San Francisco, CA – Today, Mayor London N. Breed joined the San Francsico Recreation and Park Department and Another Planet Entertainment (APE) to announce the first of three free music events coming to Downtown. The Dirtybird: Back to Baysics concert is set to kick off at 2 p.m. at Embarcadero Plaza this Sunday, July 21.
Transforming Downtown into a leading arts, culture, and nightlife destination is one of the strategies of Mayor Breed’s Roadmap to Downtown San Francisco’s Future plan, which aims to transform Downtown into a stronger, resilient, economic and global destination. Headliners for Sunday’s event near the City’s iconic waterfront, feature Belgium-born DJ Sacha Robotti, Mz Worthy and Smalltown DJs, as well as DJs Moody Jones and Deron Delgado who will provide back-to-back sets.
This weekend’s concert comes off the heels of another successful outdoor concert produced by APE, held last month in Civic Center Plaza. The sold-out event, which featured world renowned musicians Fred again.. and Skrillex, welcomed 25,000 people. Together, the series of concerts kicking off this weekend, put on by APE in partnership with local music label Dirtybird Records, are expected to create hundreds of local jobs and contribute greatly to the City’s economy.
“We are excited to welcome thousands of visitors to Embarcadero Plaza this weekend who will enjoy amazing music and our stunning waterfront,” said Mayor London Breed. “Our investments to make San Francisco’s Downtown a 24/7 vibrant and lively destination are paying off, and we will continue to push for creative ways to attract more people here, create business opportunities, and ensure that art thrives in the City.”
“Last month’s concert in Civic Center was a huge success, bringing tens of thousands of people to the Civic Center area, benefiting nearby restaurants, hotels, and businesses,” said San Francisco Recreation and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg. “I’m excited to see another large-scale event happen in one of our most iconic public spaces—Embarcadero Plaza. These Downtown concerts are not only fun and entertaining, they’re also a great way to create jobs, boost our City’s economy, and ensure that Downtown is abuzz with activity.”
“We believe that it’s extremely important to the ethos of San Francisco to create free and exciting experiences for people across all socioeconomic levels. Events like this remind us why we love this city so much,” said Another Planet Management Founder Bryan Duquette.
Another Planet Entertainment produces Outside Lands, a music festival that takes place every August in Golden Gate Park’s Polo Field. Last year, approximately 225,000 people attended the three-day event.
In September last year, the City’s Board of Supervisors approved a plan for APE to host a series of ticketed concerts in Golden Gate Park following Outside Lands Festival and three Downtown locations, starting this year for the next three years. Under the agreement, APE will hold two to three ticketed concerts in Golden Gate Park’s Polo Field the weekend after the Outside Lands Festival, in addition to providing free Muni rides to and from the Polo Field for concert ticket holders. APE will also produce complimentary concerts at Civic Center Plaza, Union Square and Embarcadero annually, also for three years.
The additional Golden Gate Park and Downtown concerts are projected to provide key economic benefits for San Francisco, while helping contribute to the prevention of cuts to City parks and programming.
For the additional concerts, APE will provide the same support and measures to lessen noise and traffic impacts as with Outside Lands, including a community hotline for neighbors, SFMTA officers directing traffic and enforcing parking laws in the neighborhood, shuttles to and from the event for ticket holders, and a dedicated area for rideshare drop-off and pick-up. APE has partnered with the City for 15 years on Outside Lands.
Sunday’s concert is free, but attendees are encouraged to RSVP at Another Planet Entertainment’s website.
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