of the world’s most dramatic — and shortest! — operas, here are four of the can’t-miss performances to enjoy in the New Year.

Adams at S.F. Symphony >> January brings a new work by award-winning Bay Area composer John Adams; titled “After the Fall,” it’s a piano concerto commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony, which will present its world premiere in Davies Symphony Hall on Jan. 16, followed by two additional performances Jan. 18-19.

Led by conductor David Robertson, a frequent champion of Adams’ music, this new work features Icelandic pianist Vikingur Ólafsson, whose performances of Bach piano works were one of Adams’ inspirations for “After the Fall.” Ólafsson serves as soloist for all three performances.

The program also includes Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” featuring vocal soloists soprano Susanna Phillips, tenor Arnold Livingston Geis, and baritone Will Liverman (who recently sang this role at the Oakland Symphony); they’ll be joined by the San Francisco Girls Chorus and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. Charles Ives’ “The Unanswered Question” launches the program.

Details >> 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16 and 18, 2 p.m. Jan. 19, Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco; $49-$199; sfsymphony.org.

Davidsen in Berkeley >> Lise Davidsen is at the top of her game. If you were one of many Bay Area opera lovers who saw her in the title role of “Tosca” in the Metropolitan Opera’s recent live broadcast in movie theaters, you know what we mean. Following a meteoric rise through the world’s concert halls and opera houses — and a headline-making solo recital last season in New York — the Norwegian soprano is now one of the most esteemed vocal artists navigating an astounding career.

Now she’s coming to Cal Performances in a one-night-only appearance to sing a wide-ranging program of songs and arias by Grieg, Purcell, Verdi, Schubert, Wagner and others. She’ll be accompanied by pianist Malcolm Martineau, another great artist whose Cal Performances appearances have always been sublime.

Details >> 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley; $37.50-$210; calperformances.org.

Hamelin around the Bay >> One of the finest pianists the Bay Area has seen, Marc-André Hamelin returns in February for two appearances. First, the Canadian artist will play a solo recital for San Francisco Performances, with a program that runs from Haydn and Rachmaninoff to Stefan Wolpe and Frank Zappa. And in March, he’ll join the Dover Quartet at Stanford Live to play his own Piano Quintet, along with works by Mozart and Webern.

Details >> 7:30 Feb. 8, Herbst Theatre, San Francisco; $65-$85; sfperformances.org.; 2:30 March 9, Bing Hall, Stanford University; $15-$84; livestanford.edu.

“Bluebeard’s Castle” >> Bela Bartok’s opera, based on a French folk legend, is an operatic fever dream. With just two voices — the title character and his newly wed wife, Judith — it’s one of opera’s most intense psychodramas. Inspired by Charles Perrault’s fairy tale, it follows Judith, curious about her husband’s secluded castle and its seven mysterious doors, to a gripping conclusion. The opera was Bartok’s masterpiece, and it’s a bracing experience. It unfolds in a little more than an hour — which makes it great for first-time operagoers who might balk at a three-plus hour work.

Opera San Jose’s cast features soprano Maria Natale, who sang the title role in the company’s 2023 “Tosca,” and baritone Zachary Nelson as the Duke. “Bluebeard’s Castle” is directed by Opera San Jose General Director Shawna Lucey; Music Director Joseph Marcheso conducts.

Details >> Feb. 15-March 2; California Theatre, San Jose; $57.50-$222.50; operasanjose.org.

— Georgia Rowe, Correspondent

Dance

Winter is probably the slowest season when it comes to dance performances, what with ballet companies recovering from Nutcrackerian revelry. But as the days slowly grow longer, choreographers coax their troupes out of the studios and onto the stage, often pulling out unusual or experimental work to draw patrons back into venues. Inspired by elemental forces, these are some performances to watch out for in the coming weeks.

Natasha Carlitz Dance Ensemble >> Palo Alto choreographer Natasha Carlitz marks the 20th year of her namesake company with her latest evening-length work, “Aqua | Terra.” Created during a series of retreats and residencies in magnificent outdoor locations, the dance draws on the natural world’s changing landscapes, particularly by the water cycle that sustains all life on the planet. The multimedia production sets dancers amidst video projections of glaciers, waterfalls, rainfall and rivers, seeking to capture the beauty and delicate balance of the world around us.

Details >> 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14-15; ODC Theater, San Francisco; $28-$48; odc.dance.

