(BHM) Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (HSB) is excited to share the next wave of the lineup for its silver anniversary in San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Park from Friday, October 3 to Sunday, October 5.
Now in its 25th year, the free music festival will once again present a truly eclectic bill of top performers spanning an array of genres, including The Devil Makes Three, Amos Lee, Marc Ribot: Map Of A Blue City, Ocie Elliott, Robert Earl Keen, Olivia Wolf, Madeline Hawthorne, Dengue Fever, TopHouse, and Corey Harris. The fourth lineup announcement was teased with an exclusive medley streaming now on the official Hardly Strictly Bluegrass app and website. Additional performers will be announced soon.
As a special way of marking HSB's anniversary, the Haight Street Art Center is pleased to present The Big Twang! Hardly Strictly Bluegrass at 25, a special exhibition opening on September 11 and running through October 12, 2025. Highlights of the exhibition include HSB founder Warren Hellman's rhinestone jacket (made for him by his granddaughter Laurel Hellman in 2011), as well as his beloved banjo; key posters from HSB concerts over the years (a number of which have been signed by scores of performers); the festival's famous penny machine; and dozens of photographs capturing faces in the crowd by documentary photographer and filmmaker Lizzy Myers.
HSB is also celebrating its anniversary with the release of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass at 25: The Big Twang!, a stunning book of photography and essays. The book captures the sights and soul of the renowned festival in Golden Gate Park through the lenses of Jay Blakesberg and many other talented photographers. Featuring a heartfelt foreword by Emmylou Harris and an afterword by Steve Earle, the book also includes interviews and essays by Aidin Vaziri, Frances Dinkelspiel, Sylvie Simmons, and Tricia Hellman Gibbs.
"For the first time in our history, we have decided to put together a book to share the memories we have made for the past 25 years of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass", said Avery Hellman, Creative Director of the book. "We spent months collecting our favorite photographs of performances and candid moments to share with our audience. This book really tells the story of our unique place in the world of live music; it is guaranteed to delight you, and revive any forgotten memories of HSB."
As a companion to the exhibition, on September 20, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass will co-host a special book launch event with the Haight Street Art Center featuring live-music by Yoseff Tucker to celebrate the publication of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass at 25: The Big Twang!
This year, in addition to the festival, there will be some first-ever special events held to celebrate HSB's birthday.
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of HSB, and honoring the memory of Nancy Hellman Bechtle, the San Francisco Symphony and singer, composer, and actor Lyle Lovett join forces Saturday, September 13. Lovett and the San Francisco Symphony will be joined by conductor Edwin Outwater and Lovett's Acoustic Group. Known for his gift of storytelling, the Texas-based musician fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down barriers.
Portions of the concert's proceeds will benefit the San Francisco Symphony's Music and Mentors program, which provides assistance to instrumental music programs in San Francisco's public middle schools and high schools. Tickets for "Celebrating Hardly Strictly Bluegrass: Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group with the SF Symphony" went on sale to the public on July 19.
HSB will kick off its landmark 25th anniversary weekend celebration this year with a very special sold-out festival eve benefit concert honoring legendary singer and songwriter Emmylou Harris - the only artist to perform at each and every edition of the much beloved San Francisco free music festival. Set for Thursday, October 2 at San Francisco, CA's The Masonic, "A Tribute to Emmylou Harris & 25 Years of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass" will see the 14x GRAMMY Award-winner joined by some of her closest friends and collaborators including Allison Russell, Albert Lee, Margo Price, Patty Griffin, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, Sam Bush, Shawn Colvin, Steve Earle and other guests. Buddy Miller will serve as the show's musical director, backed by The Red Hot Dirt Ramblers. The all-star lineup features some of Emmylou Harris' current and recent bandmates, including Albert Lee, Bryan Owings, Chris Donohue, Eamon McLoughlin, Glen D Hardin, Phil Madeira, Sam Bush & Steve Fishell. All proceeds will benefit the foster-based, 501(c)3 nonprofit dog rescue organization Bonaparte's Retreat.
The tradition of "Out of the Park" concerts will continue this year, once again benefiting Sweet Relief, Bay Area Musicians' Fund. Many of the artists listed in the initial lineup will be performing nighttime shows at some of the Bay Area's favorite venues, including Reverend Horton Heat at Sweetwater, Patty Griffin & Nick Lowe at The Great American Music Hall, Watchhouse at the UC Theatre and many more.
HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS 2025
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA
October 3-5, 2025
FOURTH LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT
The Devil Makes Three
Amos Lee
Marc Ribot: Map Of A Blue City
Ocie Elliott
Robert Earl Keen
Olivia Wolf
Madeline Hawthorne
Dengue Fever
TopHouse
Corey Harris
THIRD LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Margaret Glaspy
Cimafunk
Paper Wings
Kaia Kater
BALTHVS
Evolfo
Peter Rowan with Sam Grisman Project Playing Old & In the Way & More
Rosie Flores
Anderson East
SECOND LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT
Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles
Kelly McFarling
I'm With Her
William Prince
ALO
Jontavious Willis
Jimmie Dale Gilmore and the West Texas Exiles
The Watson Twins
Sinkane
The Altons
INITIAL LINEUP
Lucinda Williams
Samara Joy
Courtney Barnett
Reverend Horton Heat
Watchhouse
Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets
Dan Tyminski Band
Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band
The String Cheese Incident
Chuck Prophet and His Cumbia Shoes
ADDITIONAL ARTISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED
ARTISTS PLAYING THE TRIBUTE TO EMMYLOU HARRIS ALSO PERFORMING AT HSB:
Albert Lee
Buddy Miller
Emmylou Harris
Margo Price
Patty Griffin
Rodney Crowell
Rosanne Cash
Sam Bush
Shawn Colvin
Steve Earle
OUT OF THE PARK CONCERTS:
Reverend Horton Heat - Sweetwater (October 2)
The String Cheese Incident - The Fillmore (October 4)
Rosanne Cash - Bing Concert Hall at Stanford (Palo Alto) (October 5)
Chuck Prophet - Hopmonk Novato (October 11)
Rodney Crowell - Rancho Nicasio (October 5)
Josh Ritter - The Chapel (October 3)
A Night of Music, Movies, and Meaning:
Finding Lucinda Live Screening + Performance
Four Star (October 3)
Patty Griffin/Nick Lowe - GAMH (October 3)
Dan Tyminski - Sweetwater Music Hall (October 3)
Watchhouse - The UC Theatre (October 4)
Los Straitjackets - Ivy Room (October 4)
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