SAN FRANCISCO — Portola Music Festival returns to Pier 80 on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26–27, bringing tens of thousands of people to the southeast waterfront and a transportation plan that strongly favors BART, Muni and the festival shuttle over driving.
SFMTA says the festival is expected to draw about 45,000 people. Portola's current visitor guidance says there is no festival parking at Pier 80, while the festival entrance is at 900 Marin Street.
There is also an important wrinkle for people leaving at night: SFMTA and Portola currently publish conflicting instructions for where to board the T Third after the show. The details are below, and anyone leaving by Muni should recheck the official pages on event day.
When is Portola Music Festival 2026?
Portola is Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26 and 27. The organizer says doors open at 1 p.m. each day; SFMTA describes programming on four stages from about 2 to 11 p.m.
The festival is 21 and over. Portola says attendees need a physical government-issued photo ID, and the current rules do not allow re-entry after leaving.
Is there parking at Portola?
No festival parking is available at Pier 80. The organizer tells attendees not to drive to the venue, and SFMTA says parking in the area will be extremely limited.
That warning matters because several streets around Pier 80 are also being controlled or closed for the festival. Driving to the southeast waterfront and hoping to find curb parking is likely to be less predictable than arriving by transit.
Where does the free Portola BART shuttle leave from?
Portola says a free shuttle will run from 24th Street Mission BART. The city-side loading point is at Valencia and 24th streets.
The organizer lists the shuttle loop from 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.. At Pier 80, return shuttles load near Illinois and 24th streets.
The shuttle is useful for people coming from the East Bay, Peninsula or elsewhere in San Francisco because it avoids the final transfer to the industrial waterfront.
Which Muni routes serve Portola?
SFMTA identifies the T Third, 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express, 19 Polk, 48 Quintara/24th Street and 91 3rd Street/19th Avenue Owl as relevant to the event area.
For arrivals, SFMTA directs T Third and 15 riders toward the Third Street and Marin Street area. Portola also points to the 48 as a useful connection to 24th Street BART; the 48 operates overnight.
The 19 and 15 stop running earlier in the evening than the late festival departure period, while the 91 provides overnight service.
Why do SFMTA and Portola disagree about the T Third departure stop?
SFMTA says departing festivalgoers should board extra T Third trains at Third and Marin from about 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. The agency also says Union Square/Market, Yerba Buena/Moscone and Chinatown central-subway stations will remain open until 1 a.m. for festival departures.
Portola's own transportation page gives different guidance. It tells departing T riders to use Third and 23rd or Third and Evans and says the Third and Marin platform will be unavailable from 10 p.m. to midnight.
Because both are official sources and the instructions conflict, SF News Today is not choosing one as definitive. Riders leaving after 9 p.m. should check the current SFMTA advisory and Portola transportation page before walking to a platform. This article will be updated if the two sources reconcile the instructions.
Which streets close around Pier 80?
SFMTA lists a broad event traffic-control area. The longest closures begin Saturday morning and continue into early Monday, including portions of Cesar Chavez Street, Marin Street, 25th Street, Michigan Street and Illinois Street.
During event hours, additional controls affect portions of Third Street, 23rd Street and 24th Street. Some blocks remain open only to Muni or authorized traffic. Drivers who do not need to be in the Pier 80 area should avoid using the festival footprint as a through-route.
Where can you find Portola set times?
Portola has published its 2026 stage set times on the festival's official set-times page. Because the schedule is presented as the organizer's live festival schedule and can be revised, SF News Today is linking to the current version rather than reproducing a long timetable that could become stale.
What should you know before entering?
Portola says the event is 21+, requires a physical government-issued photo ID and does not permit re-entry. Anyone planning a trip should also review the organizer's current bag and prohibited-item rules before leaving home.
For the bigger Sept. 27 citywide travel picture — including Folsom Street Fair and the Giants-Dodgers game — see SF News Today's Sept. 27 traffic and transit guide.
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