Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is the free music festival that takes over the western end of Golden Gate Park in early October: six stages, about 70 acts, and no tickets. The 2026 edition ran Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October and is over. The festival had not announced 2027 dates or a lineup when we checked on 15 October 2026, so this guide keeps the 2026 set times as a record and the practical details as a guide to what to expect next time. The big change in 2026 was the way in: every entrance had body scanners and a stricter bag rule.
Who Closed Each Stage, Day by Day (2026)
These were the last sets on each stage in 2026; music ended at 7pm every day. The full 2026 schedule is further down this page.
| Stage | Friday 2 Oct | Saturday 3 Oct | Sunday 4 Oct |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banjo | Molly Tuttle, 5:50pm–7pm | Steve Earle & The Hardly Strictly Dukes, 5:45pm–7pm | Emmylou Harris, 5:45pm–7pm |
| Swan | Lukas Nelson, 6pm–7pm | Old Crow Medicine Show, 5:55pm–7pm | The Third Mind, 5:55pm–7pm |
| Towers of Gold | My Morning Jacket, 4:55pm–6pm | Rilo Kiley, 4:50pm–5:55pm | Robert Plant w/ Saving Grace and Suzi Dian, 4:40pm–5:55pm |
| Rooster | No sets listed | John Craigie w/ The Coffis Brothers, 6pm–7pm | Hiss Golden Messenger, 5:35pm–6:50pm |
| Arrow | Stacey Earle, 5pm–5:50pm | Scuff: Queer Line Dancing f: Jail Preacher, 4:55pm–5:45pm | Theo Lawrence, 5pm–5:45pm |
| Horseshoe Hill | Stella Heath Quartet, 4:55pm–6pm | Dug, 4:50pm–5:45pm | Rahim AlHaj, 4:50pm–5:50pm |
When and Where Was Hardly Strictly 2026?
Friday 2, Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October 2026, in Hellman Hollow and the Lindley and Marx meadows in Golden Gate Park. Entrances opened at 11am on Friday and 9am on Saturday and Sunday, and performances ended at 7pm every day.
| Entrance | Where |
|---|---|
| JFK Drive | At Transverse Drive |
| Fulton Street | At 30th Avenue |
| JFK Drive | At 36th Avenue |
| South Polo Field | Middle Drive at Metson Road |
The six stages in 2026 were Banjo, Swan, Towers of Gold, Rooster, Arrow and Horseshoe Hill. The 2026 stage-by-stage set times are below.
Who Played in 2026?
The festival’s 2026 schedule listed 71 sets over the three days. Friday 2 October had Los Lobos, Marty Stuart, My Morning Jacket, Molly Tuttle and Lukas Nelson; Saturday 3 October had Mavis Staples, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Rilo Kiley, Old Crow Medicine Show and Steve Earle; Sunday 4 October had Punch Brothers, Robert Plant with Saving Grace and Suzi Dian (4:40pm, Towers of Gold) and Emmylou Harris, who closed the Banjo stage.
The Full 2026 Schedule, by Day and Stage
Every act and set time as the festival listed them on its schedule page (71 sets), kept here as a record of the 2026 festival.
