Music Events San Francisco 2019

In the decade since Outside Lands first took over Golden Gate Park, the festival has blossomed from a 60-band showcase to a destination festival featuring more than 100 artists. From legends like Paul McCartney and Metallica to Pulitzer Prize-winner Kendrick Lamar to indie favorites like Jenny Lewis, the festival offers programming for a variety of musical tastes. Last year’s festival welcomed the first female headliners—Janet Jackson and Florence & the Machine. In 2019, Childish Gambino, Twenty One Pilots, and Paul Simon are taking top billing. The festival is also one of the best places to eat and drink. Local restaurants set up stalls on the fairgrounds to feed the masses, and the WineLands section of the festival gives discerning palates a breadth of options beyond the typical festival choices of red or white. Next: August 9-11, 2019

Music festivals can be exhausting, but BottleRock is relatively chill. Food options come from some of Napa’s best restaurants such as Morimoto and The Girl & The Fig, and in 2018 guests could be pampered at an on-site spa that offered massages, mini-facials, and hair touch-ups. In addition to the music lineup—Imagine Dragons, Neil Young, and Mumford & Sons headlined in 2018—BottleRock features a culinary stage where celebrities and rockstars participate in (often hilarious) cooking demos. Next: May 22-24, 2020

Up from #4
The free event in Golden Gate Park happens during peak San Francisco weather—early October when the sun is shining and the fog stays away. There are no tickets, attendees are free to bring in their own food and wine, and even dogs (on leash) are allowed. While there are food vendors to keep guests fueled through the weekend, there are no alcohol sales on site. The 2018 lineup included Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Ani DiFranco, Gregory Alan Isakov, Vetiver, and NPR’s Live From Here. The 2019 lineup will be released in July. Next: October 4-6, 2019

Since 1938, the Stern Grove Festival Association has hosted a free summer concert series. In 2018, the festival had 18 acts perform for approximately 65,000 people. In 2019, there are 17 acts scheduled, and organizers are projecting an overall attendance of 75,000. The series regularly includes San Francisco Symphony and Ballet performances; shows start at 2 p.m. on Sundays in Stern Grove. For concertgoers who want a V.I.P. experience at the festival, picnic tables can be reserved either through the festival’s picnic table lottery or with a $500 minimum donation. Next: June 16-August 18, 2019

With four stages of performers spread across 12 blocks on Fillmore Street, the annual jazz festival offers a leisurely way to shop, eat, drink, and jam. More than 100,000 visitors pass through the festival each year. Kim Nallay, Element Brass Band, Neely’s Rhythm Aces, the California Jazz Conservatory, and more will perform in 2019. Next: July 6-7, 2019

Up from #7
Think of Noise Pop as the musical equivalent of the Bay Bridge: It’s a connection between San Francisco and Oakland, bringing indie acts to venues like Oakland’s Fox Theatre and San Francisco’s Bottom of the Hill. From its humble beginnings as a one-show concert in 1993 to its current roster of more than 150 acts scheduled over a two-week period, Noise Pop has been connecting Bay Area music lovers with acts that are on the verge of becoming the next big thing. (Death Cab for Cutie, the White Stripes, and Modest Mouse are all Noise Pop alumni.) In 2019, Albert Hammond Jr. of the Strokes, Beirut, and My Brightest Diamond all performed. Next: Winter 2020

Up from #8
Now in its 37th year, the jazz festival will include 40 shows over 12 days in four different venues around San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood. Performers include Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bobi Céspedes, the Cookers, Claudia Villela, and Anoushka Shankar, among others. With the exception of the free opening-night performances at Patricia’s Green, tickets are priced between $25 and $75 for each show. Next: June 11-23, 2019

Up from #10
The San Francisco Symphony is practically synonymous with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas—but the maestro, known as MTT, passes the baton to a prominent Chinese conductor for the annual Lunar New Year Concert and Dinner. The concert draws large crowds, with more than 2,000 guests attending the most recent performance. In 2018, Xian Zhang conducted the program of Eastern music; in 2019, Mei-Ann Chen led the orchestra in the East-meets-West concert. After the performance, guests feast on a post-show banquet to celebrate the new year. Next: February 1, 2020

Up from #11
Flower Piano looks like a vision set in a dream. For 12 days each summer, 12 pianos are set up throughout the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Anyone can play, though professionals are scheduled for weekends and special events like Flower Piano at Night. For its fifth anniversary, expect more performances by professional musicians, events for families (including the new Flower Piano at Sunset), a community sing-along, free piano lessons, and three editions of Flower Piano at Night, an after-dark event with food trucks and outdoor bars. The 2018 edition counted more than 140 performers and 61,000 guests. Next: July 11-22, 2019

New to the list
A music festival with a strong food and wine showing, Festival Napa Valley attracts some 10,000 audience members and visitors each season. Over the 10 days, there are more than 60 events and more than 200 artists, wineries, resorts, theaters, restaurants, and vintners that come together to make the festival happen. Since its inception in 2006, the organization has awarded dozens of scholarships for emerging musicians, provided more than 25,000 free concert tickets for local residents, and has served as a launchpad for a number of artist’s professional careers. Next: July 12-21, 2019

New to the list
A free concert and plenty of food trucks await at the 20th Street Block Party. The one-day event shuts down the 20th Street corridor between Harrison and Bryant Streets to highlight the small businesses, food, music, and art that inspires 20th Street and beyond. Last year’s block party, which welcomed more than 22,000 guests, included performances from Neon Indian, Kilo Kish, the Marías, Sugar Candy Mountain, and Empress Of. Next: August 17, 2019