City of Oakland California

Marketing Oakland for Business and Investment

The Marketing & Special Events program produces vital marketing tools to attract business, develop business and revitalize neighborhoods. The message: Oakland is a premier location for business and investment.

The Oakland Partnership is a public-private collaborative effort to create a thriving, innovative, equitable, globally competitive regional economy that creates 10,000 new jobs in the next five years by tapping into the creativity and talent of all segments of the population and providing benefits to all Oakland residents and businesses. To learn more, visit the Oakland Partnership website. Research conducted as part of the collaboration have identified eight key industries that offer huge potential to grow Oakland's economy.

To learn more about Oakland, visit the Market Profile section.

Marketing Oakland for Arts, Culture and Entertainment

The Marketing & Special Events program supports the arts, culture and entertainment communities by highlighting the world-class amenities to be found in Oakland.

A central portal for all cultural activites in Oakland, OaklandArts.org features detailed informaton on Dance, Film, Literary, Music, Theater and Visual Arts.  Art & Soul, Oakland's premier music and arts festival — now in its 10th year— draws tens of thousands of festival-goers to downtown. Regionally, 510Arts.com offers details on arts activities in the East Bay stretching from Oakland to Richmond.

OaklandGrown.org highlights cultural, shopping, dining and entertainment amenities found throughout Oakland. Companion website ShopOakland.com highlights Oakland's shopping districts.

The MeetDowntownOAK campaign promotes downtown Oakland as a dining, entertainment and cultural destination. 

For more information, visit our Marketing & Special Events Page.

Cultural Funding Grants

The City of Oakland Cultural Funding Program provides a competitive grant- funding process for Oakland-based art and cultural activities that reflect the diversity of the city.


Public Art Calls for Artists

For more information on the latest Calls for Artists and other artist opportunities, visit our Public Art Calls For Artists page.

Oakland offers a variety of unique settings for your movie or commercial.

The Oakland Film Office promotes filmmaking in Oakland to advance economic development and civic pride and to increase regional, national and international awareness of Oakland as a beautiful and culturally diverse city. 

Public Art provides an opportunity to enliven, enrich and enhance our visual environment and public spaces. The best public art creates a focal point for activity, a meeting place and a landmark -- and lets residents and visitors enjoy the tremendous creative talent found in our city. Funding through the Public Art Ordinance and Measure DD allows for amazing new temporary and permanent installations. 

Be sure to join us for our monthly Great Wall of Oakland projection art screening. 

Learn more about Public Art.

Learn about the stunning architecture and fun history found in downtown Oakland by taking one of eight different walking tours. Knowledgeable guides lead the free 90-minute tours every Wednesday and Saturday between May and October. Check the Tour Calendar for the itineraries  offered on any given day.

Special tours are offered throughout the year, and Oakland Tours can customize a tour combining  different itineraries on a day and time that is convenient for your group. School field trips -- our "Know Your City" tours -- are offered January through June.