As far as San Francisco music festivals go, it doesn’t get any louder than Portola. Now in its fourth year, the electronic music festival on Pier 80 thrown by Coachella promoter Goldenvoice has a reputation for tasteful DJ bookings and booming bass that reverberates all the way to Alameda.
The five stages offer a grab bag of the artists that span the spectrum of electronic music, from 1990s legacy acts like the Prodigy to indie sleaze revivalists like the Dare. Dance music is the main draw here – think globetrotting DJs like Peggy Gou and revered synth-centered bands like LCD Soundsystem – but one of the festival’s greatest strengths is its diversity, throwing in a pop headliner like Christina Aguilera for good measure.
To help guide you through the schedule, SFGATE’s festival squad selected 10 acts not to miss. Read on to see our picks.
Musician James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem spins at Despacio during the 2016 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. (Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Despacio featuring James Murphy and 2manyDJs
Saturday and Sunday, 3:15 p.m. to 10:15 p.m.
When “Despacio All Day Long” popped up on the Portola flyer, audiophiles’ ears perked up at the news that one of the world’s greatest dance music experiences in the world would be arriving in San Francisco. Opening at 3:15 p.m. each day, the stand-alone dance club built by James Murphy and 2manyDJs has been popping up at festivals since its creation in 2013. The 2,000-capacity space was created as their ultimate vision of what a club environment should be, with towers of speakers powered by analog amps, designed for all-vinyl sets. Murphy and his co-creators are scheduled to be playing for seven hours each day, making this a perfect oasis to dip into between other sets. – Dan Gentile, SFGATE senior culture editor
Marie Davidson
Saturday, Warehouse, 1:30 p.m.
You wanna know how she gets away with everything? She works. All the f-king time. After making waves with her 2018 album, aptly titled “Working Class Woman,” the masterful – and somewhat reclusive – French Canadian artist Marie Davidson is finally back with yet another highly anticipated banger, “City of Clowns,” an acerbic and hard-hitting collection of songs that embody her signature mix of humor, style and snark. This might be the last few chances you’ll get to see her in the U.S. before she embarks on an international tour, so get your office siren outfits ready.
Magdalena Bay
Saturday, Pier Stage, 4:40 p.m.
From the first track of Magdalena Bay’s 2024 album “Imaginal Disk,” it’s clear that this duo is not f-king around. “She Looked Like Me!” has it all – a swirl of chopped samples, chimes, slithering synth bass and seductive vocals, and then come the punishing drums, triumphant horns and a hook you can’t help but sing along to. And that’s just the first two minutes of their album. Given the popularity of their breakout record, expect this to be one of the best-attended early sets of the weekend. – Dan Gentile, SFGATE senior culture editor
The Chemical Brothers
Saturday, Warehouse, 9:30 p.m.
After over three decades of Block Rockin’ Beats, the Chemical Brothers are returning to their roots in the DJ booth this Saturday. Hailing from the U.K., the electronic duo made music critics panic when they won a Grammy in 1998 for Best Rock Instrumental performance and made an unorthodox radio hit with Oasis’ Noel Gallagher. Blending 1970s psychedelia with pulse-pounding techno rhythms, the group continues to push the boundaries of electronica well into their career – it’s a rare set you won’t want to miss. – Ariana Bindman, SFGATE news feature reporter
DJ Severino of Horse Meat Disco performs onstage during FYF Festival on July 21, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Scott Dudelson/WireImage)
Horse Meat Disco
Sunday, Warehouse, 2:30 p.m.
If you’re looking to build a disco record collection, one of the first places to start would be with a Horse Meat Disco compilation. For 21 years, London collective Horse Meat Disco have been traveling the globe championing ’70s and ’80s disco deep cuts, and bringing rarities like a Larry Levan dub of Smokey Robinson’s “And I Don’t Love You” to the masses via their series of must-buy vinyl comps. They’re well-loved in San Francisco, performing at Pride this year and Public Works in 2024, and their disco heat will be a perfect contrast to the heavier house and techno later in the evening. – Dan Gentile, SFGATE senior culture editor
Ravyn Lenae
Sunday, Pier Stage, 3:45 PM
Ravyn Lenae’s voice is the kind that stops you in your tracks – angelic, and ethereal. The Chicago singer threads R&B, electronic, soul and hip-hop into songs that feel both relatable and otherworldly, floating somewhere between a late-night confession and a dream you don’t want to wake up from. Her Pier Stage set should serve as a welcome counterpoint to the weekend’s heavier beats, proof that soft can still hit hard. – Olivia Hebert, SFGATE news reporter
The Rapture
Sunday, Pier Stage, 5:45 p.m.
The Rapture’s “House of Jealous Lovers” is the ultimate dance-punk song, full-stop. The 2002 banger produced by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and DFA co-owner Tim Goldsworthy preceded LCD’s first single “Losing My Edge” by months. The slashing guitars and propulsive cowbells helped set a foundation for the rock-meets-disco ethos of the early era of what would become known as indie sleaze. It may have been almost 15 years since their last album, but don’t underestimate the Portola audience’s borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered aughts. – Dan Gentile, SFGATE senior culture editor
Blood Orange
Sunday, Crane Stage, 6:45 p.m.
When it comes to perfectly orchestrated indie rock, it doesn’t get much better than Blood Orange. The uncategorizable project of frontman Dev Hynes, Blood Orange effortlessly blends slinky R&B, pop hooks and art-rock experimentalism, wrapped up into a package of one of the tightest live bands I’ve ever seen on a festival stage. The set will likely be heavy on tunes from his new album “Essex Honey,” released in late August, which scored a rave 8.1 rating from Pitchfork. – Dan Gentile, SFGATE senior culture editor
Brutalismus 3000
Sunday, Ship Tent, 8:10 p.m.
I mean, where else will you be able to hear Berlin club kids scream, “Satan is a baby boomer” on full surround sound over and over again for seven minutes straight? It’s been a tough year. Get it out of your system and join them. – Ariana Bindman, SFGATE news feature reporter
Arca
Sunday, Ship Tent, 9:35 p.m.
When Arca takes the stage, you never know what’s in store. The Venezuelan producer and vocalist can move from jagged electronics to reggaeton dembow to surreal pop, commanding the crowd effortlessly. Expect sweat and spectacle as she weaves her propulsive beats into a set poised to turn the Ship Tent into a kaleidoscopic blowout. – Olivia Hebert, SFGATE news reporter
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