Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is known for filling Golden Gate Park with crowds listening to bluegrass music every fall. The free music festival is a beloved tradition in its 24th year every October that takes over Golden Gate Park for the free, noncommercial event.
The festival has just released the initial lineup for the October festival. The initial lineup lists 10 artists, including Alice Gerrard, Glen Hansard, The Wood Brothers, and more. Check out the full list of the first batch of confirmed artists below.
- Alice Gerrard
- Big Star’s “Radio City“ 50th Anniversary
- Bobby Rush
- The Bones of J.R. Jones
- Fruition
- Glen Hansard
- Greensky Bluegrass
- Haley Heynderickx
- Robyn Hitchcock
- The Wood Brothers
This initial lineup announcement is just a teaser for what is to come. The festival has had over 70 acts in past years, with 2023’s lineup including 73 performances.
The three-day music festival attracts hundreds of thousands of people, and no tickets or advance reservations are necessary. Plus, there are always plenty of food vendors around the festival, so you can enjoy a full day at the park listening to live music. The 2024 event is scheduled for October 4 through 6, and the schedule for this year has not yet been dropped.
About Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
The music festival was started in 2001 by Warren Hellman, and its original name was “Strictly Bluegrass.” As the years went on, artists began performing more genres at the free festival, and thus, “Hardly“ was added to the name. The festival’s founder funded the music festival as a way to give back to SF, and after his passing in 2011, his foundation continued to subsidize costs for the beloved event. The foundation intends to continue running the festival as long as they have the necessary resources.
Stay tuned for more updates about the upcoming music festival, and you can check for updates on the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass website.