Diana Ross to Headline Stern Grove Festival; Full Lineup Announced

The Stern Grove Festival, San Francisco’s long-running free concert series, just announced its return to the meadow for another summer of shows.

The festival’s “Big Picnic” season finale concert and fundraiser has been extended to two days of music, with reggae legends Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Stephen Marley headlining Aug. 16 and disco queen Diana Ross headlining Aug. 17.

Stern Grove kicks off June 15 with soul band the California Honeydrops, with support from The Dip. On June 22, hip-house vocalist Channel Tres brings ice-cold rhymes and four-on-the-floor beats to the park, with experimental R&B singer Astu opening. Alternative icons Sleater-Kinney headline on June 29, with rising East Bay punk band Destroy Boys kicking off the mosh pit.

The San Francisco Symphony performs July 6 with ukulele virtuoso Taimane. Electro-pop band Phantogram and singer-songrwriter Ha Vay take the stage on July 13. On July 20, Girl Talk, whose mashups ruled the 2000s, promises to get the dance floor moving along with neo-funk band Chromeo. Country crooner Orville Peck performs with Jaime Wyatt on July 29.

On August 3, Bay Area greats Michael Franti & Spearhead bring hip-hop, soul and reggae fusion to the stage, with an opening set from Kev Choice’s jazz-funk band Black London. (Choice, a classically trained pianist and hip-hop artist, began his career as a sideman on a world tour with Franti in the early 2000s.) And on August 10, Oakland funk legends the Pointer Sisters take the stage with an opening set from venerable MC Lyrics Born.

While Stern Grove is free to attend, this year the festival has introduced a new ticketing system. To reserve spots, fans must enter a lottery that opens over a month before each show. The first drawing, for the California Honeydrops, is on May 4.

Stern Grove takes place at Sigmund Stern Grove Meadow in San Francisco on Sundays, June 15–Aug. 17. Tickets and details here.