Friday 2 October (Gates 11am)
| Time | Act | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1pm–1:45pm | Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams | Banjo |
| 1pm–1:40pm | Shawn Camp | Swan |
| 1:40pm–2:20pm | Tyler Ballgame | Towers of Gold |
| 1:45pm–2:30pm | Meels | Arrow |
| 1:45pm–2:25pm | The Crooked Jades | Horseshoe Hill |
| 2:20pm–3:05pm | Sierra Hull | Swan |
| 2:30pm–3:20pm | Reckless Kelly | Banjo |
| 3:05pm–4pm | Todd Snider Rules! | Towers of Gold |
| 3:10pm–4pm | Mama's Broke | Horseshoe Hill |
| 3:20pm–4:05pm | Wreckless Strangers | Arrow |
| 4pm–4:55pm | Los Lobos | Swan |
| 4:05pm–5pm | Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives | Banjo |
| 4:55pm–6pm | My Morning Jacket | Towers of Gold |
| 4:55pm–6pm | Stella Heath Quartet | Horseshoe Hill |
| 5pm–5:50pm | Stacey Earle | Arrow |
| 5:50pm–7pm | Molly Tuttle | Banjo |
| 6pm–7pm | Lukas Nelson | Swan |
Saturday 3 October (Gates 9am)
| Time | Act | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 11am–11:40am | The Crosby Collective | Swan |
| 11am–11:40am | Alex Amen | Rooster |
| 11:15am–12:25pm | SF Porchfest: Los Jefes, Seldon, Isabel Dumaa | Arrow |
| 11:40am–12:25pm | Fantastic Cat | Towers of Gold |
| 11:40am–12:25pm | Sweet Sally | Horseshoe Hill |
| 12:10pm–12:55pm | Tony Kamel & Kym Warner | Rooster |
| 12:25pm–1:15pm | Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands | Banjo |
| 12:25pm–1:15pm | Moonalice | Swan |
| 1:05pm–1:55pm | Kathleen Edwards | Rooster |
| 1:15pm–2:05pm | Aaron Lee Tasjan | Towers of Gold |
| 1:15pm–2:15pm | Anna Moss | Arrow |
| 1:15pm–2:05pm | Martha Scanlan & Jon Neufeld | Horseshoe Hill |
| 2:05pm–2:55pm | Alison Brown | Swan |
| 2:10pm–3pm | The Deslondes | Rooster |
| 2:15pm–3:05pm | Mavis Staples | Banjo |
| 2:55pm–3:50pm | Hot Tuna Acoustic | Towers of Gold |
| 2:55pm–3:45pm | Bandits on the Run | Horseshoe Hill |
| 3:05pm–3:50pm | Ismay | Arrow |
| 3:25pm–4:15pm | Elizabeth Cook | Rooster |
| 3:50pm–5pm | Gillian Welch & David Rawlings | Banjo |
| 3:50pm–4:50pm | AJ Lee & Blue Summit | Swan |
| 4:30pm–5:20pm | Buddy Miller | Rooster |
| 4:50pm–5:55pm | Rilo Kiley | Towers of Gold |
| 4:50pm–5:45pm | Dug | Horseshoe Hill |
| 4:55pm–5:45pm | Scuff: Queer Line Dancing f: Jail Preacher | Arrow |
| 5:45pm–7pm | Steve Earle & The Hardly Strictly Dukes | Banjo |
| 5:55pm–7pm | Old Crow Medicine Show | Swan |
| 6pm–7pm | John Craigie w/ The Coffis Brothers | Rooster |
Sunday 4 October (Gates 9am)
| Time | Act | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 11am–11:50am | Dry Branch f: Ron Thomason & Friends | Banjo |
| 11am–11:45am | Kam Franklin | Rooster |
| 11:20am–12:10pm | Grace Cummings | Towers of Gold |
| 11:20am–12:10pm | Joel Ben Izzy – Traveling Storyteller | Horseshoe Hill |
| 11:50am–12:35pm | El Khat | Arrow |
| 12:10pm–1pm | Steve Poltz | Swan |
| 12:30pm–1:25pm | Dean Johnson | Rooster |
| 12:35pm–1:25pm | Miko Marks | Banjo |
| 1pm–1:50pm | Tift Merritt | Towers of Gold |
| 1pm–1:50pm | Yasmin Williams and William Tyler | Horseshoe Hill |
| 1:25pm–2:10pm | Marco and the Polos w/ special guests Hills to Hollers | Arrow |
| 1:50pm–2:40pm | Langford, Hogan & Timms | Swan |
| 2:10pm–3pm | ¿Qiensave? | Banjo |
| 2:10pm–3:05pm | Darrell Scott String Band w/ Rob Ickes | Rooster |
| 2:40pm–3:45pm | Jesse Welles | Towers of Gold |
| 2:45pm–3:40pm | Willy Tea Taylor | Horseshoe Hill |
| 3pm–3:45pm | Cristina Vane | Arrow |
| 3:45pm–5pm | A Tribute to Joe Ely with The Flatlanders and Friends | Banjo |
| 3:45pm–4:40pm | The Record Company | Swan |
| 3:50pm–4:50pm | Punch Brothers | Rooster |
| 4:40pm–5:55pm | Robert Plant w/ Saving Grace and Suzi Dian | Towers of Gold |
| 4:50pm–5:50pm | Rahim AlHaj | Horseshoe Hill |
| 5pm–5:45pm | Theo Lawrence | Arrow |
| 5:35pm–6:50pm | Hiss Golden Messenger | Rooster |
| 5:45pm–7pm | Emmylou Harris | Banjo |
| 5:55pm–7pm | The Third Mind | Swan |
What Could You Bring in 2026?
