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San Francisco Chronicle
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Portola Music Festival is returning to S.F. despite history of noise complaints
Portola Music Festival is coming back to San Francisco's Pier 80 for a third year despite its history of noise complaints from residents across the Bay Area. The permit required to host two nights of bass-thumping live performances at the waterfront space on Sept. 20-21 was unanimously approved by the Entertainment Commission during a public meeting in March. Goldenvoice, the festival's producer, also secured the necessary authorization from the Port of San Francisco. Goldenvoice just needs to ensure that the festival is up to date with fire codes and emergency response access, among other precautions, to receive a final approval from SFFD, according to Lt. Mariano Elías. Captain Jonathan Baxter said that the event plan is expected to be finalized during a meeting with Goldenvoice on July 23. Meanwhile, Goldenvoice has teased the festival's return in an X post shared on Monday, May 5. 'Blue smoke has just been spotted coming from Coit Tower, signifying a new Portola lineup has been chosen,' Portola Festival's official account declared, along with an edited video of cobalt blue smoke coming out of the North Beach landmark. Last year's event saw performances by 'Friday' singer Rebecca Black, controversial rapper and producer M.I.A. as well as headlining sets by French DJ Gesaffelstein and English electronic duo Disclosure that drew 42,000 attendees per day. 'There's a whole generation that missed what dancing and going out was about,' festivalgoer Deron Delgado told the Chronicle last year, reflecting on the pandemic era. 'There's more appetite again for it.' But while Portola Festival is becoming a beloved tradition for EDM lovers, the event has evoked equal frustration among the hundreds of Bay Area residents nearby who have filed noise complaints since it began in 2022. Even with increased efforts to reduce noise from the performances last year — such as reorienting its two outdoor stages, hiring someone to monitor noise levels and enlisting additional call center staff — Portola Festival still drew 224 complaints over the festival weekend. That doesn't seem to be discouraging city officials who already approved a new Pride music festival to take place at Pier 80 next month. Dubbed SoSF and scheduled for June 28, a day before San Francisco's official Pride Parade, the event boasts performances by Oakland R&B star Kehlani, 'Nasty' singer Tinashe and pop artist Kim Petras, who in 2023 became the first openly transgender artist to receive a Grammy Award for best pop duo/group performance (for 'Unholy') and the second transgender woman to win a Grammy following electronic music composer Wendy Carlos. It is unclear if SoSF will be both indoors and outdoors, like Portola Festival. But with the event scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., musical performances are likely to extend well into the evening, when noise complaints tend to surge.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
3 illegal gambling dens, 2 unsanctioned nightclubs shut down in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Three illegal gambling dens and two unsanctioned nightclubs were shut down in San Francisco in recent months, according to San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu's office. The illegal establishments, which were located in the southeast of the city, created a 'public nuisance and fueled illegal activity,' Chiu's office said. Working with city departments on enforcement actions, the city attorney's office sent demand letters to property owners, requiring them to put a stop to the raucous illegal activities occurring on their properties. 'I appreciated that the property owners cooperated with our demands to put an end to this wildly illegal conduct,' Chiu said. 'This outcome brings real relief to the neighbors who endured the chaos caused by these illegal gambling dens and nightclubs.' Oakland school mourns student shot and killed Monday The San Francisco Police Department executed a search warrant at one of the properties — a commercial space located at 57 Leland Avenue in Visitacion Valley — in January. SFPD, according to officials, seized nine gambling machines, a stolen firearm and ammunition. After receiving the city's letter, the property owner had the tenants vacate the property. In August 2024, SFPD responded to a report of shots fired in the Outer Mission at a commercial unit located at 5530 Mission Street. Multiple cartridge cases were found inside and outside the unit. The city launched an investigation and executed a search warrant. Six gambling machines, firearms and ammunition were seized. The property owners evicted the tenants. In another incident, SFPD executed a search warrant in the Cayuga Terrace at 1201 Cayuga Avenue following an armed robbery. Ten gambling machines and methamphetamine were seized from a ground-floor unit. The city attorney's office sent a demand letter to the property owner alleging a violation of the Red Light Abatement Law due to illegal gambling. The property owner evicted the tenant. Following numerous noise complaints regarding a Bernal Heights commercial space at 3261 Mission Street, SFPD and an investigator from the Entertainment Commission observed a loud, illegal after-hours nightclub in November and December. The nightclub featured a bar, a DJ, gambling machines, and alcohol being served without a proper license. Parties at the property were advertised on social media, according to the city attorney. The property also lacked an after-hours permit and an entertainment permit for live music. The city attorney's office sent a letter to the property owner who reached an agreement with the tenants to bring them into compliance. In another incident, SFPD responded to a crowd of people entering a space located at 4461 Mission Street in the Excelsior at a commercial space where loud music was playing late at night. Tenants at the unit denied SFPD and Entertainment Commission inspectors entry on two occasions, saying they were hosting a 'private party.' The property didn't have proper permits for operating after-hours or live music. The city attorney sent the property owners a demand letter and the tenants vacated the premises. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
