Hailey Friedman
Hailey Friedman is a San Francisco resident passionate about sharing tips and advice on health, wellness, and the best fitness services in San Francisco.
Dance the weekend away at one of the most iconic music festivals, the Portola Festival in San Francisco. The Portola lineup is packed with talented dancers, musicians, and singers to vibe out to for this two-day event.
If you haven’t attended one of these festivals yet, prepare to experience a similar vibe to the amazing Outside Lands and Coachella events. Keep reading for everything you need to know about the Portola lineup, how to get in festival shape with some fun workout classes, and how to unwind after dancing the weekend away.
What is Portola Festival in San Francisco?
The popular Portola Music Festival is an annual music festival at San Francisco’s Pier 80. It’s a two-day music festival on Saturday, September 28, and Sunday, September 29, featuring primarily electronic dance music. With over 60 music artists in the lineup, you can expect a variety of genres and live music to enjoy with your friends.
Where is Portola?
The Portola Festival is held indoors and outdoors at Pier 80 in San Francisco, CA, a 60-acre pier on Cesar Chavez St.
How much does Portola cost?
General Admission tickets for Sunday only are available for $324.95. You can also purchase a 2-day General Admission Resale ticket for $656.25 and up.
There are also 2-day VIP tickets for resale available for $694.95 and VIP resale tickets for higher. If you can only make it Saturday or Sunday and want VIP tickets, it will cost around $400.
See available tickets and 2-day pass price updates here.
Paying with Klarna Payment Plan
If your tickets are eligible, you can pay in four payments with Klarna. This payment plan allows you to split your purchase into four interest-free payments, spreading the cost of your purchase over time.
San Francisco’s Portola Lineup
Portola’s lineup features many incredibly talented artists, making it a must-see festival. Set artist performance times will be available in advance on the Portola website.
Here are some of the fan-favorite artists performing at the two-day event:
Saturday, September 28th:
- Tycho
- RÜFÜS DÜ SOL
- Gesaffelstein
- Four Tet
- Jamie XX
Sunday, September 29th:
- Justice
- Fisher
- Disclosure
- M.I.A
- Tinlicker
- Ben Böhmer
How to Prepare for Portola in San Francisco
Prepare yourself for an epic weekend you’ll never forget at the Portola Festival this year! Take a look at some of the best ways to get ready for the weekend, and even some event details you haven’t thought of.
1. Feel Your Best for the Festival
There’s no better time than now to get festival-ready with some workout classes! Prep with classes like Pilates, HIIT & core, High Fitness, yoga classes, and strength training so that you’re feeling your absolute best when Portola weekend arrives.
Live Fit Gym is one of the best gyms in San Francisco, featuring a variety of workout classes and personal training options. With Live Fit Gym classes, a fitness trainer will lead your group and coach you through exercises featuring a variety of fitness and wellness experiences, including yoga, pilates, TRX suspension, dumbbells, functional training, core, and more.
Sign up for a membership today to jump into a class.
2. Buy Your Portola Festival Passes
The next thing you’ll want to do of course is to buy your tickets for the festival in advance. A general admission ticket is good for entry to the festival and access to GA areas, including food and beverage vendors and all stages. Or get a VIP ticket for entry to the festival, all stages, plus the following amenities:
- Dedicated VIP Entry Lane into the festival
- Access to VIP viewing area at 4 stages
- More seating options and restrooms
- Exclusive Food & Beverage offerings
- Dedicated VIP Festival Merch Location
- Dedicated VIP Lane Access at Main Festival Merch Location
3. Checkout the Portola Lineup Beforehand
While artist performance times are not released quite yet, keep your phone handy to check out what time your favorites will be performing before you get to the event!
Once you know what time your favorite artists are on, you can plan your day and night around that. You do not want to miss out on why you came in the first place, so make sure you check the Portola website and socials for live updates.
4. Find a Festival Outfit
We know that the perfect festival outfit is a must. First, you’ll want to make sure to check the weather for the two-day event and plan accordingly. Consider bringing comfy shoes to dance all day and night and also layers in case you get hot or cold. Packable outerwear is ideal for both men and women to ensure you’ll be comfortable all day and night, no matter the weather!
Here are a couple of local shops to check out and find your festival-ready outfit:
- Haight Street Costumes (735 Haight)
- Piedmont Boutique (1452 Haight)
- One Stop Party Shop (1600 Church St)
- Isso San Francisco (19th St)
- Nooworks (Valencia St)
5. Pack Correctly
When preparing to attend Portola, don’t forget to pack the essentials, including:
- A valid government-issued photo ID is required for entry
- Backpacks (must be medium size – 18″x13″x8.5″)
- A hooded jacket (just in case it rains)
- Your phone
- Your wallet
- Inhalers or any necessary medications
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Dancing shoes (comfortable ones)
There are also items that are prohibited, which you should review beforehand on the Portola Festival website. Any items deemed inappropriate by the Crowd Management staff will not be allowed into the venue and you will need to return to your vehicle or get rid of the item.
6. Plan on How to Get There
Start planning how you’re going to get to the festival now so you don’t have to stress about it the day of!
