Going to Portola Music Festival 2025? What to Know, From Bag Policy to Parking

The Portola Music Festival is coming back to San Francisco on Sept. 20 and 21, with a lineup that includes LCD Soundsystem, Christina Aguilera, the Dare, the Chemical Brothers, Peggy Gou, Rico Nasty, Kreayshawn, Magdalena Bay, Dom Dolla, Moby and the Prodigy.

While the festival itself is a relatively new addition to San Francisco’s musical calendar, it now attracts crowds of around 45,000 people.

Among them is KQED’s own media and marketing campaigns manager Emma Yee, who has attended the Portola Music Festival every year since it launched in 2022. Yee said that for her, what sets this event apart from the staples like Outside Lands and Stern Grove is its industrial-feeling Pier 80 warehouse location near the Dogpatch District.

“It’s in between a big naval ship and a big crane,” she said, and for her, this “bare bones” aesthetic makes Portola’s lineup — which includes EDM, alternative and pop acts — all the more enjoyable. “It has a very specific curated taste that’s kind of hard to encapsulate, but it all kind of somehow works together,” Yee said.

• Jump straight to: What’s the bag policy at the Portola Music Festival?

If you’ve already got tickets to the Portola Music Festival — or are contemplating buying them — keep reading for our guide to everything you need to know about this newer festival, with insider tips on what to bring, advice for first-timers, road closures, public transportation options and more.

When and where is the Portola Music Festival?

The Portola Music Festival spans a whole weekend: Saturday, Sept. 20, and Sunday, Sept. 21.

Doors open at 1 p.m. on each day and music ends around 11 p.m.

You can view the entire festival lineup and the set times on the Portola Music Festival’s website.

The box office and the entrance to the event are at 900 Marin St., San Francisco.

Can I still get tickets to the Portola Music Festival?

As of publication, passes to the Portola Music Festival — including VIP packages — are still available on AXS.

The earlier you buy tickets, the cheaper they are — but remember, the event is for ages 21+ only.

The festival’s website warns people not to buy passes from a third party, and that organizers “won’t service, authenticate or support passes” purchased from a third party or scalper.” If you decide to forge ahead with buying a third party ticket, Portola organizers also note that receipts and order confirmations can be faked or forged, so “don’t be fooled.”

What should I know about the Portola Music Festival’s Pier 80 venue?

Plan for poor phone signal

A pro tip from Yee: She advised you to make sure that your tickets are already loaded on the AXS Mobile app you’ve used to purchase them, or are waiting in your phone’s wallet app — because the internet signal at Pier 80 is not super strong, and you might not be able to do this in line. Consider also bringing a portable charger, she said, which is allowed at this festival (some venues prohibit them).

If you are going with a group of people and you decide to split up, establish a meeting spot where you can get together again, in case your messages are slow to send.

Don’t rely on cash

The Portola Music Festival is a cashless event, but any cash you do bring can be converted to a pre-paid Visa Card at a Guest Service booth. 

Prepare to move around …

While the Pier 80 venue is on “the smaller side” as festivals go, noted Yee, it also has a lot of “open space” that makes it relatively easy to jump from stage to stage.

That said, usual festival rules apply: If you want to get a good spot for a set, be sure to get to that stage early to avoid a mass of people. (A personal note on festival etiquette from this reporter: If you’ve arrived at a stage super early to make sure you catch your favorite performer, remember to be respectful of the artists playing before them — and their fans. This can look like standing, if you can, and clapping at appropriate times.)

Also, be prepared to move around a stage a little, advised Yee, as the volume of Portola sets can range widely from extremely loud (earplugs are recommended) to “on the quiet side,” especially the stages near the water.

… and dress for comfort (plus variable temperatures)

Over the years, Portola organizers have added blue astroturf and floor mats to make standing on Pier 80’s concrete easier on your knees and feet — but you should still plan on wearing very comfortable shoes. You’ll also find some seating and water stations around the venue.

Be sure to check the National Weather Service ahead of the festival to know what to wear. Yee advised that while the warehouse stage in particular gets very warm, the temperature can drop significantly at night. Pier 80’s waterfront location can also make for a lot of wind around the open-air stages.

Don’t plan on in-out privileges

Once you enter the venue, you cannot reenter on the same day — so don’t park somewhere you’ll need to feed a meter.

