The anniversary coincides with Transgender History Month, a designation rooted in the uprising depicted in the play. Since 2021, San Francisco has commemorated the 1966 events at Compton’s, the first recorded act of queer resistance in the United States. The Compton’s Cafeteria Riot immerses audiences in that history. 

“As we mark the 60th anniversary of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, we honor both that defining moment and the broader movement for trans rights it helped spark,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “I’m proud that the Tenderloin Museum is bringing this history to life this August, during Transgender History Month, giving audiences the chance to experience this legacy in the very neighborhood where it unfolded. The trans and LGBTQ+ community have been central to the last 60 years of San Francisco’s story, and they will be central to the next 60 too.” 

During the August run, the production will feature a rotating lineup of special guests from San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community. Drag icon Peaches Christ, a prominent figure in the city’s queer culture for over two decades, will make a cameo appearance at the special anniversary performance on Friday, August 21, 2026. Additional local activists and community leaders will be announced. 

“I’m beyond honored to make a special cameo appearance in Compton’s Cafeteria Riot this August,” adds Peaches Christ. “In recent years, celebrating queer San Francisco history has become something of a personal mission for me. From producing SF Pride’s Built This City event to developing my film about Doris Fish, I’ve been focused on helping keep these stories alive. That’s one of the reasons I’m such a fan of this extraordinary immersive production, which brings an essential chapter of our history to vivid life. I’m delighted to play even a small role in supporting its continued success.”

“Welcoming local activists and icons into the production this August connects the courage of those who rose up in 1966 to the people carrying that legacy forward today, in the very neighborhood where it happened,” said Katie Conry, Executive Director of Tenderloin Museum.