The city of Alameda has formally petitioned San Francisco to pull the plug on the annualPortola Music Festivalafter a barrage of noise complaints that echoed across the bay during last weekend’s electronic music event at Pier 80.
In astatementposted to Alameda’s official social media channels, authorities decried the “significant noise impacts” caused by the two-day festival on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, despite attempts by the organizers to mitigate the issue.
“The Portola Music Festival in San Francisco caused significant noise impacts to Alameda residents again this year, despite changes made by the operator to try to address the noise impacts experienced last year,” the message said.
City officials requested the San Francisco Entertainment Commission to either “discontinue the event next year or move it to an alternative venue that ensures Alameda residents will not be impacted.” They further encouraged citizens to file their complaints directly with the commission.
- Photos:Portola Music Festival 2023
The festival, organized by Goldenvoice, the producer behind the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach Festival in Southern California, initially drew criticism in 2022 for excessive noise levels. At that time, organizersapologized to Bay Area residents, acknowledging their lack of experience in gauging sound travel patterns across the region.
“We did receive some complaints on the SF side of the bay, but most complaints received were from across the bay in different areas of Alameda,” Darren Carroll, community relations manager Goldenvoice, wrote in a letter to residents impacted by last year’s festival obtained by the Chronicle. “Needless to say, we will need to do more technical strategizing on ways to mitigate sound travel and increase our radius of community outreach, if we plan to return.”
Despite efforts to enhance the technical setup, including the installation of a new sound system for the second edition of the festival, the noise complaints persisted.
In response to the post, Maggie Weiland, executive director of the San Francisco Entertainment Commission, assured Alameda residents that the agency takes the “concerns seriously” and plans to meet with city officials next week to address the sound issue should Goldenvoice choose to host the festival for a third year.
“We want to be good neighbors with Alameda, and I know that Goldenvoice wants the same thing,” Weiland wrote.
Situated on Pier 80, San Francisco’s primary cargo terminal sprawls over 60 acres with performances hosted in tents labeled as the Ship Tent and Crane Tent, as well as a vast 400,000-square-foot warehouse about 5 miles away from Alameda. This year’s festival included performances by pop starNelly Furtadodubstep生产商Skrillex和英语电子duo Underworld, among others.
Weiland stopped short of apologizing for the disruption and highlighted the economic benefits of the event.
“They draw huge numbers of locals and tourists with spending power and create joyful experiences,” she wrote. “We will continue to share the City of Alameda’s feedback and public comments with our seven-member commission.”
Reach Aidin Vaziri:avaziri@sfchronicle.com