Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, photo by Jay Blakesberg

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has unveiled the official artist lineup for its 2025 event. From Oct. 3 to Oct. 5, San Francisco’s premier roots music festival will return to Golden Gate Park for its 25th annual staging with a top-tier lineup of performers rooted in the tradition of bluegrass and reaching out to vast array of genres and styles. The first of several lineup announcements features ten acts, led by iconic Americana singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams.

Other artists confirmed for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2025 include Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy, jamgrass pioneers The String Cheese Incident, bluegrass torchbearers the Dan Tyminski Band, psychobilly mainstay Reverend Horton Heat, folk duo Watchhouse, folk-rock singer-songwriter Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band, SoCal rocker Chuck Prophet and His Cumbia Shoes and beloved Australian indie singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett.

“I’m excited to return to Golden Gate Park for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass,” Barnett shared. “Last time I played there was with Kurt Vile in 2017 and we all had such a great time!”

In the spirit of its founder, philanthropist Warren Hellman, HSB continues to honor and celebrate American roots music completely free of charge. For fans unable to attend, the festival will be available for streaming on the HSB TV platform (bitly). The festival also released an exclusive teaser medley of its performers, now streaming on the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass website.

“For 25 years, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has been a testament to the power of music to bring people together—free, inclusive, and rooted in the spirit of community,” said Sheri Sternberg, HSB’s Executive Producer and Co-Founder. “What started as a humble celebration of bluegrass has grown into a beloved San Francisco tradition that honors the past while embracing the future. We’re proud to carry forward the legacy of Warren Hellman and look forward to gathering once again in Golden Gate Park for a weekend of unforgettable music.”

On the evening prior to the event, a special show will take place at the Masonic. A Tribute to Emmylou Harris & 25 Years of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, will feature Emmylou Harris—the only artist to perform at every HSB—joined by Rosanne Cash, Sam Bush, Allison Russell, Margo Price, Patty Griffin, Rodney Crowell, Shawn Colvin, Steve Earle and others.

Learn more about Hardly Strictly Bluegrass at hardlystrictlybluegrass.com. Get an inside look at last year’s festival here.