Organizers of Oakland First Fridays announced Monday that the November and December editions of the event will not take place because of financial difficulties.

But organizers referred to the cancellation as a pause and said that the free monthly street festival might return in 2027 if enough funding is available.

“We are cancelling because of finances,” organizers said in a news release Monday. “Without the necessary funding, we cannot continue producing the events our community deserves.”

First Fridays was born out of informal gatherings organized by different art collectives and was formalized as a monthly event in 2011.

The event is generally held along Telegraph Avenue and features food, drinks, artists and performances. According to the Oakland First Fridays website, the festival draws up to 30,000 people every month.

This isn’t the first time organizers have faced financial woes; First Fridays was cancelled for several months in 2024 as organizers tried to raise funds, according to an Instagram post issued at the time.

In Monday’s news release, organizers also emphasized that the reasons for the cancellation are solely financial.

“We want to be clear: We are NOT cancelling because of violence or crime,” the news release said.

This was likely a reference to reports that have linked First Fridays events with violence taking place soon after, in the city.

In September 2025, the Oakland Police Officers Association said that crowds attracted by the festival were a contributing factor to shootings that took place a few hours later, killing two and injuring several.

In response, Oakland First Fridays directors had strongly objected to any association between the event and the shootings.

“What happened was not part of Oakland First Fridays,” said the directors in a news release issued at the time. “Unfortunately, our festival continues to be unfairly associated with violence that occurs well after our event has ended. This is not a ‘First Fridays problem’ — this is a City of Oakland problem that must be addressed with greater support, resources, and strategies to manage late-night activity and growing nightlife crowds. This is an issue that happens not just on First Fridays but every Friday.”