Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has unveiled the initial lineup for its much-anticipated return to San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Park. The free music festival is scheduled to take place from Sept. 30 through Oct. 2 and is being billed as “Back To The Park.”

The initial lineup was first teased through an exclusive medley streaming on the official Hardly Strictly Bluegrass website and features a wide array of performers, including Marcus Mumford, Allison Russell, Las Cafeteras, Lucius, Galactic, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Joy Oladokun, Charley Crockett, Buddy Miller, and Dashawn Hickman. Additional performers are expected to announced soon.

“The recently released first medley should get fans really excited about what’s in store for them this year – a little bit of everything,” shared Hardly Strictly Bluegrass executive producer Sheri Sternberg in a press release. “We are thrilled to have old friends return like Galactic and Buddy Miller as well as some first-timers: Marcus Mumford, Joy Oladokun, Lucius, Charley Crockett, and more. Others, like Allison Russell and Las Cafeteras, have joined us virtually the past two years & we’re delighted to have them join us in Golden Gate Park. The entire staff is looking forward to returning home to the best backdrop any festival could ask for.”

Holly Laessig from Lucius added, “We’ve heard about Hardly Strictly over the years and are thrilled to be part of this gift to the city, a beautifully curated musical weekend made free and accessible to its residents in one of the great parks in the world.”

During the pandemic, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass played an invaluable role in supporting those whose lives and livelihoods were adversely affected by the worldwide shutdowns. Since the start of the pandemic, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’s Music Relief efforts led to $4 million being distributed to the music and arts communities in the Bay Area and across the country.

In 2021, they invested $1 million across three organizations responding to critical relief and recovery needs, including the Esther’s Orbit Room Cultural Revival Project, Sweet Relief’s COVID-19 Fund, and The Tenderloin Museum’s Sounds of the Tenderloin project.

Learn more about Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and listen to the lineup tease here.