Stern Grove Festival Reveals 2026 Lineup, Featuring Al Green, Major Lazer, and More

When Al Green takes the stage at Sigmund Stern Grove on the evening of August 16, the eucalyptus-lined amphitheater at 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard will be packed with fans who beat a lottery to get there, if history holds.

The festival revealed its 2026 season lineup Monday, confirming 10 weeks of free outdoor concerts running June 14 through August 16. The season closer is the Big Picnic Weekend, with Public Enemy headlining August 15 and Green performing alongside Oakland's Goapele and The GLIDE Ensemble on August 16. Patti LaBelle, Major Lazer, Japanese Breakfast, Violent Femmes, Suki Waterhouse, Charley Crockett, and Bomba Estéreo fill out a bill that spans hip-hop, indie rock, country, and global beats. More than half the 2026 lineup features Bay Area artists.

Now in its 89th consecutive year, the festival continues to do what almost no one else does: world-class live music, completely free. The eucalyptus-lined amphitheater draws over 100,000 attendees across the summer. Executive Director Bob Fiedler framed the season in pointed contrast to the broader concert market: "In our 89th season, we're reminded that music has a unique ability to lift us, heal us, and bring us together. Stern Grove is a place where that joy is shared across generations."

That joy requires advance planning, and it depends on winning a lottery. Each concert has its own separate lottery, and every entry is a fresh start regardless of past wins or losses. Participants can request up to four tickets. Winners have 72 hours to claim before unclaimed tickets are released to other fans. Children two and under are admitted without a ticket.

The lottery is completely random, and answers to demographic questions don't affect chances of being selected. The festival collects general demographic info, including zip codes, on behalf of funders. That distinction matters in a city where proximity to Parkside or West Portal means an easy Muni ride to the grove; a family traveling from Bayview or Visitacion Valley faces a longer logistics chain, exactly the kind of friction that undermines a free event's accessibility promise. Tickets are fully transferable by forwarding the PDF with the unique QR code, which leaves a door open for informal scalping that the lottery structure cannot independently close. Organizers have not publicly detailed what share of capacity is allocated to sponsors, donors, and partners versus the general lottery pool.

The festival is wheelchair, ADA, and senior (65+) accessible, though all attendees requiring accommodations must first hold a general admission ticket. A shuttle runs exclusively for wheelchair users, seniors, and those with ADA needs, departing from the 19th and Sloat entrance and dropping off near Concert Meadow, with return pick-up near the Esplanade. Three reserved picnic tables are ADA-accessible. VIP picnic tables, available by donation, include parking, creating a two-tier experience inside what is otherwise billed as entirely free.

There is no public parking at the grove, and street parking in the surrounding neighborhood is extremely limited, with illegally parked cars subject to ticketing and towing. The fastest transit option is the Muni M Ocean View or K Ingleside light rail to the St. Francis Circle stop, then a one-block walk west. Allow 35 to 40 minutes from downtown.

The season opens June 14 with Peter Cat Recording Co. and Marinero, followed by Bomba Estéreo and La Misa Negra on June 21 and Japanese Breakfast on June 28. Lottery registration for each show opens at sterngrove.org approximately six weeks before the concert date.