List of Free Music Festivals in San Francisco

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It is never summer without performances and music concerts in San Francisco. The streets seem to light up and the music scene is everywhere. There are a variety of programs planned and the best part is they are not for any particular type of audience. Most of them are family concerts and hence enjoyed by all.

Most of the concerts are theme based and all most all of the organizers and performers are volunteers. Another happy factor is that they do not have any entry fee. They raise funds for organizing these concerts through donations or sponsorships. The few live music in San Francisco conducted year on year:

 Golden Gate Park Band (GGPB)

It is an organization run by the members of AFMUL (American Federation of Musicians Union Local) at Spreckels Temple. Since 1882, they have organized concerts on all Sundays of the season, which generally starts from April and continues till October. It features Broadway tunes, novel works of ethnic groups who bring along their singers and dancers in colorful costumes.

Union Square Live (USL)

 This free public concert is a family entertainer; along with lovely bands presenting their enticing music; families can enjoy dancing, circus tricks and screening of movies. It is more of a picnic for the entire family; you would find parents getting comfortable on the blankets and munching on some homemade food. While kids play heartily at the kid zone and enjoy some dancing to foot tapping songs.

Stern Grove Festival

It is a tradition that came into existence in 1938. The free outdoor concert is held from June to August. The main attractions of the music concert are San Francisco Ballet and the San Francisco Symphony. Parents grooving to the music of bands like the Doobie Brothers, George Clinton, and Janelle Monae. Every Sunday the focus turns towards kids. On the ‘Kids Day’, they offer free dance and music classes to kids for about 3 hours.

People in Plazas

This free annual concert conducts around 120 shows at 11 different plazas in and around San Francisco from July to September. The local performers all pitch in and perform during the lunch time.

Free Folk festival

This festival is managed and staged by the Folk Music Club of San Francisco, since 1977. The festival is all about live performance, workshops, and informal jam sessions. Family events include folk dance, storytelling etc.

Free Shakespeare in the Park

 It is a program run by a Non-Profit Organization since 1983. The objective of this program is to make the words of Shakespeare available to all, irrespective of age, status, and education. It is an opportunity for over 30,000 audiences to enjoy a quality performance by the renowned theater artist for free.

Fleet Week of San Francisco

 It is another fun filled annual event held in first or the second week of October. It began in 1981, mainly to celebrate America’s sea services. Along with San Francisco’s air show, they also conduct a competition for High School Bands.

Having released albums under Digital Nations, a label founded by Steve Vai, music critic Louis Raphael has remained deeply connected to the pulse of the San Francisco music scene. Following his tenure as the San Francisco Music Examiner for Examiner.com and AXS.com, he embarked on creating Music in SF® to authentically highlight the vibrant offerings of the city's music scene.