The Black Choreographers Festival >> The African & African American Performing Arts Coalition and Kendra Kimbrough Barnes’ K*Star*Productions present “Here and Now,” the 20th anniversary edition of the Black Choreographers Festival, which opens Feb. 7 at the Museum of the African Diaspora. Bringing together three generations of Black choreographers, the festival starts with “Throwback to the Future: Dance Artists in Dialogue,” a free panel discussion between featured artists Joanna Haigood, Robert Moses, Raissa Simpson and Dazaun Soleyn. The festival moves to Dance Mission Theater Feb. 22 for back-to-back weekends featuring works by more than 16 choreographers. On March 22, BCF hosts a panel discussion and performances at the San Francisco Public Library’s Koret Auditorium, and concludes with a variety of events at Minnesota Street Project May 3-June 21.

Details >> Feb. 22-23 and March 1-2, Dance Mission Theater, San Francisco; $20- $35; bcfhereandnow.com. All other events are free, no RSVP required.

Batsheva Dance Company >> Led by celebrated modern dance choreographer Ohad Naharin, the Israel-based dance company presents the Bay Area premiere of “Momo,” an evening-length yin/yang production that explores masculine and feminine archetypes. Featuring an international cast of dancers, the company is known for its athletic performers and Naharin’s intensely physical vocabulary. “Momo” explores the full range of the choreographer’s palette. With Laurie Anderson’s and Kronos Quartet’s “Landfall,” Philip Glass’s “Metamorphosis: Two,” and a song/prayer by Barcelona-based Venezuelan producer Arca, the deliberate score provides a simmering backdrop to a skein of slow-building pairings, triads and de-couplings.

Details >> Feb. 22-23, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley; $37-$128; calperformances.org.

— Andrew Gilbert, Correspondent

Theater

It’s impossible not to get excited for a year that in its early going offers up some August Wilson (“Two Trains Running” at American Conservatory Theater, April 15-May 4); a visit from acclaimed touring theater artist Geoff Sobelle (Feb. 5-8 at Stanford) and a touring production of the “Back to the Future” musical that arrives in San Francisco at 88 miles per hour just before Valentine’s Day.

Meanwhile, here are some other upcoming productions that caught our eye.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre >> The company kicks off 2025 in intriguing fashion with a world premiere adaptation of Ali Benjamin’s powerful and evocative novel “The Thing About Jellyfish,” which centers on an awkward pre-teen girl mourning the loss of her best friend (Jan. 31-March 9). And we are especially excited for the return of Tectonic Theater Project and Moises Kaufman to Berkeley Rep for a production of “Here There Are Blueberries.” The 2022 drama, written by Kaufman and Amanda Gronich and based on a true story, centers on a collection of World War II-era photographs depicting Nazi soldiers and officials that arrive without warning at the desk of a U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum archivist. The photos, and the search for their origins, generated international headlines and, as Kaufman has said, traces “a continuum between culpability, complicity and complacency.”

Details >> April 5-May 11; Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theatre; $47-$134; www.berkeleyrep.org

“In Love and Warcraft” >> Madhuri Shekar’s R-rated rom-com seems to touch on pretty much every current hot-button topic — especially the challenges of experiencing real-life intimacy in a world dominated by digital communications. The action centers on Evie, a college student is a fierce and excellent gamer and expert at online role playing who quietly runs a side-business of helping the romantically challenged write love letters. Of course, everything changes when she begins to fall in love for real. American Conservatory Theater’s MFA program staged the show in 2020, now it’s City Lights Theater’s turn to take a crack at it.

Details >> Jan. 16-Feb. 9; City Lights Theater, San Jose; $31-$70; cltc.org.

“Happy Pleasant Valley — A Senior Sex Scandal Murder Mystery Musical” >> Crime-solving at senior citizens communities is apparently all the rage these days. Well, sort of. There’s the new Ted Danson comedy “A Man on the Inside,” about a guy who, um, solves crimes at a senior citizens community. And now there’s this new musical farce by Bay Area playwright Min Kahng getting its world premiere at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. It centers on a Gen Z influencer who helps her grandmother get to the bottom of a string of murders at a senior citizens center. Along the way, they bust some stereotypes about seniors, aging and sex. The show is presented in collaboration with Walnut Creek’s Center Repertory Company, which will also stage it in 2025.

Details >> March 5-30; Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto; $34-$115; theatreworks.org.

— Randy McMullen, Staff