As parking near the venue is limited, your best bet to get to and from the festival will likely be a ride share service like Lyft or Uber. Additionally, Caltrain will operate its regular weekend service along the Peninsula for the festival, a short walk from the 22nd Street Station. This option is ideal for concert-goers coming into town for the show.
7. Prioritize Self-Care Post-Festival
Unwind after the festival by treating yourself to a relaxing massage at one of the best spas in San Francisco at Live Fit Gym. A massage helps with improving blood flow, releasing toxins, properly releasing muscle tension, breaking down knots that may interfere with range of motion, and releasing one of the most powerful anti-stress hormones in the body–oxytocin.
After the festival, sweat it out and detoxify with their eucalyptus steam and cedar sauna at Fairmont. Utilize acupuncture to calm and soothe stress after a packed event like a festival.
Rejuvenate your mind and body to prepare for your next music festival, rave, or concert. Live Fit Gym is the best gym in the area, providing integrative fitness and wellness to optimize you for your next event.
More About San Francisco’s Portola Festival
Here are all your burning questions answered so you can have peace of mind before arriving at the Portola Festival!
What can you bring into Portola?
Like any festival, there are limitations to what you can bring. Portola Festival’s site shares the following items you can bring to the event, including:
- Backpacks (Medium) 18″x13″x8.5″
- Band-Aids
- Binoculars
- Breast Pump (Manual, Battery Operated, Or Powered Devices)
- CamelBaks (Empty)
- Cameras (Non-Pro Digital, Disposable, Polaroid and Film)
- Chapstick and Lip Balm
- Dancing Shoes
- Ear Plugs
- Eye Drops
- Fanny Packs and Hip Bags
- GoPros
- Gum (sealed packs)
- Hand Sanitizer
- Hats
- Inhalers
- Makeup
- Mobile Phone Chargers
- Parasols
- Water Bottles (Empty and Reusable)
- Personal Medication (Name On Medication Must Correlate With Persons DL or State ID)
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Masks
- Purses and Handbags (12”x6”x12”)
- Stored Breastmilk or Formula
- Sunblock (Non-Aerosol)
- Sunglasses
- Towels (small-medium size)
Here is a list of items you cannot bring to the festival:
- Advanced First Aid Kits (Advanced first aid kits include but are not limited to hemostatic gauze or powder, tourniquets, compression bandages, decompression needles, or chest seals)
- Aerosol Products/Aerosol Cans
- Air Horns
- Animals
- Audio Recording Devices
- Bicycles, Skates, Scooters or Skateboards
- Blankets
- Body Armor
- Coolers
- Chains or Chain Wallets
- Chairs
- Detachable Lens Cameras
- Discriminative or Appropriative Items
- Drones or Remote Control Aircraft, Cars or Toys
- Fireworks, Explosives, or Road Flares
- Flags
- Flyers, Samples, Giveaways or Promotional Items
- Glass Bottles or Containers
- Glow Sticks, Light Sticks, or LED Gloves
- Hammocks
- Hula Hoops
- Hoverboards or Segways
- Illegal Drugs or Drug Paraphernalia
- Instruments
- IV Bags
- Kites or Sky Lanterns
- Laser Pointers
- Markers or Paint Pens
- Massagers
- Outside Food or Beverage
- Non-Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Masks (costume)
- Selfie Sticks, Tripods or Narcissists
- Smelling Salts
- Stuffed Animals
- Tailgating
- Tents or Sleeping Bags
- Tourniquets
- Toy Guns, Water Guns, or Sling Shots
- Totems
- Umbrellas
- Video Cameras
- Wagons
- Walkie Talkies
- Weapons (Guns, Knives, Ammo, Pepper Spray, Mace, etc.)
Is Portola an EDM festival?
Yes, Portola is primarily an EDM festival, similar to Outside Lands. That being said, there are many other genres you can also expect during this iconic weekend.
Is the Portola music festival 21+?
Yes, you must be 21 years old on the day(s) you plan to attend Portola. A valid government-issued photo ID is required for entry. An expired ID will not be accepted for entry. No one under the age of 21 will be allowed entry into the festival, even if accompanied by an individual 21 years of age or older.
Which payment systems are available at the Portola Festival?
Portola is a cashless event. Credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover are accepted. Contactless payment solutions such as Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, and contactless cards will also be accepted.
If you’re using a prepaid card, there will be locations at the event where you can exchange cash for them.
Enjoy This Year’s Portola Lineup in San Francisco
We hope this article has gotten you into all the feels and gets you as excited as we are for the Portola lineup. If you haven’t already, get your tickets today for the best available spots.
Start prepping for the event, and let it motivate you and your friends to get toned in the gym for the fun weekend out. Gather your friends, book your workouts, and start your personal training journey with the team at Live Fit Gym.
And remember to enjoy a post-festival spa day at Live Fit Gym, as well. Their wellness services include massages, saunas, chiropractic care, facials, and more, so you can feel rejuvenated after what’s sure to be an exciting weekend.
If you’re local to San Francisco, get a free day pass! Look and feel good as you prepare for the Portola Music Festival.