Security was tighter in 2026 than in past years: visitors walked through a body scanner and had bags searched. SFPD, including K9 units, worked inside and outside the festival. Check the festival’s own page for the rules before any future edition.
| Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| One bag plus one personal item per person. Clear bags up to 22 × 15 × 10 in; small bags, fanny packs and purses up to 6 × 8 × 3 in | Anything bigger |
| Soft coolers the size of a 12-pack or smaller | Hard coolers, or any cooler bigger than a 12-pack |
| Low, short-backed chairs | High-backed chairs |
| Blankets and tarps: keep to 5 × 7 feet (see below) | Umbrellas, tables, tents and shade structures |
| Beer and wine in non-glass containers | Glass, kegs and hard liquor |
| Cameras | Tripods, selfie sticks, drones, amplified speakers, personal instruments, flags and poles |
On blanket size, the festival’s own page gave two answers in 2026: its allowed-items list said under 6 × 8 feet and its seating section said 5 × 7. The smaller size covered you either way. A blanket left empty for more than an hour could be removed.
How Do You Get There?
In 2026 the festival asked everyone to avoid driving, and Muni added extra service on all three days at normal fares.
| Side of the park | Lines |
|---|---|
| North (Fulton Street) | 5 Fulton, 5R Fulton Rapid, 31 Balboa, 38 Geary, 38R Geary Rapid |
| South (Lincoln Way) | N Judah, 7 Haight/Noriega |
| Through the park | 29 Sunset, on Crossover Drive |
In 2026 bikes, scooters and skateboards were not allowed inside the festival, and there was no bike valet: lock up outside at your own risk, and not to trees or traffic poles. Some school PTAs ran paid parking in their lots on Saturday and Sunday, first come first served. Disabled parking for vehicles with a placard or plates was along JFK Drive west of Chain of Lakes.
For visitors with limited mobility, in 2026 the Accessibility Ambassadors tent was on JFK at 36th Avenue, next to Gate 3, and handed out wristbands for the golf carts that ran along JFK. Accessibility shuttle stops were at JFK and Bernice Rodgers Way, JFK and Chain of Lakes, JFK near Gate 3, and the Golden Gate Park Senior Center at 6101 Fulton Street.
Going with Children
It is a genuinely good family day out if you plan for it. Bring ear protection for small children, which the festival specifically asks for, and a refillable bottle: in 2026 free water refills were by the permanent bathrooms between the Banjo stage and Arrow meadow, at McLaren Pass, by the JFK Flats concessions and on the north side of the Swan crossover. There were no ATMs inside, and lost and found was at all four information booths.
Good to Know
- In 2026, HSB TV livestreamed every act on every stage, every day of the festival, in a web browser.
- In 2026, online ordering for pickup in the park started on Friday 2 October at 11am.
- Smoking is not allowed anywhere in Golden Gate Park.
