San Francisco’s Portola Festival will again take over Pier 18 this upcoming September, promising big names and bigger vibes.
Last year saw a wave of attendance-breaking events for live music shows. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2023 offered what was truly the first Hot Girl Summer in three years. (We all put in misplaced hope that 2022 would offer such escapism.) Now a year after and with a new normal now firmly established, for better and worse, the summer of 2024 is already set to be one for the books in terms of live music in San Francisco.
Portola Festival — the two-day San Francisco music happening created by the same people behind Coachella, Goldenvoice — seemingly came out of nowhere when it busted onto the scene in 2022. The first year was, admittedly, brimming with growing pains (and crowd safety concerns). For its sophomore attempt, it was far smoother sailing with VIP tickets actually worth their money and some semblance of organization, though chaos still ran amock.
But whatever hiccups transpired, the “Nellyscance” (read: the continuing resurgence of the early aught’s Canadian singer-songwriter who’s taken a liking to EDM as of late) soothed any present woes.
For 2024, Portola Festival is returning with a lineup that harkens back to the music events organizing principles, spotlighting well-known and more obscure electronic-dance artists, DJs, and talent that
Those privy to M.I.A’s accidental lineup leak were delighted to see names like Disclosure, Justice, Rufus Du Sol, Gesaffelstein, Jamie XX, Four Tet, Fisher, and M.I.A herself, who was slotted to play the festival in 2022 but dropped out last minute due to unforeseen issues. Those emboldened names didn’t overshadow other acts, mind you.
Barry Can’t Swim is expected to bring in huge crows; Bloghouse discography that harkens back to the sonic scapes of yesteryears brought, as the youths say, some rizz to the festival. None other than Honey Dijon, whose legacy was reinvigorated by her production on Beyonce’s Renaissance LP, will play alongside the likes of Busy P, Club Shy — a grossly underlooked artist privy to creating banger after banger — Jessie Ware, and others.
You’ll find us absolutely vibing… and finishing every last drop of our $7 water bottles.
// General admission and VIP Tickets for the two-day festival are still for sale, with single-day passes also available, though the latter admission options are expected to sell out soon like the year prior; click here for specific ticket pricing and means of purchasing.
Feature Image: Courtesy of Portola
