San Francisco's Stern Grove Festival Coming Back This Summer
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Mayor London Breed's office announced Thursday that the city is bringing back the Stern Grove Festival, the annual, admission-free concert series that was put on hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now that the city is in the yellow tier of the state's COVID protocol, it can host in-person events. The 84th Stern Grove Festival will be among of the first large-scale events to return.
City officials said the festival's lineup will be announced in the upcoming weeks. Past performers include Janelle Monáe, the Psychedelic Furs, the Isley Brothers, Eric Burdon and the Animals and Kool and The Gang.
"The return of live music marks a joyful part of San Francisco's recovery," said Breed. "For more than 80 years, Stern Grove Festival has been bringing us world class performances in a beautiful public park—free and accessible to all. And while I know the official announcement of the lineup is to come, with what I'm hearing about the first show, I absolutely cannot wait to be there."
The threat of COVID-19 has not yet gone away completely, so organizers will include the construction of new temporary fencing and other key infrastructure to help maintain proper social distancing.
The festival kicks off on June 20 and will feature a concert every Sunday until the festival's end on Aug. 29, when the grove hosts the annual fund-raising Big Picnic event.
All concerts for the 2021 season will begin at 2 p.m. at Sigmund Stern Grove, located at 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard. There will also be live streaming options for those who want to watch from home.
For more information, visit www.sterngrove.org.
