For three years after 2023, the western span of the Bay Bridge went dark. That changed on March 20, 2026, when The Bay Lights, artist Leo Villareal's moving light sculpture, came back on above the Embarcadero. With the clocks falling back this weekend and sunset arriving before 5 p.m., the artwork is about to become a regular part of the evening commute again. Here's what to know.

What it is

The nonprofit Illuminate describes The Bay Lights as a monumental light artwork running 1.8 miles along the northern cable plane of the bridge's western span. Illuminate founder Ben Davis started the project and invited Villareal, a New York-based light artist, to propose a work for the bridge. The lights first went up in 2013. Villareal programs patterns of white light that he says are "inspired by the kinetic activity around the bridge," he told the San Francisco Chronicle. "It's not about decoration," he said in Illuminate's announcement. "It's about revealing the pulse of its location."

Why it went dark, and what changed

According to Illuminate, after nearly 10 years of nightly operation the original system had worn down from wind, salt corrosion, moisture and vibration, and LED failures kept increasing. Rather than patch it, Illuminate shut it off and rebuilt it. Musco Lighting engineered and built the new system. Illuminate's February release put the count at 48,000 LEDs installed, while the Chronicle described about 50,000 individually controllable LEDs. Illuminate said the $11 million project was paid for entirely with private money, including gifts from more than 1,300 individual contributors.

The rebuild also adds a second strand, which Illuminate calls TBL360. It sits on the inward, road-facing side of the same cables, so the artwork can be seen from more parts of the Bay Area. Illuminate said that strand can be turned off separately from the original artwork, and that Caltrans will be able to turn it off if necessary. At the March relighting, the Chronicle reported, only the water-facing half of the bulbs was turned on. The roughly 25,000 road-side bulbs were to go through more safety testing, and Illuminate said that phase would follow final safety review and agency review.

When it runs

Illuminate says the lights run nightly from dusk until dawn. The Chronicle reported that the sequences are generated by computers in a Caltrans electrical room on Yerba Buena Island.

Where to watch

  • Rincon Park and the Embarcadero: The Chronicle photographed crowds watching the relighting from Rincon Park, and the ceremony itself was held on the Embarcadero.
  • From the water and farther afield: According to the Chronicle, the water-facing bulbs shimmer over the Ferry Building, Fisherman's Wharf, China Basin and the decks of commuter ferries. Once the road-side strand is turned on, crews hope the whole display will be visible from Oakland.

The artwork is free and there's nothing to book. Dress warmly, because the waterfront gets breezy after dark. Not everyone is a fan: at the relighting, the Chronicle photographed a member of the Softlights organization holding a sign against LED light pollution.