San Francisco Pillow Fight Club

By far the BEST thing to do on Valentine's Day. Even if you're a couple. Which I wasn't. So it made it even BETTER!

I was kind of a wuss though... I only waded in for a little bit and then ran out. And a few other notes:

-Next year, bring a helmet.

-To those that brought tempurpedic pillows, may ugly monkeys gnaw on your face! They're freaking BRICKS!

-Bring FRESH pillows. We don't want your nasty drool infused, dandruff laden, sweat soaked yuckies anywhere near us!

Who doesn't love a Giant Pillow Fight?!
Rain or shine, it's always one of the best SF has to offer all year.
costumes, live DJ-ing, family fun - all in the name of LOVE! Cynics need not a apply, this is always a great time :)

You can find lots of pics and videos on Youtube by each year, and in 2024 CBS did a segment called "Bay Area residents find connections at non-romantic Valentine's Day events" - worth checking out!

Pillows! Pillows everywhere!

This pillow fight club embodies San Francisco perfectly. Only the city by the Bay could come up with the idea of whacking each other with pillows while naked men smoke weed nearby. Good times!

But yeah, it's a lot of fun. Hundreds of people joined in, and there was tons of fluff around. I'd say it was good, clean fun, but some people REALLY got into it. Still, I'd recommend it.

Pillow Fight Veteran here going strong for 3 years. Every year you go, you learn some new tricks, practice old ones, but the fun factor is always there.
First, some warnings:

PILLOWS HURT. you don't think they do until you have a 300+ lb overweight man who towers 6 inches above you and smacks you head first with a pillow with the force of a car and your little 100 lb frame goes flying 5 feet in the other direction.

DON'T BRING DOWN FEATHER PILLOWS. there's nothing good about them. they're not as smackable, they rip and as you inhale the feather particles in you feel like you're 80 years old and can't breathe without the help of an oxygen tank. Also, it costs the city THOUSANDS of dollars to clean. cotton pillows only please

TEMPURPEDIC PILLOWS GRANTS YOU A TICKET TO HELL. ok not literally but they're not pillows. THEY'RE BRICKS. just hit yourself in the face with one and you'll know why.

DON'T BRING YOUR NASTY ASS DROOL/PISS STAINED PILLOW. first of all, some people sleep on GROSS pillows. two, I don't want that pillow near me kthxbai

DON'T HIT PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE A PILLOW. that's just mean dude.

NOTHING IN YOUR PILLOW BUT A PILLOW. one year I saw a guy tape a pillow to a POLE. A MOTHERFUCKING POLE. what are you trying to do?? kill people????

THE FIGHT STARTS AT 6PM SHARP! so get there early.

ALWAYS HIT THE OBVIOUS VALENTINES DAY COUPLE. because destroying cuteness is fun with pillows.


with all that out of the way, it is a super super super fun event! There are charity organizations around so bring cans to donate or pillows to donate. the city got smart and shut off the fountain near by so kids don't fall in or feathers clogging up the filter system. small kids will get lost in the crowd or suffer possible concussions so i don't recommend taking them here. in the end, it's a pillow fight! have fun, use common sense (see tips above) and stay safe!

First rule about Pillow Fight Club:

Tell everyone about Pillow Fight Club.

I managed to run into not one, but four friends, including one who we thought lived in another state because so many people came to this.

I officially love Pillow Fight Club. And will be back next year to get my head pummeled some more.

What better way to end a Valentines Day? This is an event that you have to go at least once in your lifetime. An epic pillow fight with around 1000+ random strangers? YES. This is the best place to take out your aggression in a healthy way using pillows to hit people and having the time of your life. The event is non-official and non-permitted so come at your own will. There was a website that stated the event starts at 6pm and that's pretty much when it started. Not sure if I would say this is a "good for children" event due to all the semi-violence. Although, there were kids and I got beat up by 3 kids with really hard pillows all at once! Kids can be really aggressive... Hahaha.

Recommendation: wear a mask because I didn't and I was choking on feathers and cotton. Yuck. Maybe some fun costume!

