Last weekend, Portola took over Pier 80 for a two-day music festival, with four stages and the coveted DESPACIO tent. The festival celebrated its fifth year, with major headliners like Swedish House Mafia, Four Tet, Zara Larsson, Robyn, and many more.
DESCPACIO at Portola
One of the festival’s main highlights is the DESPACIO tent, which features an all-vinyl sound system created by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem in collaboration with recording engineer John Klett and David and Stephen Dewaele of Soulwax/2manydjs. The sound system uses 50,000 watts, with 7 stacks of speakers standing an impressive 11 feet tall.
The speakers line the tent, forming a circle around a packed dance floor, with a massive disco ball in the center. The result is a unique, immersive experience, with dancers surrounded by the incredible sound that makes it easy to spend hours inside the tent.
DESPACIO debuted at Portola in 2025 and quickly became a festival favorite, returning this year with a special event the Friday before the festival. The tent was once again a major hit, with long lines outside as eager attendees waited to get into the intimate space.
The festival is known for its focus on dance and electronic music; however, it has consistently highlighted popular pop musicians, often leaning into nostalgia. This year, Portola featured Zara Larsson, a singer-songwriter who has seen major success with her latest album, Midnight Sun, and up-and-coming star Adéla, whose recent song “Nicole Kidman” quickly went viral after its release just a few weeks ago.
While the festival has officially wrapped for 2026, Goldenvoice recently announced the fall lineup for Club Darc, which boasts many major names in dance music, including Monolink and Jamie xx,