The Portola Music Festival is coming back to San Francisco on Sept. 26 and 27, with a lineup that includes Zara Larsson, Robyn, Kelela, Fatboy Slim and Swedish House Mafia.
While the festival itself is a relatively new addition to San Francisco’s musical calendar, it attracts crowds of around 45,000 people.
Our guide last year highlighted KQED’s own media and marketing campaigns manager, Emma Yee, who has attended the Portola Music Festival every year since it launched in 2022.
Warren Manio, 36, sits on top of his friend’s shoulders as Natasha Bedingfield performs at Portola Music Festival in San Francisco on Sept. 28, 2024. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)
Yee said that for her, what sets this event apart from the more well-known festivals like Outside Lands and Stern Grove is its industrial-feeling Pier 80 warehouse location near the Dogpatch District.
“It’s in between a big naval ship and a big crane,” she said, and for her this “bare-bones” aesthetic makes Portola’s lineup — which includes EDM, alternative and pop acts — all the more enjoyable. “It has a very specific curated taste that’s kind of hard to encapsulate, but it all kind of somehow works together.”
If you’ve already got tickets to the Portola Music Festival — or are contemplating buying them — keep reading for our guide to everything you need to know about attending, with insider tips on what to bring, advice for first-timers, road closures, public transportation options and more. Keep in mind, some details — like food and transit details — have not yet been released for this year’s festival and are likely to be published closer to the date.
When and where is the Portola Music Festival?
The Portola Music Festival spans a whole weekend: Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27.
Doors open at 1 p.m. each day, and music ends around 11 p.m. The entrance to the event is at 900 Marin St. in San Francisco.
Christina Aguilera performs on the Pier Stage at Portola Festival in San Francisco, on Sept. 20, 2025. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)
Don’t rely on cash
The Portola Music Festival is a cashless event, but any cash you do bring can be converted to a prepaid Visa Card at a Guest Service booth.
Prepare to move around …
While the Pier 80 venue is on “the smaller side” as festivals go, noted Yee, it also has a lot of “open space” that makes it relatively easy to jump from stage to stage.
That said, usual festival rules apply: If you want to get a good spot for a set, be sure to get to that stage early to avoid a mass of people.
But also be aware of your own health and bodily needs — KQED has a thorough guide on concert health that tackles fainting, dehydration, standing in the heat and the all-encompassing festival-goer’s mission of avoiding the dreaded port-a-potties.
Also, be prepared to move around a stage a little, advised Yee, as the volume of Portola sets can range widely from extremely loud (earplugs are recommended) to “on the quiet side” — especially the stages near the water.
A festival attendee wears light-up fur leg warmers at Portola Music Festival in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2024. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)
… and dress for comfort (and variable temperatures)
Over the years, Portola organizers have added blue astroturf and floor mats to make standing on Pier 80’s concrete easier on your knees and feet — but you should still plan on wearing very comfortable shoes. You’ll also find some seating and water stations around the venue.
Be sure to check the National Weather Service ahead of the festival to know what to wear. Yee advised that while the warehouse stage in particular gets very warm, the temperature can drop significantly at night. Pier 80’s waterfront location can also make for a lot of wind around the open-air stages.
The event will happen rain or shine and has indoor and outdoor sets.
Andie Romero, 30, uses a parasol decorated with colorful charms to protect herself from the sun at Portola Music Festival in San Francisco on Sept. 28, 2024. Romero, a festival enthusiast, has taken the parasol with her to countless festivals, considers it a staple, and has repaired it each time a charm falls off. “It’s been through a lot,” she said. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)
Don’t plan on in-and-out privileges
Once you enter the venue, you cannot reenter on the same day — so don’t park somewhere you’ll need to feed a meter.
Know what you’ll do in a crowd situation
Portola is a 21+ festival, which you may find makes this crowd feel a little less rowdy than other concerts and festivals, Yee said. If you’re among the people who’ve expressed concern about concert etiquette devolving since the pandemic — a phenomenon which even has its own Wikipedia page — this might be music to your ears.
It will be crowded, though, with an expected attendance of 45,000 people. If you are the type of person to get overwhelmed in a busy place, take a look at NPR’s full guide on what to do if you find yourself caught in a crowd crush.
According to Mehdi Moussaïd, a research scientist in Berlin who studies crowd behavior, rely on your instincts and senses if you feel like the crowd is getting too dense. If you get stuck in a crush, move with the crowd and put your arms out in front of your chest and hold them there, he told NPR in 2022.
What’s the bag policy at the Portola Music Festival?
The Portola Music Festival has an extensive list of what you can and cannot bring to Pier 80.
Be sure to read closely, because some classic rave attire, like toys or LED gloves, may not be allowed.
Justice performs at Portola Music Festival in San Francisco on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)
Just a few of the items prohibited under the Portola Music Festival policy include:
Non-clear bags larger than 4.5’’ x 6.5’’ x 1.5’’ Masks (although medical face coverings to protect against COVID, like N95 masks, are allowed)Aerosol products, including sunscreenOutside food or drinksFlags and flyersFlashlights and glow sticksChain wallets and chainsAirhorns Audio recording devices, drones, laptops, tablets, selfie sticks and professional camerasChairs, coolers, hammocks, tents and wagons/wheeled cartsDrugsPets (although service animals are allowed)
Thousands of people dance as Disclosure performs at Portola Music Festival in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2024. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)
The Portola Music Festival’s website also said that there can be no “VHS copies of Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) starring Robin Williams and Sally Field with a supporting performance by Pierce Brosnan who really did nothing wrong despite being the film’s primary antagonist.”