- Dogs are allowed under park rules, on a leash, if they cope with crowds and loud music.
- No camping, and no saving spaces overnight: the park is swept every evening.
- The whole park is a no-drone zone.
See our Hardly Strictly event listing for the next edition once it is announced, and see Golden Gate Park with kids if you are making a weekend of it.
Set times and stages checked against the festival’s 2026 schedule page on 29 September 2026 and its homepage on 1 October 2026 (no changes to the lineup). Gates, bag rules, transit and access checked against the festival’s homepage, 2026 information page and artist lineup page on 21 September 2026.
Correction, 21 September 2026: This guide previously said the festival has more than a hundred acts. The festival’s published 2026 artist list has about 70.
Updated 15 October 2026: the 2026 festival is over. The festival’s homepage and information pages carried no 2027 dates when we checked on 15 October 2026; we will update this guide when they are published.
Planning for next summer? Our Outside Lands 2027 guide covers the other big Golden Gate Park festival (August 6-8, 2027).
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Read the guide →Questions People Ask About Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2026 Recap: Set Times, Stages and Bag Rules
Is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass free?
Yes. The festival is free and there are no tickets to buy or reserve. You walk in through one of the security entrances.
What time did Hardly Strictly start in 2026?
In 2026, entrances opened at 11am on Friday 2 October and at 9am on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October. Music ended at 7pm each day. The first sets started at 1pm on Friday and 11am on Saturday and Sunday; the full set times by stage are on this page.
Can you bring alcohol to Hardly Strictly?
Beer and wine are allowed in non-glass containers. Hard liquor and glass are not, and SFPD confiscates hard alcohol. No alcohol is sold inside the park.
Can you bring chairs and blankets?
Low, short-backed chairs are allowed; high-backed chairs are not. Keep blankets or tarps to 5 by 7 feet, the tighter of the two sizes the festival gives, and do not leave them unattended for more than an hour or they may be removed. The park is cleared every evening, so you cannot save a spot overnight.
Can you bring a dog?
Dogs are allowed under the normal park rules, on a leash, and the festival asks that they be comfortable with large crowds and loud music.
Where do you park for Hardly Strictly?
Mostly you do not. The festival asks people to come by Muni, bike or on foot. Some school PTAs run paid parking in their lots on Saturday and Sunday, first come first served, and disabled parking with a placard is along JFK Drive west of Chain of Lakes.
When did Robert Plant play Hardly Strictly 2026?
Sunday 4 October, 4:40pm to 5:55pm on the Towers of Gold stage, with Saving Grace and Suzi Dian, according to the festival’s 2026 schedule.
Who closed Hardly Strictly each night in 2026?
On the Banjo stage, Molly Tuttle closed Friday (5:50pm), Steve Earle and the Hardly Strictly Dukes closed Saturday (5:45pm) and Emmylou Harris closed Sunday (5:45pm). Music ended at 7pm every day.
When is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2027?
The festival had not announced 2027 dates or a lineup when we checked its homepage and information pages on 15 October 2026. The 2026 festival was 2 to 4 October. We will update this guide when the dates are published.
More to Explore
Happening Soon
- Treasures of the Pharaohs Sat, Aug 1, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 · de Young Museum
- Ferry Plaza Farmers Market Sat, Sep 12 – Dec 31 · Ferry Building Plaza
- Heart of the City Farmers Market Sun, Sep 13 – Dec 31 · Fulton Plaza, Civic Center
- Syd Mead: Future Pastime Thu, Oct 8 – Dec 17 · Transamerica Pyramid Annex Gallery
Places to Check Out
- Alta Plaza Park Parks & Playgrounds
- Angelo J. Rossi Playground Parks & Playgrounds
- Aquarium of the Bay Attractions
- Balmy Alley Murals Attractions
Cite this page: Project SF, “Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2026 Recap: Set Times, Stages and Bag Rules”, projectsf.com/guides/hardly-strictly-bluegrass-guide/ (updated ).