SAN FRANCISCO, CA – A proposal to host a series of ticketed concerts in the Golden Gate Park Polo Fields will go before the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in September following an initial agreement reached today between the Recreation and Park Department, Another Planet Entertainment (APE) and District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan.
The Board of Supervisors Budget Committee will hear the matter September 6, 2023. If it passes, it is expected to go before the full board for final approval September 12, 2023.
At the heart of the proposal are two to three ticketed concerts in Golden Gate Park’s Polo Fields held in August, the weekend after the Outside Lands Festival for three years starting in 2024. Concert producers will fund free Muni rides to and from the Polo Field for those attending the concerts.
Also included are three free downtown concerts in which APE would bring a musical act to Civic Center Plaza, Union Square and Embarcadero annually for the same three years. Additionally, the proposal increased the Community Benefit Funding for neighborhood-specific projects and programs in the Sunset and Richmond District. APE, which produces the annual Outside Lands festival, currently provides $25,000 annually to both District 1 and District 4. The proposal would increase these community funds by $10,000 per neighborhood. The new resolution, to be introduced today, codifies these myriad benefits.
“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,” said Supervisor Connie Chan. “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.”
“San Francisco is lucky to have Another Planet Entertainment, an independent and locally owned concert production company. They’re going to make the iconic Castro theater viable and relevant again so future generations can make new memories in a magnificent old building. And now they’re going to bring free concerts downtown to help revitalize the core of our city,” said Supervisor Joel Engardio, who represents the Sunset neighborhoods. “I support additional ticketed concerts following Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park because they will pay for the free concerts downtown, keep our parks from facing a deficit, and offer more community benefits for Sunset residents. We need more joy in San Francisco as we work to address the serious issues facing our city. I’m grateful that Another Planet Entertainment agreed to everything I asked for to help our city. Now let’s go enjoy the music and have some much-needed fun!”
“We are thrilled that Supervisors will hear the proposal to bring music to our city’s parks and plazas,” said San Francisco Rec and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg. “This is a win-win proposal—allowing our department to continue to maintain our green spaces and offer robust programming while offering residents and visitors the kind of world class entertainment APE provides.”
“We are excited to have the opportunity to bring incredible entertainment to San Francisco and expand our longtime stewardship of Golden Gate Park. We are a local company with a long history of collaboration and cooperation with San Francisco’s leaders and residents. I want to thank Supervisor Chan, Rec and Park, and community members for their support,” said Another Planet Entertainment President of Concerts and Festivals Allen Scott.
In contrast to Outside Lands, the additional summer concerts in the Polo Fields would be separate, smaller, headliner-focused events. They would use a portion of the Outside Lands festival’s infrastructure to minimize impact on the park. The city’s permit fees, $1.4 million for a two-day event and $2.1 million for a three-day event, would allow the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department to continue to offer programming to children, adults, and seniors across the city and care for its facilities. The city currently faces a two-year budget deficit of $780 million.
“The concerts will bring more joy life to our city, but they will also bring more jobs,” said San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council President Larry Mazzola Jr, who also serves on the Recreation and Park Commission. “The revenue is also essential for maintaining jobs for those who build and care for our park system.”
The downtown concerts were included in the proposal after members of the Board of Supervisors suggested APE hold concerts in the eastern part of the city. Transforming downtown into a leading arts, culture, and nightlife destination is one of the strategies of Mayor Breed’s Roadmap to Downtown San Francisco’s Future plan, which aims to transform downtown into a stronger, resilient, economic, and global destination.
“Music and culture draw both visitors and locals and contribute to a vibrant, thriving city. Free concerts in the heart of San Francisco will further spur economic recovery of downtown businesses while ticketed concerts in the Polo Fields will ensure our parks remain funded and expertly maintained,” said San Francisco Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Rodney Fong.
APE has partnered with the city for 15 years on Outside Lands. The festival has injected over a billion dollars into San Francisco’s economy since its inception. The proposed concerts, if approved, are expected to generate hundreds of jobs.
On August 9, the Planning Association for the Richmond (PAR) will facilitate a community meeting at 6:30 p.m., at the Golden Gate Park Senior Center, 6101 Fulton Street. Representatives from District 1, Rec and Park and Another Planet Entertainment will be present for a listening session followed by questions from the community.
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