Lucinda Williams, Samara Joy, Courtney Barnett Headlining 2025 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is going all out for its 25^th anniversary this year with a stacked lineup that includes Lucinda Williams, Courtney Barnett and Samara Joy as headliners.

“I’m excited to return to Golden Gate Park for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass,” Courtney Barnett said in a statement. “Last time I played there was with Kurt Vile in 2017, and we all had such a great time!”

The free, multi-stage festival is set to take place Oct. 3-5 at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, and the initial eclectic lineup includes more than 20 acts spanning many genres. Also on the bill are Reverend Horton Heat, Watchhouse, Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets, Dan Tyminski Band, Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band, The String Cheese Incident and Chuck Prophet and His Cumbia Shoes. Additional acts will be announced at a later date.

“For 25 years, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has been a testament to the power of music to bring people together—free, inclusive, and rooted in the spirit of community,” said Sheri Sternberg, one of the founders and an executive producer of HSB. “What started as a humble celebration of bluegrass has grown into a beloved San Francisco tradition that honors the past while embracing the future. We’re proud to carry forward the legacy of Warren Hellman and look forward to gathering once again in Golden Gate Park for a weekend of unforgettable music.”

In addition to the festival, there will be special events held to celebrate Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’s 25^th anniversary, including a sold-out benefit concert at The Masonic on Oct. 2 honoring legendary singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris, the only artist to perform at every edition of the Bay Area festival. The 14-time Grammy winner will be joined by close friends and collaborators such as Allison Russell, Albert Lee, Margo Price, Patty Griffin, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, Sam Bush, Shawn Colvin, Steve Earle and others. The concert with the all-star lineup will benefit Bonaparte’s Retreat, a nonprofit dog rescue.

There is also a benefit concert honoring the memory of Nancy Hellman Bechtle. The San Francisco Symphony and Lyle Lovett join forces for the show on Sept. 13, and portions of the proceeds will benefit the Symphony’s Music and Mentors program, which supports instrumental music programs in San Francisco middle and high schools. For tickets, click here.

The ”Out of the Park” concerts tradition will also be part of the festivities, and those shows benefit Sweet Relief and Bay Area Musicians’ Fund. Such shows include Reverend Horton Heat at Sweetwater on Oct. 2, The String Cheese Incident at The Fillmore on Oct. 4, Josh Ritter at The Chapel on Oct. 3, Patty Griffin and Nick Lowe at GAMH on Oct. 3 and more.

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)