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Fans can look forward to another awesome lineup when Hardly Strictly Bluegrass returns to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco for a concert series of epic proportions.

This year, HSB will be back again in its 24th year with a free three-day concert series from Friday, October 4 to Sunday, October 6, 2024.

2024 Lineup

Along with perenniel favorite Emmy Lou Harris, more scheduled performers this year include gospel singer Mavis Staples, rock band Sleater-Kinney, folk musician Devendra Banhart, English singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock, Irish singer Glen Hansard, country rocker Steve Earle and indie singer Cat Power.

Meanwhile, keep it here for more details on this year's lineup and, just up ahead, more information and fun facts about the weekend-long music fest in Golden Gate Park:

All about HSB

Along with Fleet Week, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is one of the most anticipated Fall events in San Francisco featuring the best strummin', pickin' and fiddle playin' on the planet.

But is the HSB festival just bluegrass?

Jason Isbell headlined at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in 2023.

As the name implies — not hardly. The three-day music fest traditionally features live performances by some of the most popular traveling country, folk, and rock 'n roll acts in the USA.

Who : The complete Hardly Strictly Bluegrass lineup and list of special performances will be announced in September 2023.

When : Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2024 is scheduled for Friday, October 4, Saturday, September 5, and Sunday, October 6.

Look for the festivities to kick off with continuous performances beginning from 11AM on Friday, and at 9AM throughout the rest of a beautiful fall weekend in San Francisco.

Where : The concerts traditionally take at Golden Gate Park with signs pointing the way to the various concert stages in Hellman Hollow (formerly Speedway Meadows), Marx Meadow and Lindley Meadow.

Ticket Information: No tickets needed. It's all free!

What else to see and do at HSB: Sit back, relax, people watch, or enjoy a popular array of food from vendors ranging from tacos and teriyaki to American barbecue.

DID YOU KNOW? Hardly Strictly Bluegrass fun facts

HSB founder Warren Hellman.

• The original idea was Strictly Bluegrass, conceived in 2001 by San Francisco billionaire venture capitalist Warren Hellman, himself a bluegrass musician. The one-day event featured a single stage, 12 bands (including Emmy Lou Harris, Allison Krause and Hazel Dickens) and attracted 5,000 attendees.

• In 2004, it was Emmy Lou Harris who convinced Hellman to add "Hardly" to the name so she could be free to perform in other music genres. And the rest, as they say, is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass history.

• Today, the three-day event attracts about 750,000 people or almost equal to the total size of San Francisco's population.

• Along with thousands of regional bands from across the US, other notable names to appear on the HSB lineup over the years have included Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, Steve Martin, Sturgill Simpson, Gillian Welch, T Bone Burnett, Merle Haggard, Chris Isaak, and Randy Newman.

• In the world of music festivals, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is unique -- its all free, and free of corporate sponsorship.

More about Hardly Strictly Bluegrass around the Web:

Just up ahead, check out more information on this year's music festivities around the web, plus tips on where to stay if you're spending the weekend:

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2024 - Dates, times and the complete lineup with a look back at previous concerts dating back to 2001.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass - Wikipedia - Check out a good overview of the music festival with historical notes, a list of frequent performers and photos.

TripAdvisor.com - Hardly Strictly Bluegrass - If you're traveling to San Francisco for the big event, check out the closest hotels with visitor reviews and ratings.