Entertainment Commission approves Goldenvoice permit for Portola Music Festival at Pier 80 with sound conditions
Summary
The San Francisco Entertainment Commission voted to approve Goldenvoice’s Portola Music Festival permit for Sept. 20–21 with staff-recommended sound-mitigation measures and monitoring; commissioners cited fewer complaints than in prior years but residents urged stricter enforcement.
The San Francisco Entertainment Commission on March 18 approved a one-time permit for Goldenvoice to hold the Portola Music Festival at Pier 80 on Saturday, Sept. 20, and Sunday, Sept. 21, with staff-recommended conditions on hours, sound checks and monitoring.
The permit, which the presenter said expects 40,000 patrons per day (about 80,000 total), keeps the same hours Goldenvoice used last year: music from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. to 10:55 p.m. on Sunday, with outdoor music ending by 10:45 p.m. on Sunday. The application includes sporadic sound checks in the days before the festival, five fixed sound-monitoring terminals (three in San Francisco, two in Alameda), roaming dB monitors, and a festival call center to field complaints in real time.
Project and Communication Manager Rice, speaking for commission staff, told commissioners the Port of San Francisco has given conditional approval pending its port commission review and the permit file shows 224 combined complaints during last year’s event, with 144 from San Francisco and 80 from Alameda. Rice said that represented a shift in complaint geography and a 61% reduction in Alameda/East Bay complaints from 2023.
Tim Ley, festival director at Goldenvoice, said the promoter has worked with city officials, neighborhood groups and public-safety teams to reduce impacts and improve mitigation. “From day one, our goal has been to bring something to the city that brings people together, contributes to the local economy, and really highlights…great musical tastes,” Ley said. Aaron Bilbo of Goldenvoice summarized operational plans and said there are no major layout changes from last year.
During remote public comment, Bill Holtzman, a Corona Heights resident, urged denial of the permit, saying past events caused “noise pollution” that shook his home and criticizing the use of a Goldenvoice-run hotline to filter complaints. “Low level sounds, or bass, can be heard, but more importantly, you can feel them in the gut,” Holtzman said.
Commissioners cited the reduction in out-of-city complaints and Goldenvoice’s expanded mitigation work when they moved to approve the permit with staff recommendations. One commissioner said the commission’s mandate is both to regulate and to promote entertainment, and praised the event’s economic contribution to the city.
The permit was approved by roll call. Commissioners recorded aye votes across the board and the commission instructed staff to continue close monitoring and coordination with Goldenvoice, the Port of San Francisco and public-safety partners.
Looking ahead, the permit remains conditionally dependent on final port approvals and issuance of other required licenses, and staff said they will continue outreach to Alameda and surrounding neighborhoods before the event.