This reporter cannot verify what will happen if you do bring a copy of the San Francisco classic.
You can see the full list of allowed items on the Portola website, including empty water bottles 64 ounces or less, phones and chargers (although charging lockers are also available) and breast pumps and stored breast milk or formula.
Is there food at the Portola Music Festival?
Food, alcoholic drinks and nonalcoholic drinks are available at the festival. The list of this year’s vendors has not been released yet but will be available on the Portola Music Festival website.
There are also free water refill stations at the site.
Is there parking at the Portola Music Festival?
Festival officials highly recommend that you not drive to the event, since there is no designated parking available at Pier 80. There is also no designated ADA parking.
If you do end up driving, you may be able to find parking in the Dogpatch near Pier 80 by using third-party apps like SpotHero. Be careful not to block driveways and sidewalks, unless you’d like to return to find your car towed.
Gesaffelstein performs at Portola Music Festival in San Francisco on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)
Some Caltrain stations — although not the ones closest to Pier 80 — have parking for around $5.50.
Remember, break-ins are common in the Bay, so leave nothing visible in your vehicle. Never leave any electronics, like laptops, in your vehicle, even if you think they’re hidden.
Read KQED’s full guide to reducing your chances of suffering a car break-in in San Francisco (and if you’re unlucky enough to have your car broken into, our guide to how to claim the costs of window repair and stolen items from your insurance).
What are the closest public transit options to the Portola Music Festival?
Here are the available public transit options. To avoid getting stranded, be sure to check when your last train or bus leaves.
BART and shuttles
If you take BART to the 24th Street station in San Francisco’s Mission District, you can walk to the intersection of Valencia Street and 24th Street to take Portola’s free shuttle to Pier 80. You can plan your journey by using BART’s Trip Planner.
Last year, shuttles consistently ran between Pier 80 and 24th Street from 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. They usually drop you off at the intersection of Illinois Street and Cesar Chavez Street, which is within two blocks of the entrance.
Festival organizers have not yet updated their website with information for this year, but there are expected to be accessible shuttles as well. Last year, people had to email [email protected] ahead of time to secure a spot.
A BART train arrives as riders wait on the platform at the 24th Street Mission Station in San Francisco on Feb. 26, 2026. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)
SF Muni
Figure out your route by using SFMTA’s Trip Planner.
Last year, your Muni options were:
T Third Train: From the Powell Street BART Station, walk to the Union Square/Market Street Station and board Muni’s T Third line toward Sunnydale. Get off at the intersection of Third Street and Marin Street, just two blocks from Pier 80.Route 48 Quintara: Exit at the intersection of 23rd Street and Third Street and walk 10 minutes to Pier 80.Route 19 Polk: Exit at the intersection of Connecticut Street and Cesar Chavez Street and walk 10 minutes to Pier 80.Route 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express: Exit at the intersection of Third Street and Marin Street, two blocks from Pier 80.
When leaving the event, the options were:
T Third Train: From 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., board at the intersection of Third Street and Marin Street.Route 48 Quintara runs 24/7 and connects to the 24th Street BART Station. Board at the intersection of 23rd Street and Third Street. Buses run every 20 minutes before 11:30 p.m. and every 30 minutes after 11:30 p.m.Route 19 Polk service ends at 10 p.m. Board at the intersection of Connecticut Street and Cesar Chavez Street.Route 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express: Board at Third Street and Marin Street, two blocks from Pier 80.Route 91 OWL is an overnight route connecting Pier 80 to Ocean Avenue, West Portal, and 19th Street.
Trains are stationed at the Caltrain station on King Street and Fourth Street in San Francisco on April 27, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)
Caltrain
The closest Caltrain station is the 22nd Street Station, which is about a mile walk from Pier 80. Keep in mind, this stop does not have elevator service.
You can plan your trip on Caltrain’s website.
Biking
Last year, there were free bike valets at Portola near 1495 Illinois St., for a limited number of bikes. If you are unable to secure a spot with the valet, there are several nearby bike racks that you can find on SFMTA’s Bike Network Map.
You can also check out Bay Wheels stations around Pier 80.
Where can I get picked up and dropped off by rideshare services?
Last year, the pick-up and drop-off location for rideshare services like Lyft and Uber was a few blocks from the entrance at the intersection of 23rd Street and Illinois Street. Expect traffic delays and accompanying surge prices on apps like Uber and Lyft.
What do I need to know about accessibility at the Portola Music Festival?
There is no pre-registration for accessibility. Instead, you’ll have to register onsite at the event itself, at the two Accessibility Services Hubs near the Box Office at the entrance and inside the venue.
At the hub, you can get help registering your service animal, getting an Assisted Listening Device System and getting an accessibility wristband. Do not take off the wristband during the festival weekend. A companion can also get a wristband.
Emilio Arias, 36, wears a Victorian-style wig at Portola Music Festival in San Francisco on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)
According to the festival’s website, “The venue is navigable for people with mobility disabilities. The event is held on primarily cement terrain.”
The festival will not be able to provide transportation between stages, but can provide some guidance on navigating routes at the hubs.
The Portola Music Festival website has a page on its accessibility policies, as well as a contact if you have more questions: [email protected].