Grateful Web invites music lovers of all ages to soak up irie rhythms and Bay-Area sunshine as Crucial Reggae Sundays continues its free concert series at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell / Music Concourse (75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco). From 4:20 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. each Sunday, residents Irie Dole (Jah Warrior Shelter Hi-Fi), Guidance (Infinite Guidance Sound / Nice Up Radio), and DJ Sep (Dub Mission) curate an open-air celebration of roots, rocksteady, and dancehall, inviting guest selectors, MCs, and live bands to keep the dance floor moving beneath the park’s towering palms.
July’s slate opens on July 6 with Santa Cruz favorite Selecta 7 of Reggae Love Radio (KZSC) teaming up with Irie Dole for an early-evening session steeped in lovers rock and foundation classics. On July 13, Brooklyn’s dub futurists Subatomic Sound System roll in with veteran singer Screechy Dan for a full-scale sound-system showcase, anchored by DJ Sep on the decks. July 20 welcomes Monterey Bay stalwart Daddy Spleece (Reality Sound / KSQD / Nice Up Radio) alongside Irie Dole for a high-energy blend of reggae anthems and modern bashment. The month closes July 27 when Checkered Past plugs in for a live-band showdown, while DJ Guidance threads vintage ska and two-tone into the mix.
Now in its fourth season, Crucial Reggae Sundays is produced by Illuminate LIVE in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department as part of the city’s free Bandshell concert calendar, which offers more than 125 eclectic performances on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays (plus select Saturdays) through mid-November. Since 2021, Illuminate has transformed the 125-year-old Bandshell into a community hub for genre-spanning artistry, presenting over 600 shows and welcoming nearly one million visitors to the historic Music Concourse.
Reggae fans can look ahead to Skadanks on August 3, Irie Rockerz featuring Stevie Culture on August 31, and Lot 49 on September 14, with additional autumn dates to be announced. Admission is always free, and the lawn fills early; audiences are encouraged to bring blankets, low-back chairs, picnic fare, and plenty of positive vibrations.
Stay connected with lineup updates and weather notices via the series’ Facebook event page, RSVP on Eventbrite, and follow the Bandshell’s Instagram feed @bandshelllive. For full program information on Illuminate’s summer schedule, visit www.illuminate.org.