Know what you’ll do in a crowd situation 

Portola is a 21+ festival, which you may find makes this crowd feel a little less rowdy than other concerts and festivals, said Yee. If you’re among the people who’ve expressed concern about concert etiquette devolving since the pandemic — a phenomenon which even has its own Wikipedia page — this might be music to your ears.

It will be crowded, though, with an expected attendance of 45,000 people. If you are the type of person who gets overwhelmed in a busy place, take a look at NPR’s full guide on what to do if you find yourself caught in a crowd crush.

According to Mehdi Moussaïd, a research scientist in Berlin who studies crowd behavior, rely on your instincts and senses if you feel like the crowd is getting too dense. If you get stuck in a crush, move with the crowd and put your arms out in front of your chest and hold them there, he told NPR in 2022.

What’s the bag policy at the Portola Music Festival?

The Portola Music Festival has an extensive list of what you can or cannot bring to Pier 80. Be sure to read closely, because some classic rave attire, like toys or gloves, may not be allowed.

Just a few of the items prohibited under the Portola Music Festival bag policy: 

• Bags, backpacks, fanny packs or purses that are larger than 18”x13”x8.5”
• Pets (although service animals are allowed)
• Masks (although medical face coverings to protect against COVID, like N95 masks, are allowed)
• Aerosol products, including sunscreen
• Outside food or drinks
• Flags and flyers
• Flashlights and glow sticks
• Chain wallets and chains
• Airhorns
• Audio recording devices, drones, laptops, tablets, selfie sticks and professional cameras
• Chairs, coolers, hammocks, tents and wagons/wheeled carts
• Drugs (although you can bring Naloxone)

The Portola Music Festival’s website also reads that there can be “NO more than 7 Pokémon cards per person (STRICTLY ENFORCED).” This reporter would like one visitor to defy this rule, to see what happens.

You can see the full list of allowed items on the Portola website, including empty water bottles, phones and chargers (although charging lockers are also available) and breast pumps and stored breastmilk or formula.

Is there food at the Portola Music Festival?

Food, alcoholic drinks and nonalcoholic drinks are available at the festival. The list of this year’s vendors has not been released yet, but last year included spots like Momo Noodle, Brenda’s French Soul Food and the Vegan Hood Chefs.

According to Portola’s accessibility page, there will be gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free dietary options.

Is there parking at the Portola Music Festival?

Festival officials highly recommend that you do not drive to the event, since there is no designated parking available at Pier 80. There is also no designated ADA parking.

If you do end up driving, you may be able to find parking in the Dogpatch near Pier 80 by scoping out third-party apps like SpotHero. Be careful not to block driveways and sidewalks, unless you’d like to return to find your car towed.

Some Caltrain stations, although not the ones closest to Pier 80, have parking for around $5.50.

Remember, break-ins are common in the Bay — so leave nothing visible in your vehicle, and if at all possible, leave your trunk exposed to show it’s empty. Never leave any electronics, like laptops, in your vehicle, even if you think they’re hidden. Read KQED’s full guide to reducing your chances of suffering a car break-in in San Francisco (and if you’re unlucky enough to have your car broken into, our guide to how to claim the costs of window repair and stolen items from your insurance).

What are the closest public transit options to the Portola Music Festival?

Here are the available public transit options. To avoid getting stranded, be sure to check when your last train or bus leaves.

BART and shuttles

If you take BART to the 24th Street station in San Francisco’s Mission District, you can walk over to Valencia and 24th streets to take Portola’s free shuttle to Pier 80.

Shuttles will run consistently between Pier 80 and 24th Street from 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. They will drop you off at Illinois and Cesar Chavez streets, which are within two blocks of the entrance.

There will be a limited number of accessible shuttles to Pier 80, so be sure to email ada.portola@goldenvoice.com ahead of time to secure a spot.

Plan your journey by using BART’s Trip Planner.

SF Muni

According to the Portola Music Festival’s transit page, your Muni options are:

• T Third Train: From Powell Street BART Station, walk to Union Square/Market Street Station and board Muni’s T Third line toward Sunnydale. Get off at Third/Marin, just two blocks from Pier 80.
• Route 48 Quintara: exit at 23rd and Third Street and walk 10 minutes to Pier 80.
• Route 19 Polk: exit at Connecticut and Cesar Chavez and walk 10 minutes to Pier 80.
• Route 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express: exit at Third & Marin, two blocks from Pier 80.

