Time to get your gear in order: music festival season is upon us.
From San Francisco to Mill Valley, Oakland to Napa, the Bay Area loves an outdoor music-food-drink situation. Live jazz, pop, reggae, punk, and classical music are warm-weather traditions that never gets old—especially when the musical acts are H-O-T.
A few boldfaced names you'll have a chance to see at upcoming festivals around town: Diana Ross, Green Day, Sublime, Jon Batiste, Tyler the Creator, Hozier, and Doja Cat. But whatever your musical leanings, there's one thing everybody can agree on—the early (ear)worm gets the festival ticket. Buy yours, stat, before shows sell out. Roger that?
See you at the Polo Fields.
Jump ahead to the season's most popular festivals:
Margo Price at Mill Valley Musical Festival in 2024. (Courtesy of @jayblakesberg)
Mill Valley Music Festival
Organized by Noise Pop and the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Mill Valley Music Festival is a real toe-tapper. This year's headliners---Gary Park Jr. and Nile Rogers & Chic---will be joined by indie, soul, and reggae favorites like The Crosby Collective, Elliott Peck, Monophonic, and Sister Nancy. The two-day event at Friends Field promises a diverse musical lineup with a mix of indie-folk, Americana, R&B, and rock performances—plus family-friendly activities and local food vendors and artisans. //May 10-11 at Friends Field, Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto (Mill Valley); tickets at millvalleymusicfest.com
Cosmico
The good vibes will be flowing at the immersive three-day celebration of music, arts, food, and vino known as Cosmico. Taking place beneath the redwoods along the Russian River at Dawn Ranch, the boutique festival has an eclectic lineup spanning several genres—psychedelic rock and dance electronic to soul and alternative. This year’s musical acts include White Denim, Jason Crosby & Friends, Gilligan Moss, Bay Ledges, and more. Beyond the tunes, you’ll find additional experiences in food, wine, and nature, plus VIP ticket holders get first dibs on stays in Dawn Ranch’s luxe cabins. // May 16-18; Dawn Ranch, 16467 CA-116 (Guerneville); tickets at cosmi.co
BottleRock Napa Valley
Wine Country's most epic music fest always makes Memorial Day weekend planning easy---and this year’s lineup is one of the best in recent memory. On Friday, Green Day and Sublime are at the top of the ticket, followed by Justin Timberlake, Benson Boone, Ice Cube, and Kate Hudson on Saturday. Sunday ushers in Noah Kahan, Khruangbin, Cage the Elephant, Flo Rida, and more than a dozen other can’t-miss acts to close out the weekend. Don’t forget: there are plenty of other experiences worth grabbing a ticket for too, like the celeb-studded Williams-Sonoma culinary stage, the all-day silent disco, spa services and, of course, some of the best food and drink Napa Valley has to offer. //May 23-25; Napa Valley Expo, 575 3rd St. (Napa), bottlerocknapavalley.com
California Roots Festival(Courtesy of California Roots Festival)
California Roots Festival
Get a reggae fix of epic proportions at the much-loved California Roots Festival. It’s a magical showcase for all the reggaes (rock, island, and roots), along with folk, conscious hip-hop, and more. This year's headliners include T-Pain, Rebelution, Atmosphere, Buju Banton, Steel Pulse, SOJA, Dirty Heads, and Common Kings. Rounding out the lineup are Collie Buddz, Protoje, Matisyahu, Iration, and The Elovaters. // May 23-25; Monterey County Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairgrounds Rd. (Monterey); tickets at californiarootsfestival.com
La Onda
Festival La Onda makes its sophomore appearance this spring. From the same producers as BottleRock---and taking place at the same location---this Latin music festival features a mix of genres including reggaetón, cumbia, and Latin pop with headliners Marco Antonio Solís, Banda MS, Pepe Aguilar, Carin León, and Grupo Firme. Since it utilizes much of the same infrastructure as BottleRock, expect similar perks: lounge areas, VIP experiences, a silent disco, on-site spa, dance hall, and more. // May 31–June1; Napa Valley Expo, 575 3rd St. (Napa); tickets at laondafest.com
Wobbleland(Courtesy of @a.j.kinney for Wobbleland)
Known for its dark, intense, and immersive atmosphere filled with lasers, smoke machines and lighting effects aplenty, Wobbleland is all about that bass. An EDM lover’s nirvana, the 2025 lineup includes Wooli, Skull Machine, Abelation, Fairlane, Skellytn, and more. You have your choice of standing-room pit or balcony seating across two stages. // July 11-12; Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave. (Daly City); tickets at wobbleland.com
Stern Grove Festival
Get ready for a love hangover. Ms. Diana Ross was just announced as the closing act of the city’s most beloved—and only free—summer concert series. (Damian Marley and Stephen Marley are also slated for Stern Grove Festival’s final weekend.) Celebrating its 88th season, the event continues to bring world-class performers spanning rock, jazz, pop, and classical to the open-air amphitheater. The California Honeydrops kick things off, followed by acts including Channel Tres, Sleater-Kinney, SF Symphony, The Pointer Sisters, and Michael Franti & Spearhead. Tickets are released about five weeks before each show on a first-come, first-served basis---so set your alarm. // Consecutive Sundays from June 15 to August 17; Sigmund Stern Grove, 19th Ave. and Sloat Blvd. (Parkside), sterngrove.org
Mosswood Meltdown
Oakland’s beloved Mosswood Meltdown is a two-day celebration of punk. Hope you’re ready to whip it---Devo tops this year’s marquee. Shannon & the Clams, Kreayshawn, La Luz, The Exploding Hearts, and Bratmobile will also be playing sets sure to have crowds pogo dancing. Our favorite feature of this festival? Sets don’t overlap, so you never have to make an impossible decision between two faves. And of course, the event wouldn’t be complete without John Waters, celebrating his 11th year as host. //July 19-20; Mosswood Park, 3612 Webster St. (Oakland); tickets atmosswoodmeltdown.com
Outside LandsSabrina Carpenter and Kacey Musgraves at Outside Lands in 2024. (Courtesy of Outside Lands)
Festival Napa Valley
Hold on to your hats and wine tumblers: Festival Napa Valley’s 2025 summer season is absolutely serving. Musical genius Jon Batiste leads the lineup alongside mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, Versailles Royal Opera, conductor Stéphane Denèv, and prima ballerina Tiler Peck. More than 200 performers across classical, jazz, contemporary, and opera will be paired with Napa Valley’s acclaimed food, wine, and hospitality. The program has something for every budget---from daily admission-free concerts to the festival’s exclusive Patron experience. Foodies won't want to miss the Taste of Napa at Meritage Resort on July 12th. // July 5-20 at venues throughout Napa Valley; for the full lineup and tickets, go tofestivalnapavalley.org
Outside Lands
Outside Lands returns to the Polo Fields August 8-10 with some of the biggest acts in music. So, who exactly will be gracing the many stages throughout Golden Gate Park? Tyler the Creator, Hozier, Doja Cat, John Summit, Gracie Abrams, Vampire Weekend, Bleachers, Ludacris, and so many more. Beyond the major tunes and good times, you can count on a stellar food and wine lineup, and much more. P.S. Three-day VIP tickets are already sold out. //August 8-10; Polo Fields (Golden Gate Park),sfoutsidelands.com
