Attractions and Signature Sites
Elephant Valley at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park
The Safari Park’s elephants are getting brand-new stomping grounds with the late-2025 opening of Denny Sanford Elephant Valley — the world-renowned park’s biggest project since it opened more than 50 years ago.
SeaWorld’s Jellyfish and More
SeaWorld San Diego is set for yet another opening: Jewels of the Sea, the Jellyfish Experience. SeaWorld is also re-envisioning its Journey to Atlantis ride for a reopening in 2025, with a re-envisioned storyline and other fresh elements.
Building Excitement at LEGOLAND California
The new year is stacking up to be a fun one at LEGOLAND in California, with the planned return of the popular World Parade this summer, plus ongoing adventures at the newly opened Dino Valley and other family-friendly features.
Arts and Culture at Center Stage
Top Theater Premieres
The Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park is staging five world premieres, while La Jolla Playhouse is producing the world-premiere musicals “Working Girl” (with music by ‘80s icon Cyndi Lauper) and “3 Summers of Lincoln” plus several other new works.
The Joan Opens
This summer brings the long-awaited official opening of the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center at ARTS Center Liberty Station in Point Loma. The center will serve as a permanent home for Cygnet Theatre.
Arts in the Great Outdoors
La Jolla Playhouse’s WOW (Without Walls) Festival returns to its home base of UCSD in April with 20-plus boundary-busting arts experiences. Annual art walks once again roam the streets and pathways of Little Italy, Liberty Station, Leucadia and Carlsbad. The Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival returns in May to enchant music lovers and light up the Embarcadero. And the San Diego Symphony’s stunning Rady Shell at Jacobs Park brings a full summer season of waterfront entertainment under the stars.
Jacobs Music Center Returns
The San Diego Symphony once again has an indoor home at the Jacobs Music Center, which has been beautifully restored as part of a four-year, $125 million renovation project.
Sports Sensations
Breeders’ Cup Takes Another Run
Following successful meets in 2021 and 2024, the Breeders’ Cup will once again land in Del Mar in 2025, bringing excitement and worldwide attention to the track where “the turf meets the surf.”
San Diego FC Kicks Off
San Diego’s first Major League Soccer team finally arrives in Spring 2025. San Diego FC joins another groundbreaking pro soccer franchise, the San Diego Wave, which will launch into its fourth season of great National Women’s Soccer League action.
Gold Cup Gleams Again
The Concacaf Gold Cup returns to Snapdragon Stadium in Summer 2025, with key matches among national teams in both men’s and women’s soccer. Plus, Snapdragon hosts the final round of the 2025 SheBelieves Cup in February.
A Run for the Ages
The now-international Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series will notch another milestone in September 2025, as the first U.S. location to host the World Athletics Road Running Championships.
Holiday Hoops and Hoopla
The Rady Children’s Invitational (produced by Sports San Diego) will once again field four elite college basketball teams on the seaside campus of the University of California San Diego. And the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl returns with a game that matches top college football teams and is part of a festive weekend that includes a parade in Downtown San Diego and much more.
Dining in the Spotlight
New Eateries Debut
San Diego’s vibrant food scene ranges from Michelin-starred restaurants to world-class neighborhood taco joints and everything in between. Among the great new dining options coming our way in 2025:
- Pro skateboarding icon Tony Hawk, a local native, is opening the long-awaited Chick N Hawk in Encinitas in partnership with Chef Andrew Bachelier; the place will specialize in fried chicken sandwiches and pay homage to ‘90s skate and surf culture.
- Ponyboy, the new bar/restaurant at the Pearl Hotel in Point Loma brings a midcentury-modern vibe to classic cocktails and menu items, under the guidance of two alums from San Diego’s Michelin-starred Addison restaurant at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar hotel.
- Celebrated Chef Travis Swikard, proprietor of the much-buzzed Callie in Downtown San Diego, is readying the opening of an as-yet unnamed restaurant in La Jolla this summer, focusing on French cuisine.
- Liberty Wing Co., founded by an alumna of the San Diego Tourism Authority’s Tourism Accelerator program, is setting up shop in Liberty Station’s Liberty Public Market food hall.
- And the bustling Convoy District in Kearny Mesa, with its profusion of restaurants, continues to burst with culinary creativity and pan-Asian deliciousness.
Festivals for Foodies
Fall brings both the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival and the San Diego Food + Wine Festival, as well as San Diego Beer Week for fans of the region’s famous craft brews.
Bites and Ballgames
You can find a range of great local bites and brews at Petco Park and at Snapdragon Stadium — and now at the new Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, whose food purveyors include Seaside Market and Gelati & Piccati.
Milestones and Encores
Belmont Park Turns 100
A San Diego icon, Belmont Park has been a vibrant part of the Mission Beach boardwalk since 1925 and this year, Belmont marks its centennial with a series of special events throughout 2025, including a lifetime-pass giveaway.
Saluting Neighborhood Signs
San Diego is a collection of amazing neighborhoods, and their sense of place is enhanced by the treasured neighborhood signs that are a fixture in many of them. The newest one celebrates the Convoy District, renowned for the richness of its pan-Asian culture.
A Pair of Pop Culture Icons
Summer welcomes Comic-Con International: San Diego, the globally renowned celebration of comics, Hollywood and much (much!) more. Then, October brings TwitchCon, focused on the wide world of live-streaming and gaming.
Frontwave Arena Debuts
The San Diego area’s latest sports and music venue is now open in Oceanside: Frontwave Arena, which will host everything from concerts to soccer to special community events.
Kids Free San Diego Returns
October brings the much-loved Kids Free San Diego program, which lets young visitors eat, play and stay for no charge when they visit many of San Diego’s amazing attractions, hotels, restaurants and more with their families.
New and Renewed
The Hotel del Coronado’s Victorian Rebirth
The signature Victorian architecture of the Hotel del Coronado might be this grand hotel’s defining feature. And now the Del’s original, red-spire-topped central structure has been revitalized as part of a $160 million restoration project.
Botanical Building and More in Balboa Park
Balboa Park‘s Botanical Building has reopened after a complete rebuild. Visitors can once again enjoy the Botanical Building’s hundreds of rare, tropical and indigenous plants, or soak in the views of the serene Lily Pond.
The Airport’s Next Big Phase
The San Diego International Airport’s New T1 project brings a completely revamped terminal is set to open in 2025. In addition to 19 new gates, a wealth of great new dining options for hungry travelers is also on the way.
Beaches and Outdoor Bliss
59-Mile Scenic Roadtrip
San Diego is a big place, and one great way to embrace it is by taking the 59-mile Scenic Drive offering views of everything from the stunning Pacific coastline to the sparkle of Downtown’s skyline.
Your Perfect Beach Visit
While there are always lots of new things to do and see in this ever-dynamic region, you can always count on our 70 miles of coastline to make a visit here one for the memory books.