When leaving the event, you can take:

• T Third Train: From 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., board at Third & Marin.
  • Muni will have extra T Third trains staged and ready to go downtown at the end of the night.
  • The trains will stop at Union Square-Market Street Station, where you can walk to Powell Street BART Station, Market Street bus routes, or AC Transit Transbay Bus Service. Union Square-Market Street Station, Chinatown Station and Yerba Buena/Moscone stations will stay open late until 1 a.m.
• Route 48 Quintara runs 24/7 and connects to the 24th Street BART Station. Board at 23rd and Third. Buses run every 20 minutes before 11:30 p.m. and every 30 minutes after 11:30 p.m.
• Route 19 Polk service ends at 10 p.m. Board at Connecticut & Cesar Chavez.
• Route 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express Board at Third & Marin, two blocks from Pier 80.
• Route 91 OWL is an overnight route connecting Pier 80 to Ocean Avenue, West Portal and 19th Street.

Figure out your route by using SFMTA’s Trip Planner.

Caltrain

The closest Caltrain station is the 22nd Street Station, which is about a mile walk from Pier 80. The last train leaving Southbound is at 12:10 a.m.

The 22nd Street Station does not have elevator service, so if you have accessibility needs, you may need to go to the San Francisco Caltrain Station and transfer to the T Third.

You can plan your trip on Caltrain’s website.

Biking

There are free bike valets at Portola near 1495 Illinois St., for a limited number of bikes. The valet runs from 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

If you are unable to secure a spot with the valet, there are several nearby bike racks that you can find on SFMTA’s Bike Network Map.

There are also Bay Wheels stations around Pier 80, including:

• Illinois and Cesar Chavez streets (This one is closest to the event’s entrance)
• Indiana and Cesar Chavez streets
• Evans Avenue + Newhall Street
• Illinois and 20th streets
• Iowa and 22nd streets
• Utah and 25th streets

Rideshare and pick up/drop off

The pick-up and drop-off location for rideshare services like Lyft and Uber is a few blocks from the entrance at 23rd and Illinois streets.

Waymos will not be able to reach this location, according to officials. Expect traffic delays and accompanying surge prices on apps like Uber and Lyft.

What do I need to know about accessibility at the Portola Music Festival?

There is no pre-registration for accessibility. Instead, you’ll have to register on-site at the event itself, at the two Accessibility Services Hubs near the Box Office at the entrance and inside the venue next to the lockers.

At the hub, you can get help like registering your service animal, getting an Assisted Listening Device System and getting an accessibility wristband.

The wristband allows people to access accessibility services throughout the venue. Do not take off the wristband during the festival weekend. A companion can also get a wristband.

According to the festival’s website, “The venue is navigable for people with mobility disabilities. The event is held primarily on cement terrain.” The festival will not be able to provide transportation between stages, but can provide some guidance on navigating routes at the hubs.

More to know about accessibility:

• If you are taking a shuttle from the BART station to Pier 80, be sure to email ada.portola@goldenvoice.com ahead of time to secure a spot.
• The pick-up/drop-zone is located on the corner of Cesar Chavez and Tennessee streets. It is mostly cement.
• There will be an accessible entry land at each festival entrance.
• There will be medical staff on-site.
• There will be no mobility device to rent at the festival, but guests can bring their own equipment. Any charges for these devices must use a 110-volt, 20-amp circuit.
• Some of the stages have an accessible viewing area, which you can access by visiting the hubs. You can also bring a companion with you. Seating is first-come, first-served.
• The deadline to request sign language interpreters, closed captions, braille and more has passed. But you can try emailing ada.portola@goldenvoice.com to learn more about your options.

Are there any pregames or afterparties I should know about?

Several of the acting performers at the Portola Music Festival are also performing at individual sets from Sept. 18 to Sept. 22 for Portola Week.

So if there is a conflict and you can’t make it to a performance during a festival, or can’t get tickets at all, you may be able to catch them at another venue, if you move fast.

Check out the schedule and secure tickets for Portola Week on the festival’s website.

SF Public Works is also hosting a Portola Pre-Party on Sept. 18 with acts like Cam Girl, Gaszia and Donatachi.