Celebrating a Decade of Culture and Innovation in San Francisco
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gray Area?
Gray Area is a nonprofit cultural center that applies art and technology for social good through education, research, incubation and public events The Gray Area Festival is our flagship event showcasing our activities and curatorial interests. You can donate to Gray Area and learn more about our work on our website: grayarea.org
Where does the Gray Area Festival take place?
Gray Area / Grand Theater
2665 Mission Street, San Francisco
What is your COVID-19 policy?
Please refer to the Visitor Guidelines for our up-to-date COVID-19 and entry guidelines.
Accessibility
All entrances and facilities are wheelchair accessible.
The two restrooms located on the first floor are wheelchair accessible. Closed Captioning for our talks will be available
For sensory warnings, please refer to specific Performance pages.
Wheelchair Spaces, Accessible Seating, and Companion Seats are always available for all our events. Please contact us at [email protected] so we may accommodate your request.
How do I get to Gray Area via public transportation?
SF Muni bus lines 14, 14R, 48, 49, 714, and the 24th & Mission BART station are all within a block of Gray Area.
Is Gray Area Festival All Ages?
Conference talks, the exhibition, and most performances are All Ages, unless otherwise specified on the individual performance page.
Where's my ticket?
Gray Area doesn't issue any physical festival passes. When you purchase your pass online you will get an email with your pass which has a unique QR code we will use to scan at the entrance. Once we scan your pass, you'll get a wristband to keep for the duration of the Festival.
I bought the Virtual Pass, when should I expect to get a link to stream the Festival?
Look for an email from us: you should have received a streaming link and access code!
The stream will go live on Friday morning, 11AM PT.
Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions by emailing us at [email protected].
I already am a Gray Area member, how do I purchase a Gray Area festival pass?
If you’re a Co-Creator/Cultivator member:
Get free access to the Gray Area Festival by logging in to your membership profile.
If you’re a Supporter/Sponsor member:
Receive a 20% discount on the Gray Area Festival Pass by logging in to your membership profile.
I already am a Gray Area member, what are my options for membership renewal or upgrade?
For Co-Creator/Cultivator members:
You can extend your membership by purchasing an Early Bird or General Admission Pass to the festival. This purchase will automatically renew your membership for an additional year, added to your current term.
For Supporter/Sponsor members:
To take advantage of the Gray Area Festival 10 promotional offer, Supporter and Sponsor members should purchase an Early Bird or General Admission Festival Pass. Please note that discounted Festival tickets do not qualify for membership upgrades. By purchasing a general admission Festival Pass, your membership will be upgraded to the Co-Creator tier, and an additional year will be added to your current membership term.
Does the membership promo apply to each ticket if I buy multiple tickets?
No, if you purchase multiple festival passes as an individual, you will only receive ONE complimentary.
Is Gray Area Festival happening In-Person or Online?
Both! Attend the full festival program in person at the Gray Area Grand Theater with the General Admission Pass, or stream the conference talks by purchasing a Virtual Pass on our ticketing page.
Can I buy single day Festival Passes?
No, but you can purchase single-day tickets for our Friday and Saturday performances on our ticketing page.
If I buy a Youth Ticket, can I attend the performances?
No, youth tickets only give you access to the conference and the exhibition. Purchase of tickets for the exhibition opening and performances will have to be done separately.
Ticket Refunds or Exchanges
Gray Area does not offer ticket refunds or facilitate exchanges nor do we issue hard tickets. Due to the large number of attendees and our small staff we can't offer this service. You are welcome to re-sell or gift your ticket to someone else and issue the buyer your electronic ticket document you received in your email upon purchase yourself. They will need to bring the electronic ticket to be scanned at registration.
Can I volunteer?
Gray Area is a nonprofit organization and we maintain a regular volunteer database for events year-round. To be added to the volunteer list for this event please complete this form and let us know you want to help. In exchange, we will offer you either a ticket to a performance or a festival pass depending on the number of hours you are able to volunteer.
Can I intern?
Yes! Join the small team at Gray Area as an intern this Fall and gain experience working in a fast-paced nonprofit at the center of arts and technology. Interns will undergo a comprehensive orientation and training that will cover skills ranging from marketing and to event production.
Gray Area Festival 2024 Scholarship Application
We are dedicated to maintaining and furthering a diverse and inclusive community at Gray Area. If you are an artist, student, scholar, or nonprofit worker, or facing financial hardship, we are offering discounts and scholarships on tickets for Gray Area Festival 2024.
Please share this info if you know of folks who need support.
Media Passes
Please send a request for a media pass by filling out this form.
Code of Conduct
The Gray Area Festival is committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, personal appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, religion, or nationality.
All participants and audience are expected to treat other speakers, staff, and audience with respect. All participants should be mindful of their speech and behaviors both in person and online to protect the inclusiveness of the Festival environment.
No form of harassment or assault will be tolerated, including:
- Violence, threats of violence or violent language directed against another person.
- Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist or otherwise discriminatory jokes and language.
- Posting or displaying sexually explicit or violent material.
- Personal insults, particularly those related to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, or disability.
- Inappropriate photography or recording.
- Inappropriate physical contact. You should have someone’s consent before touching them.
- Unwelcome sexual attention. This includes, sexualized comments or jokes; inappropriate touching, groping, and unwelcomed sexual advances.
- Excessive profanity.
- Sustained disruption of community events, including talks and presentations.
Anyone asked by Staff to stop unacceptable behavior (including, but not necessarily limited to the above) is expected to comply immediately.
Gray Area reserves the right to revoke attendance at the Festival for anyone who does not comply with Staff requests, at our discretion. If an individual is in violation of the Code of Conduct during the Festival, they may be asked to leave and will not receive a refund.
If you experience or witness harassment or threatening behavior, please find the nearest Gray Area Staff member immediately. We are always available to contact local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance.
Land Acknowledgement
Gray Area acknowledges that our Grand Theater, and digital infrastructure, exist on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramaytush Ohlone have never ceded, lost nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. As guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the ancestors, elders and relatives of the Ramaytush Community and by affirming their sovereign rights as First Peoples.
