San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed announced today that Another Planet Entertainment (APE) has committed to bringing free outdoor concerts to downtown San Francisco’s historic plazas.
APE would bring a musical act to Civic Center Plaza, Union Square, and Embarcadero Plaza annually for three years starting in 2024. The new downtown concert proposal is included in APE’s permit request before the Board of Supervisors to hold two to three ticketed concerts in Golden Gate Park’s Polo Fields during the same three years on the weekend following Outside Lands in August.
While APE produces Outside Lands, the additional summer concerts in the Polo Fields would be separate, smaller, headliner-focused events. They would use a portion of the Outside Lands festival’s infrastructure to minimize impact on the park. The downtown concerts were offered after several supervisors requested APE hold concerts in the eastern part of the City.
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.
“I am delighted that Another Planet Entertainment shares our vision of creating vibrant public spaces filled with joy and community,” Mayor Breed said. “Their commitment to bring exceptional live music experiences to the heart of the City is exciting for everyone who lives, works, and visits San Francisco.”
“San Francisco is our home and Another Planet is committed to bringing the City the best programming and live concerts,” said Allen Scott, President of Festivals & Concerts at Another Planet Entertainment. “With the Mayor’s and SF Rec and Park’s support, we are excited to provide even more cultural opportunities for the community, Bay Area, and beyond to enjoy.”
While the downtown concerts will be free, the Polo Fields concerts would be ticketed. The City’s permit fees, $1.4 million for a two-day event and $2.1 million for a three-day event, would allow the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department to continue to offer programming to children, adults, and seniors across the City and care for its facilities. The City currently faces a two-year budget deficit of $780 million.
Like the Polo Fields, all three downtown plazas are Recreation and Park property. They regularly accommodate cultural festivals, concerts, sports viewing parties, farmers markets, and other free events.
“Civic Center, Union Square, and Embarcadero Plaza are joyful gathering spaces that truly come alive with music and live performances,” said Recreation and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg. “While the proposed Polo Field concerts would generate crucial funding for our parks and programs, the downtown concerts are simply a wonderful benefit for everyone to enjoy.”
Supervisors are tentatively scheduled to hear the concert proposals June 22.
APE has partnered with the City for 15 years on Outside Lands. The festival has injected over a billion dollars into San Francisco’s economy since its inception.
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