Stern Grove Festival announces its free 2021 musical lineup
SAN FRANCISCO - Stern Grove Festival, the longest-running free outdoor music festival in the San Francisco Bay Area, revealed on Tuesday the 2021 music lineup for the 84th annual concert season.
Although the event continues to be free for all attendees, guests must register in advance to reserve a spot for each concert at www.sterngrove.org with initial online reservations opening at 2 p.m.
The festival will kick off on June 20.
The 2021 concert season begins with a headline performance from 2021 Grammy Award winner and R&B singer/songwriter Ledisi; followed the next week by Perfume Genius, the critically acclaimed indie-rock project from singer/songwriter and creative artist Mike Hadreas, organizers said.
SEE ALSO: Stern Grove Festival will resume free in-person outdoor concerts -- with modifications
The July 4th concert will feature a special Independence Day holiday performance from the San Francisco Symphony, led by conductor Edwin Outwater.
The second half of the 2021 season will kick off on July 25 with legendary punk rockers and musical trailblazers X, who recently released their latest album Alphabetland, which marked an end to the band’s 27-year hiatus from releasing new music and coincided with the 40th anniversary of their debut album Los Angeles.
Rock and Roll Hall of Famers and music pioneers Joan Jett & the Blackhearts will take the stage on Aug. 1 while performing hits from the band’s nearly 50-year career including "I Love Rock N Roll," "I Hate Myself For Loving You," and "Crimson and Clover."
Additional headliners include R&B singer/songwriter Thundercat on August 8 and indie pop and neo-soul band Fitz & The Tantrums on Aug. 15. Both groups are from Los Angeles.
Stern Grove Festival is coming back to San Francisco this summer
San Francisco is welcoming back live music to the Stern Grove Festival this summer. Last year the event was canceled due to the pandemic. This year's event will have safety modifications in place. The lineup has yet to be announced. The event is free but you'll need to make a reservation.
Here is the full lineup, which is also online at www.sterngrove.org:
- June 20: Ledisi, The Seshen, La Doña, LadyRyan
- June 27: Perfume Genius, Madame Gandhi, Honey Mahogany, LadyRyan
- July 4: San Francisco Symphony
- July 11: Thievery Corporation, Dessa, DJ Shortkut
- July 18: St. Paul & The Broken Bones, The Dip, DJ Omar
- July 25: X, The Avengers, DJ Omar
- August 1: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
- August 8: Thundercat, Cassowary, DJ Shortkut
- August 15: Fitz & The Tantrums, Devon Gilfillian, DJ Omar
- August 29: The Big Picnic featuring Tower of Power, Too $hort, DJ Shortkut
The concert season concludes on Aug. 29 with the festival’s annual fundraiser, featuring the iconic soul/funk/R&B outfit Tower of Power.
All concerts for the 2021 season will begin at 2 p.m. at Sigmund Stern Grove, a concert meadow located at 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard in the city’s Sunset District.
Exactly 12 days prior to each event, an online portal will be opened through www.sterngrove.org to offer free passes on a first-come, first-served basis at 2 p.m.. For, example, tickets to the June 20 concert will be available to reserve today, June 8 at 2 pm.
Stern Grove Festival will also be live streaming its shows this year for the first time ever. In partnership with StageIt, each of the future live stream events can be viewed for free via www.sterngrove.org on concert Sundays.