The 86th annual Stern Grove Festival kicks off this Sunday with performances by Grammy-winning jazz and funk ensemble Snarky Puppy and guitar prodigy Isaiah Sharkey.
Though tickets to the weekly outdoor music series are still free, reservations may be trickier to secure than ever before—tickets to some shows in the series sold out within minutes last year.
But don’t throw in the picnic blanket just yet. Here’s a quick guide to reserving your tickets, even if you missed your initial shot at grabbing them.
One month before each show date at 2 p.m., tickets become available on Stern Grove’s website on a first-come, first-served basis, meaning each week there will be a new batch of tickets released for the next month’s concert date.
After the first round of tickets sells out, Stern Grove will sporadically release additional reservations via Eventbrite until the day of the concert. The festival limits reservations to four per person, and little ones under the age of 2 can join the picnic without a reservation.
The 2023 season also boasts concerts starring the likes of Patti Smith, Indigo Girls and the Flaming Lips, who close out the summer series on Aug. 20.
Produced by a nonprofit called the Stern Grove Festival Association, the outdoor music series first debuted in 1938 with a concert by the Bay Region Symphony of the Federal Music Project, a New Deal program born out of the Great Depression. It takes place at Sigmund Stern Recreation Grove—a park named after an early 1900s civic leader—which is located at 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard.
🗓️ June 18-Aug. 20
📍 Sigmund Stern Recreation Grove
🎟️ Free (Reservations Required)