More shows coming to Golden Gate Park

A proposal to bring an annual series of concerts to Golden Gate Park’s Polo Fields starting in 2024 appears to be moving forward after concert organizers and the Recreation and Park Department reached an agreement with a city supervisor.

Rec and Park officials said in a statement Friday that concert promoter Another Planet Entertainment agreed to allow more community input into their plan to bring as many as three concerts to the Polo Fields the weekend after the annual Outside Lands Festival in August.

Supervisor Connie Chan, who represents the Richmond District where a large portion of Golden Gate Park sits, threatened to hold up the approval process for the concerts, saying Another Planet Entertainment was moving too quickly and without enough input from her constituents. Her reaction angered some who saw the concerts as a potential economic and entertainment boon for a city badly in need of both.

On Friday, Chan said in a statement that Rec and Park and Another Planet Entertainment had acceded to her requests for a broader dialogue.

“With this initial agreement, Rec and Park has committed to continuing the outreach to our community, to ensure their concerns are heard, while still bringing the benefits to the Richmond and the entire city,” Chan said. “I appreciate Another Planet Entertainment’s willingness to come to the table and recognize the communities I represent. Our conversations have led to prioritize community input in this process, to ensure prevailing wage for all workers, and to concrete initiatives for downtown revitalization.”

The concerts would be separate and smaller than Outside Lands concerts, the department added, and would use a portion of the Outside Lands festival’s infrastructure to “minimize impact on the park.” Concert producers will also fund free Muni rides to and from the Polo Fields.

The agreement also includes Another Planet Entertainment bringing three free downtown concerts to Civic Center Plaza, Union Square and Embarcadero annually for the same three years, spurred by members of the Board of Supervisors suggesting concerts in the eastern part of the city. Additionally, the proposal increased the Community Benefit Funding for programs in the Sunset and Richmond districts by $10,000 per neighborhood.

Rec and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg called the agreement a “win-win proposal,” allowing the department to maintain its green spaces while also creating opportunities for residents to be front-row for the “world-class entertainment” that Another Planet Entertainment provides.

Another Planet Entertainment has partnered with the city of San Francisco for 15 years on Outside Lands, according to Rec and Park. The proposed concerts are also expected to generate “hundreds” of jobs and bring in $1.4 million for a two-day event and $2.1 million for a threeday event.

The proposal is pending a vote from the Board of Supervisors in September. On Aug. 9, the Planning Association for the Richmond District will organize a community meeting.