The Soiled Dove Returns With Joan Baez in a New Role

The Soiled Dove is back under the Big Top at Alameda Point, and this run, folk legend Joan Baez is playing a part you've never seen her take on before.

What's Happening at Radium Runway

The Vau de Vire Society, the circus troupe behind the show, opened its 2026 run on Friday, August 7, inside the Tortona Big Top at Radium Runway, a 12,000 square foot tent the company built on the old runway pavement at Alameda Point. This year's show is an entirely new production, with a new storyline and new characters, created by Mike and Shannon Gaines.

Baez is the name most people will recognize. The producers describe her role this season as brand new, not a repeat of past years. She'll miss just one night of the Alameda run, Saturday, October 3, when she heads out to headline the Power to the Peaceful Festival in Merriweather, Maryland. Every other Friday and Saturday through the run, she's expected on the Alameda stage.

What You're Actually Getting

This isn't a show where you sit still and watch from a distance. It's immersive circus theater built around live music and dinner, all happening in the same tent at the same time. Sgt. Splendor and the Soiled Dove Band play live, and the circus performers work the crowd as much as the stage.

Quick details if you're planning a night out:

• Where: Tortona Big Top at Radium Runway, Alameda Point
• When: Friday and Saturday nights, August 7 through October 10
• Tickets: On sale now at thesoileddove.com
• Heads up: Baez sits out October 3 for an out of state festival date

Why It's Worth Noting for Alameda

Radium Runway sits on the old Naval Air Station side of Alameda Point, a part of the island that's turned into a go to spot for big tented events. A show that fills a 12,000 square foot tent on weekend nights for two straight months means more visitors parking, eating, and spending an evening on that end of the island, not just passing through on their way to the ferry. If you're mapping out what else is going on this fall, our events page has the rest of the calendar.