Two major musical acts played in San Francisco on Wednesday night: Metallica and Benson Boone. The performances were part of Dreamforce, Salesforce’s annual conference that draws tens of thousands of people to the city. Each year, Dreamforce hosts Dreamfest: the musical portion of the conference. The proceeds from the concert go towards UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.
The concerts were specifically for Dreamforce attendees (you needed a conference badge to get in), and the proceeds all go towards UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. Thousands of conference attendees made their way to Mission Bay on Wednesday night for the music.
Metallica performed at Chase Center, and Benson Boone performed on a stage set up at Bayfront Park across the street.
Dozens of other people who were not conference attendees also showed up in the area to listen to Benson Boone’s show from outside the stage.
At the concerts, all the attendees were wearing conference badges, and many were in blazers, slacks and dress shirts.
Tom Balcom, the general manager of Splash Sports Bar at Thrive City, has been busy hosting various private events for conference attendees at his business.
“They’re rolling right into Metallica, so if you’ve ever seen dress slacks, dress shirts, and rock and roll, that’s what’s happening right now,” Balcom explained.
The conference and the corresponding events promise big business for local restaurants and bars.
“Besides the [NBA] All-Star weekend, this is going to be our second busiest week to date since we’ve opened,” noted Balcom, whose sports bar opened in February.
Around 50,000 people are expected to be in San Francisco for Dreamforce.
People a the event will include big names in music, tech and Hollywood.
Among the notable speakers at this year’s conference were Google CEO Sunar Pichai, White House crypto boss David Sacks and actors Matthew McConaughey and Rob Lowe.
The conference was a chance for people from out of town to be charmed by San Francisco.
“I love San Franicso. It’s been a nice change from Chicago,” said Doug Mark, who came in from out of town to attend.
It’s another sign the conference scene is bouncing back in San Francisco. For attendees, it is yet another reminder for visitors from all over of just how much influence the Bay Area has when it comes to tech.