Knocking off one star because some people took this pillow fight too seriously. When it started dying down, there were 2 girls that were hitting each other with pillows and then their pillows turned into fists instead...yikes. I would say to leave earlier than near the end because things get kind of crazy.

But other than that, just an event to have fun. Definitely an event to go to at least once! Bring your pillows!!

Imagine with me, if you will, a world whose air is filled with feathers and cotton stuffing. A place where violent pummeling is not only commonplace, but encouraged. Puddles are booby traps for brand new pillow cases to fall and get ruined in.

This is the Valentine's Day Pillow Fight.

It's fun, it's legal, and it's only once year. So don't miss it!

The only downsides to this event are the crooks that take advantage of the uninhibited bags and pockets. Also, some people don't know when to stop.
But it IS fun.

I survived the SF Pillow Fight! Cough* a feather in my throat. I only lasted but 8 minutes then I got tired. The energy was great before it started, everyone lifted their pillows cheering like they do before war in the movies. Then after the Ferry Building clock struck 6pm, game on. I had fun, but some of those big dudes that just don't know when to stop, scared me. I'm 5'3". They jump into the air and then come down on you...smack, right on the head.

Notes: Do not wear your glasses, put your valuables away. Wear a mask on your face, seriously. Have a game plan if you split up from your group a landmark you can meet at. Last have fun and watch out for those gangster bullies who want to F*#k You up. Pillow Fight!!!

I was there this year for the pillow fight on Valentine's Day and honestly probably the worst decision I've done in my life. Did I enjoy? Unfortunately, NO! The pillow fight should've been just for fun for everyone. I thought it was kids friendly. Soon we arrived we encountered a bunch of aggressive fighter. I was swinging my pillow around and I hit a dude. A girl from his same group chase me down and smashed her pillow in my face. I asked her if this is necessary and she's like hell yeah you deserve it. WHAT THE HECK? It's supposed to be a frigging friendly pillow fight!!!! Anyways walking back to look for my friend some dude smacked me so hard that my contact fell out of my eye. I busted into tears and told myself I'll never come back. Seriously, if you're gonna play it aggressively, have your own fight at home.
The night ended with some cat fight seeing a girl bleeding on the floor.

One of the best pillow fights of the year!!!

I went into this not knowing what to expect. I called up some of my friends and told them there was a massive pillow fight in Sf after hearing about it on the internet, so we decided to go . I bought all my pillows , and when we got there, all we found was a mass amount of people throwing pillows at each other.

But the best part about it was, everyone was hitting each other with pillows. And no one was being serious about it, it was all for fun ! There were kids there and families, men and women. Police were there too, don't get me wrong, but they were merely there to make sure it doesn't get completely out of control.

And pillows were scattered all over the place , so if you do bring your pillow, be prepared to lose your pillow, be also you will find another random pillow and can pick it up.

Also a lot of people wer dressed up. Some in costume. There was a Santa, and a cowboy and a powerranger. Overall, everyone was having fun and just looking to have a great time , but remember to dress warm . The fight goes on till about 2 am or even later

Here's a blow by blow ;-) of the SF Pillow Fight:

WHACK WHACK! SMACK OUCH! HAHAHA! FEATHERS POOF! HEY! BAM SMACK DOH! MORE FEATHERS! SMASH GGRRRRR! hello cutie POW WTH? LAUGHTER CRUNCH! ring ring HELLO? BAM WHACK! ACK! TIME OUT! TIME OUT! SMOOSH COUGH COUGH I SWALLOWED A FEATHER! ACK! SMASH! HAHAHA!

Free fun! Don't be a spectator, jump in. This sport is tiring though. I took a couple of breathers on the sideline and was able to last 30 minutes. We're talking pillow fighting, mmmkay? After a while, my arms got tired and I just hit the shorties from then on. I was surprised when I saw some little kids there. Little ones should be cautious of going in the center because it's thick with bodies and flying elbows. It was a trip unexpectedly running into friends and yelpers in the middle of the mayhem and then WHACK! Best PILLOW-GING were outside the center where you can stare down your opponent; take bigger swings; and run around.

Suggestions:
- Get there early
- No eyeglasses
- Bring friends (even kids 10 yrs+)
- Clean/new pillowcase
- CamelBak with choice of refreshment