The annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival returns to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park from October 4th-6th, 2024. The three-day event features 70 artists performing across six stages, and the best part is that it’s completely free to attend.
Sleater-Kinney, Mavis Staples, and Patti Smith lead this year’s lineup, which also boasts sets from the likes of Emmylou Harris, Yo La Tengo, Jessica Pratt, Cunningham Bird (Madison Cunningham and Andrew Bird) performing Buckingham Nicks, Cat Power (singing a set of Bob Dylan covers), Glen Hansard, Devandra Banhart, Ibibio Sound Machine, Levitation Room, Greensky Bluegrass.
There will also be collaborative sets, songwriter circles, and jam sessions galore. In addition to Cat Power singing Dylan and Cunningham Bird, Kelly Willis, Chuck Prophet, Ismay, and Steve Earle will honor the catalogue of Lucinda Williams, Aoife O’Donovan will perform with Hawktail and the San Francisco Girls Choir, and Steve Earle will play a collaborative set with Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway.
Now in its 24th year, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is free to attend. If you can’t make it out to San Francisco this fall, you can stream performances featured on the Banjo, Rooster, Swan, and Towers of Gold Stages via Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’ livestream platform, HSBTV. Additional details can be found on the festival’s website.
See below for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’ 2024 lineup poster.