Here’s What To Know About This Weekend’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
The massively popular free festival will return for the first time in 3 years from September 30 - October 2.
Jamie Ferrell - Staff Writer
San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival is officially back for 2022! The free festival will happen in Golden Gate Park from September 30 through October 2.
What to know
HSB22 App: Guests are encouraged to download the HSB22 app for announcements, lineup updates, Spotify playlists, maps of the stages, artist photos and bios, and more.
Festival entrances: Gates open for entry into the festival grounds at 11am on Friday and 9am on Saturday and Sunday. There are entrances at JFK Drive and Transverse Drive, Fulton Street and 30th Ave, JFK Drive and 36th Ave, and the South Polo Field. The free event brings up to 750,000 people over the course of 3 days, so be sure to arrive early and follow all park safety precautions. Side paths will be closed off.
Food and drink: Guests can enjoy over 50 on-site food and drink vendors or bring their own picnics. Alcohol is not sold at the festival but you are allowed to bring your own (beer and wine in non-glass containers only – no hard alcohol). The water refill station is between the Banjo Stage & Arrow Meadow. Bring a card to pay for food and drink on-site, because the festival is cashless.
Clear bag policy and what you can/cannot bring:
The festival will have heightened security measures this year including SFPD, K9, and Tactical Units. Personal items are subject to search at the entrances and guests must pass through walk-through body scanners.
- ✅Clear plastic bags/backpacks no larger than 16 x 16 x 8 inches
- ✅Small bags no larger than 6 x 8 x 3 inches
- ✅Refillable water bottles and hydration bladders no larger than 2.5L
- ✅Small soft side coolers for medical or childcare needs no larger than 9 x 6 x 3 inches
- ✅Blankets and ground cover no larger than 8 x 10 feet (guests cannot lay down blankets until festival begins)
- ✅Short-backed chairs
- ✅Children (bring earplugs for young children)
- ✅Well-behaved dogs on leashes
- ❌Do not bring drones, tripods, and intrusive equipment
- ❌Do not bring bicycles, scooters, regular skateboards, electric skateboards, Segways, Onewheels, or other types of motorized devices. See this map for bike parking.
- ❌Do not bring large bags, coolers, kegs, or obstructive chairs
- ❌Do not smoke
Festival map
Performance schedule
About Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass dates back to 2001, when SF venture capitalist Warren Hellman founded it as “Strictly Bluegrass.” As such, it was originally a bluegrass-only event but has since evolved to encompass a multitude of genres, hence the decision to add “Hardly” to its name in 2004. Throughout its run, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has remained completely free and noncommercial at the bequest of Hellman, who passed away in 2011.
Keep up to date with Hardly Strictly Bluegrass via their website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and HSB22 app.
Featured image: Eddie Hernandez via Shutterstock