No disrespect to Outside Lands or Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, but few San Francisco musical traditions are as universally beloved as Stern Grove Festival. Every summer from June to August, Sigmund Stern Recreation Grove at the edge of the Parkside and West Portal neighborhoods transforms into the hottest music venue in town. It identifies as the longest-running free music festival in the country, operating since 1938 — a tall claim, but who are we to disagree?
This year’s lineup, announced this morning, is a testament to the diversity of the festival’s booking. The season starts off Saturday, June 14, with Peter Cat Recording Co., an Indian alt-rock act with roots in late 2000s San Francisco. Next up is previously announced Colombian psychedelic cumbia act Bomba Estéreo, followed by indie rock icon Japanese Breakfast. Next up will be the Diplo-led party rockers Major Lazer, the yearly appearance of the SF Symphony (with banjo player Béla Fleck), and trending Texas country artist Charley Crockett. British pop star Suki Waterhouse closes out July, followed by the Violent Femmes (with Oakland opener Tune-Yards) on Aug. 2 and legendary soul singer Patti LaBelle on Aug. 9.
The season concludes with the “Big Picnic Weekend,” which features hip-hop stalwarts Public Enemy on Saturday and soul reverend Al Green on Sunday, with an opening set by local songstress Goapele.
Although the festival is free, you still need tickets, which can be obtained by a lottery system that opens six weeks before each show. VIP tables can also be reserved for groups of 10 guests for a donation.