STERN GROVE REPAIRS ARE UNDERWAY!
Photo credit: Scott Strazzante/SF Chronicle
9/12/21: San Francisco Chronicle reporter Sam Whiting posted an update on the damage and repairs now underway at Stern Grove. Read the latest news here.
STERN GROVE FESTIVAL SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: BEST OF THE FEST
AIRED ON KPIX-TV CHANNEL 5 ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 & 11, 2021
FEATURING MUSIC PERFORMANCES FROM THE 2021 CONCERT SEASON
We thank our partners at KPIX-TV Channel 5 for giving us the opportunity to share highlights from our 84th annual concert season. Best of the Fest - Stern Grove Festival 2021, was a two-part television special broadcast on Saturday, Sept. 4 and Sept. 11 at 7pm.
Although our final concert and nonprofit fundraiser, The Big Picnic, featuring Tower of Power and Too $hort, was canceled due to extensive water damage across the historic park and concert meadow, we were proud to offer fans the opportunity to relive some of the most popular performances of the 84th season right from the comfort of their homes free-of-charge.
Both episodes were hosted by TV and radio personality and season emcee Liam Mayclem. Best of the Fest - Stern Grove Festival 2021 featured performances from Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Fitz & The Tantrums, and more.
Stay tuned for each episode to be available on our YouTube channel soon!
The Best of The Fest lineup included the following Festival performances in A-Z order:
Part 1 (aired on September 4, 2021)
Dessa
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Madame Gandhi
St. Paul & The Broken Bones
The Dip
The Seshen
Part 2 (aired on September 11, 2021)
Devon Gilfillian
Cassowary
La Doña
Fitz & The Tantrums
The Avengers
Thievery Corporation
X
We originally created Best of the Fest last summer in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and moratorium on large gatherings. The show featured a nine-week series of video playlists which included performance and historic footage from its archives, as well as a season finale with new performances by MIchael Franti, Bebel Gilberto, Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie), Los Lobos and more.
By once again offering these memorable performances to the public free-of-charge, Stern Grove Festival continues to fulfill its mission to make high-quality, musical performance accessible for all. Festival fans who are looking for ways to support us can donate here. Thank you!
AUGUST NEWS
We are heartbroken that we had to cancel the final concert of the 2021 season - one of our biggest concerts of the year and our only fundraising event - which would have featured Oakland legends Tower of Power & Too $hort, and was scheduled for August 29, 2021.
Due to a major water main rupture on Sloat Ave., above the Grove, on August 23rd, the concert meadow was flooded and deemed unsafe for public events until further notice. The Festival, along with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and the Public Utilities Commission, continues to assess the damage to both the grounds and surrounding tree line, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available.
"We are devastated to announce the sudden cancellation of our season finale and annual fundraiser with Tower of Power and Too $hort. This was definitely one of our most highly anticipated concerts of an incredible season, but the damage is too severe to move forward safely at this time. We are grateful that no one was hurt, and we are proud to have overcome so many challenges this year and presented nine exceptional concerts for more than 55,000 people. We look forward to restoring the Grove and being able to welcome the community back next year,” said Executive Director Bob Fiedler.
You can help us recover and improve the Festival by donating now on our website or by texting "sterngrove" to 56512.
Thank you to everyone who attended our 84th season this year, and thank you for your support!
SAN FRANCISCO’S ORIGINAL
FREE OUTDOOR MUSIC FESTIVAL!
Stern Grove Festival is a beloved annual San Francisco summer tradition spanning 84 years and counting. Each summer, the Festival presents 10 free concerts featuring a curated mix of popular headliners, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, Grammy Award-winners, and rising new stars. Past Festival performers include Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Thundercat, Fitz & The Tantrums, The Isley Brothers, Smokey Robinson, Kool & the Gang, Janelle Monáe, Toots & the Maytals, Mavis Staples, The Psychedelic Furs, Mitski, Pink Martini, Ziggy Marley, Ozomatli, Digable Planets, Carlos Santana, Sheila E., and many more!
Stern Grove Festival also presents over 30 admission-free arts education programs for youth and young adults in San Francisco each year, fulfilling its mission to make live musical experiences accessible to all.
“Stern Grove is one of the most uniquely imagined outdoor festivals in the nation.” — Huffington Post
Thank You to Our Season Sponsors
Stern Grove Festival acknowledges that it is located on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples, recognizes that,
as the original stewards of this land, the Ramaytush Ohlone understood the interconnectedness of all things and maintained harmony with nature for millennia,
and honors the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples for their enduring commitment to wahrep, Mother Earth.