More Major Concerts Will Be Held In Golden Gate Park:
Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors accepted permits for additional concerts in Golden Gate Park to be produced by Another Planet Entertainment, paving the way for novel, separately branded, “headliner-driven” shows at the park’s Polo Fields the weekend following the music festival for at least the next three years.
After the Budget as well as Finance Committee transmitted the proposal to the full board, the concert permits were approved by a vote of 10-1, despite opposition from some west-side residents who were concerned regarding additional traffic effects around the park.
Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a new permit allowing the Outside Lands impresario to conduct a second weekend of concerts on the Polo Field for three consecutive summers beginning in 2024.
Each Single-Headliner Performance Will Have A Capacity Of Approximately 65,000 Persons:
In order to accommodate additional performances, the infrastructure of Outside Lands will be dismantled with the exception of the Polo Field stage for the concerts. Each single-headliner concert will have a capacity of approximately 65,000 persons.
The promoter of Outside Lands, Another Planet Entertainment, as well as the Recreation and Parks Department of San Francisco vow that the second weekend is going to have a substantially lesser impact on park access. Chain of Lakes Drive is still accessible to automobile traffic and neighboring communities.
“This was great news for San Francisco, which has long been a destination for music, festivals, as well as entertainment,” stated Mayor London Breed.
Before the vote, Chan stated, “I do not intend to delay or derail this project as well as these benefits, yet I do want to say to the benefit of the Richmond district that I continue to have serious concerns that the department has no real plan to address.”
The Recreation And Parks Department Of San Francisco Has Projected That The New Concerts Could Generate Up To $2.1 Million:
The Recreation and Parks Department of San Francisco estimates that the new concerts will generate up to $2.1 million within additional revenue for the city, in addition to other economic benefits.
Sarah Madland, director of departmental policy, presented them to the budget committee as “a key budget-balancing plan for the department.”
Another Planet consented to organize free concerts within Civic Center Plaza, Union Square, as well as the Embarcadero, but not necessarily upon the same weekend with the Polo Field concerts, in response to pressure to leverage the occurrences to revitalize the city’s struggling downtown.
The addition of more concerts to Golden Gate Park, however, was met with opposition from some west-side neighborhood residents.
These concerns were reflected within the fact that the permits were sent for review without recommendation to the entire board.
Additionally, The Promoter Will Contribute $10,000 To Each Of The Following Community Benefit Funds:
Connie Chan, who heads the budget committee, happens to be the loudest opponent of the permits within the board. persona.
In addition to the $25,000 it already provides for Outside Lands, the promoter will contribute an additional $10,000 to community benefit funds within the Sunset as well as Richmond districts.
Supervisor Joel Engardio, who represents the Sunset District upon the opposite side of Golden Gate Park, stated his support for the proposal to host additional concerts.
Engardio Has Expressed His Support For Additional Ticketed Concerts Succeeding Outside Lands:
Engardio said in a statement, “I support the additional ticketed concerts following Outside Lands within Golden Gate Park because they pay for the free concerts downtown, prevent our parks from facing a deficit, and provide more community benefits for Sunset residents.”
These involve free outdoor concerts within Union Square, Civic Center, as well as Embarcadero Plazas to help revitalize those areas, free public transportation for concert ticket holders, and additional contributions to Outside Lands’ community benefit fund, which helps fund local community organizations.