Portola Festival

San Francisco was once again brought the mesmerizing beats and kaleidoscopic lights of the Portola Music Festival, marking its triumphant second year at Pier 80 in San Francisco. Taking place over the weekend of the last day of September and the first day of October, the festival proved to be the perfect escape from the daily grind. The festival’s blend of diverse electronic and pop genres created an otherworldly experience that captivated attendees under the warm day sun and the chilly night stars. Over the two days, over 60 acts performed over the four stages. The headlining acts – Eric Prydz’s “HOLO” dazzling production on Saturday and Skrillex’s electrifying performance on Sunday – capped off each day at the main Pier Stage with the giant party all the festival-goers were there for.

With well-known electronic acts Eric Prydz, Skrillex, Polo & Pan, Underworld, and FKJ, as well as electronic-adjacent/multi-genre artists Labrinth, Rina Sawayama, Thundercat, Jai Paul, and pop icon Nelly Furtado at the top of the bill, as well an incredible undercard, Portola year two matched the expectations held from it’s first year with another stacked lineup. The electronic acts were ingeniously curated to create a lineup that spanned all sorts of subgenres, from techno to house to dubstep, while there were pop, R&B, and hip-hop acts scattered throughout to diversify and round out the lineup. The festival setup made it very walkable between stages, allowing a near-seamless constant musical experience for those who wanted it. The pier – with views of the city, ships, and cranes – made for unique industrial vibes that felt perfect for the type for the music at the festival.

The music went from 2 P.M. to almost 11 P.M. each day, and Saturday saw up-and-coming artists Model/Actriz, Elio, Yung Singh, and Salute kicking off the festival at each of the four stages. By 5 P.M., the festival grounds were filled out, while multi-instrumentalist FKJ was performing on the Pier Stage surrounded by all his instruments and Chromeo was in the Ship Tent on stage leading a funky dance party. One highlight of the day was Nelly Furtado’s return to the U.S. stage, performing many of her 2000’s pop hits (a number that were remixed with an electronic flair fit for Portola) to the massive crowd she drew to the Pier Stage. French electronic music duo Polo & Pan, an intriguing and provocative set from the Swedish artist Cobrah, and the eighth ever set from the previously (for 10 years) elusive Jai Paul brought the festival to the final acts of the day. At the Pier Stage, Eric Prydz brought his masterful audiovisual experience called HOLO to the Portola crowd, and the seamless mixing and atmospheric track selection and incredible visuals on screens that covered the entire stage took the crowd on a multi-sensory journey. At the Warehouse stage, Chris Lake and Armand Van Heldon ended the night with a 2-hour B2B set complete with lasers and strobes.

The music continued on Sunday, which brought its own set of music and dance experiences. In the first half of the day, British-Nigerian rapper Little Simz delivered a high energy set with great flow at the Pier Stage, Brazilian singer and drag queen Pabllo Vittar had the hyper-pop party going at the Crane Stage, and Masego followed up afterwards with an incredible set filled with great vocals and saxophone-playing. The Pier Stage had an incredible lineup, with Thundercat getting the crowd grooving with funky and jazzy bass-focused music, Rina Sawayama delivering a jaw-dropping set that combined performance art and her powerful vocals, and Labrinth bringing a whole spiritual experience to the crowd with a performance filled with dramatics. Closing out the festival at the Pier Stage on Sunday, Skrillex unleashed a set filled with relentless beats that kept the massive crowd dancing. His high-energy set was a masterclass in bass-heavy dubstep, keeping the attention on the music with minimal visuals and instead utilizing heavy fog and lasers. It was a party from beginning to end – Portola delivered on it being an electronic music festival that focused only on getting people dancing.

The 2023 Portola Music Festival at Pier 80 was a transcendent experience that celebrated the past, present, and future of electronic music, with iconic headliners at the forefront, all while nurturing the growth of new, innovative artists. As the music reverberated through the warm day and chilly night, it was a testament to the power of music to unite people in a journey of sonic exploration. It’s safe to say that the electronic music enthusiasts that flock to the festival are eagerly looking forward to watching this festival continue to grow and evolve in the coming years – here’s to many more years of Portola.