Concerts returning to Golden Gate Park
Being a casual music fan just got a lot cheaper.
More than 125 performances by Bay Area artists are scheduled for this year’s Illuminate Live free concert series, which returns to the Golden Gate Park Bandshell this week.
This season kicked off Friday, March 1, with DJ N0be, indie band Cardboard People and singer-songwriter Jane the Message on the lineup.
In honor of Women’s History Month, the rest of the shows scheduled for March will spotlight female performers or female-led musical groups such as San Francisco’s Marlina Teich Quartet, Oakland folk singer Aireene Espiritu and Marin County singer Shana Morrison, daughter of famed Northern Ireland-born musician Van Morrison.
Entering its fourth season, the series will follow a weekly format of Singer/Songwriter Wednesdays, Friday Happy Hour and Crucial Reggae Sundays through mid-November, showcasing R&B, indie, psychedelic rock and electronic dance music, among other genres. Performances are also scheduled on select Saturdays for special programming such as the Mother’s Day special show on May 11 and Past/Future Tradition/Innovation Day on May 25.
Other artists on the lineup include Novato singer-songwriter Ben Lang, Oakland alternative rock band Whiskerman and San Francisco jazz singer Sony Holland.
The concert series is presented by Illuminate, a San Francisco nonprofit that focuses on creating large-scale public art installations. The organization renovated the Golden Gate Park Bandshell — installing a new stage, built-in lighting and an upgraded sound system — to launch the series in celebration of the park’s 150th anniversary in 2020. Since then, Illuminate Live has attracted more than 250,000 attendees each season.