October 3 to October 5, 2025 | Hellman Hollow
by Dave Golden
The 25th Hardly Strictly Bluegrass brought massive crowds to Golden Gate Park over the weekend, continuing its run as the largest free music event on the West Coast. Across three days and six stages, hundreds of thousands of fans from around the world gathered for a lineup that blended the familiar with the unexpected. What began when Warren Hellman wanted to create a a bluegrass showcase called “Strictly Bluegrass,” has become a wide-ranging festival that honors its roots while embracing new sounds and generations of performers.
Several sets looked back at the artists who helped shape the event. A Celebration of Hazel Dickens united Della Mae, Laurie Lewis, and Alice Gerrard in tribute to the Appalachian singer whose influence helped define Hardly Strictly’s tone. John Prine: Songs & Souvenirs, led by his longtime collaborators Jason Wilbur and Dave Jaques, drew one of the weekend’s most attentive crowds. And in O Warren, Where Art Thou, the Hellman siblings remembered their parents through the songs that built the festival’s foundation.
Elsewhere, the lineup reflected Hardly Strictly’s ongoing expansion. Regulars Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris closed Saturday & Sunday evenings with packed sets, while first-time performers BALTHVS (Colombian psychedelic funk), Samara Joy (jazz vocals), and Dengue Fever (Cambodian rock) brought some new voices to the festival. A quarter century after its first gathering, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass remains a rare constant, free, open, and still unmistakably San Francisco.
Leave a reply