The music scene in San Francisco is set to expand, with Golden Gate Park poised to host more concerts each summer. The Board of Supervisors has approved a resolution that allows the Recreation and Parks Department to issue a permit to Another Planet Entertainment (APE), the organizer behind the popular Outside Lands festival. This permit will enable APE to stage an additional musical extravaganza on either the weekend before or after Outside Lands, which is traditionally held on the second weekend in August.
The new permit offers flexibility in both the date and duration of the event, allowing for festivals that span two to three days. In addition to the main events, APE is required to host three free, public concerts in San Francisco each year during the summer and fall. The permit is valid for three years, with the option to extend it to nine years, and APE will pay between $1.53 million and $2.295 million annually to the city, or 5% of gross revenue for the concerts, whichever is greater, through 2029.
Economic impact and community concerns
Last summer, Golden Gate Park hosted a trio of major productions over three consecutive weekends, including shows by Dead & Company, Outside Lands, and a one-night concert featuring Zach Bryan and Kings of Leon. These events generated a cumulative economic impact of $193 million for San Francisco, with the Dead & Company shows contributing the most, according to a report from the Bay Area Council Economic Institute.
Since the introduction of extra concerts two years ago, they have brought in $2.842 million in permit fees to the city. However, the additional shows have not been without controversy. West-side residents have voiced complaints about loud music, parking problems, and trash, with over 100 complaints submitted to the city’s 311 line. One individual appears to have repeatedly submitted the same expletive-laden complaint every few weeks over the course of a year.
Community feedback and requirements
A May 16 letter from Richard Rothman of the Planning Association for the Richmond to the Board of Supervisors highlighted concerns about the impact of additional concerts. Rothman noted that if APE chooses to host a concert series before Outside Lands, the neighborhood would experience major traffic delays for three consecutive weekends, including the San Francisco Marathon, the new concert, and then Outside Lands. “These concerts are a big inconvenience to the residents of Richmond; having an uncertain date for the second concert is really a bit too much,” Rothman wrote.
Harry S. Pariser, an Inner Sunset resident, criticized APE for creating a “horrific concrete boomerang” in the park where the festival stages sit. The new permit exempts the festivals from an environmental review but includes several requirements aimed at mitigating the impact on the community. APE is required to continue providing free Muni rides to concert attendees and to contribute an additional $10,000 to neighboring Districts 1 and 4, on top of the $30,000 it already provides. The company must also meet with neighbors to discuss the concerts’ impacts and is responsible for paying for private security and services from the San Francisco Police Department.
