It’s hard to beat the SF arts and culture scene, especially when it comes to Bay Area music festivals. There are dozens of diverse events to keep track of, ranging from famous names like Outside Lands and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass to smaller niche celebrations like Jerry Day and Yerba Buena Night. Read on for our running list of the best 2024 Bay Area music festivals.
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Ongoing music festivals in the Bay Area
- Illuminate Live at the Bandshell – 2024 dates TBA due to Bandshell renovations – Golden Gate Park Bandshell, San Francisco. Catch over 100 free performances throughout the year in a variety of genres including R&B, soul, jazz, funk, big band, strings, indie, rock, reggae, salsa, electronic, and EDM.
- Yerba Buena Gardens Festival – May-Oct, 2024 – Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco. For six months of the year, this nonprofit puts on accessible cultural eventsincluding world-class music, theater, dance, and more.
- Blue Note Summer Sessions – May-Sept, 2024 – Silverado Resort, Napa – A series of summer concerts. Past performers include EmmyLou Harris, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Marlon Wayans, and more.
Spring 2024 music festivals in the Bay Area
Some of the most highly-anticipated music festivals this spring are the Mill Valley Music Festival and BottleRock Napa Valley. Free experiences include SF’s own 420 celebration at Hippie Hill and Carnaval SF.
- NoisePop Festival – Feb. 22-Mar. 3, 2024 – San Francisco
- 420 Hippie Hill – Apr. 20, 2024 – Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
- Berkeley Bluegrass Festival – Apr 26-28, 2024 – Freight & Salvage, Berkeley
- Pickin’ on the Polk – TBA April 2024 – Polk St, San Francisco
- San Francisco International Arts Festival – May 2-12, 2024 – San Francisco
- Mill Valley Music Festival – May 11-12, 2024 – Friends Field, Mill Valley
- California Roots Music & Art Festival – May 24-26, 2024 – Monterey County Fair & Event Center, Monterey
- BottleRock Napa Valley – May 24-26, 2024 – Napa Valley Expo, Napa
- Carnaval San Francisco – May 25-26, 2024 – Mission District, San Francisco
Summer 2024 music festivals in the Bay Area
The summer season brings an unrivaled lineup of exciting festivals to countless Bay Area venues. We’re excited to check out Re:SET in Stanford, the Blue Note Jazz Festival, and of course Outside Lands. If you want to cut costs, consider checking out some free events and performances courtesy of Stern Grove Festival and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
- Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival – June 1, 2024 – Downtown Half Moon Bay
- Re:SET – TBA June 2024 – Frost Amphitheater, Stanford
- San Francisco Jazz Festival – TBA June 2024 – San Francisco
- Free Live Music on the Colonnade – TBA summer 2024 – Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz
- Sierra Nevada World Music Festival – June 21-23, 2024 – Mendocino County Fairgrounds, Boonville
- Country Summer Music Festival – June 14-16, 2024 – Sonoma County Event Center, Santa Rosa
- Healdsburg Jazz Festival – June 15-23, 2024 – Healdsburg
- San Francisco Pride – June 29-30, 2024 – Market St, San Francisco
- Stern Grove Festival – TBA summer 2024 – Stern Grove, San Francisco
- Huichica Music & Wine Festival – TBA 2024
- Fillmore Jazz Festival – July 6-7, 2024 – Fillmore District, San Francisco
- Mosswood Meltdown – July 6-7, 2024 – Mosswood Park, Oakland
- Stanford Live Arts Festival – TBA summer 2024 – Frost Amphitheater, Stanford
- Festival Napa Valley – July 6-21, 2024 – Meritage Resort, Napa
- Midsummer Mozart Festival – TBA July 2024 – Saratoga
- SFJAZZ Summer Sessions – TBA summer 2024 – San Francisco
- Golden Gate Jazz Festival – TBA July 2024 – Presidio Theatre, San Francisco
- Blue Note Jazz Festival – TBA July 2024 – Silverado Resort, Napa
- Petaluma Music Festival – TBA July 2024 – Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, Petaluma
- Jerry Day – TBA Aug 2024 (first weekend tentative) – Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, San Francisco
- San Jose Jazz Summer Fest – Aug 9-11, 2024 – Downtown San Jose
- Outside Lands – Aug 9-11, 2024 – Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
- SF Polo Fields concerts – TBA summer 2024 – Polo Fields, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
- Bay Area Latin Jazz Festival – TBA summer 2024 – Rowell Ranch, Castro Valley
- Rock the Gates – TBA Aug 2024 – United Irish Cultural Center, San Francisco
- Concord Jazz Festival – TBA summer 2024 – Concord
Fall 2024 music festivals in the Bay Area
Summer may be over but music festival season is still in full swing! Some of the most highly-anticipated events are Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, a free event in Golden Gate Park with five stages and unbeatable lineups every year; and the Portola Festival, which wows crowds with exciting performances from ’90s and ’00s electronic, hip-hop, and pop legends.
- Due South – TBA summer 2024 – Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, San Francisco
- Solano Avenue Stroll – Sept. 8, 2024 – Albany and Berkeley
- Art + Soul Oakland – TBA Sept 2024 – Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland
- Monterey Jazz Festival – Sept. 27-29, 2024 – Monterey County Fairgrounds, Monterey
- Hardly Strictly Bluegrass – Oct. 4-6, 2024 – Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
- Portola Festival – TBA 2024 – Pier 80, San Francisco
- Breakaway Festival – Oct. 25-26, 2024 – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco
- SF Music Day -TBA Oct 2024 – San Francisco
- Day to Night Festival – TBA 2024 – Treasure Island, San Francisco
- Halloween Meltdown – TBA Oct 2024 – Mosswood Park, Oakland
- How Weird Street Faire – TBA Oct 2024 – SoMa, San Francisco
- Yerba Buena Night – TBA Oct 2024 – Yerba Buena, San Francisco
- San Francisco International Hip Hop Dancefest – Nov. 9-10, 2024 – Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, San Francisco