San Francisco Entertainment Commission hears complaints about Portola festival noise; staff cite inspections and outreach

Bill Holtzman, a Corona Heights resident, told the San Francisco Entertainment Commission on Oct. 4 that he and neighbors were “disturbed” by low-frequency bass from the Portola Music Festival on Sept. 24–25 and urged the commission to explain where sound sensors were placed and how measurements were taken.

Director Ben Weiland, in a report to the commission, said the one-time event organized by Goldenvoice exceeded some permit criteria the commission uses for large outdoor events — including extended hours and thresholds tied to nearby sensitive receptors — and that both event organizers and commission inspectors conducted sound measurements during the weekend. He said roughly 30,000 people attended the event and that staff logged many 311 contacts about the festival.

“We received 171 calls to 311 since our last meeting; 142 of those related to Portola,” Weiland said, noting that most complaints focused on sound and that many originated in Alameda and in neighborhoods such as Bernal, Noe Valley and Potrero Hill. He added that inspectors were in the field during the festival and that, on the high end of available data, there were no medical emergencies, arrests or ejections tied to the event.

Holtzman urged the commission to publish sensor locations and measurement criteria and to consider notifying complainants or convening a public hearing before any future permit is issued. “The festival was totally obnoxious — nonstop thump thump,” he said.

Commissioners and staff discussed technical factors that can carry sound — including weather and fog — and specific crowd-control incidents inside one enclosed stage that prompted a fire marshal intervention on the first day. Weiland said the commission will continue neighborhood outreach and that any future one-time event application would be agendized at least 30 days in advance.

The director’s report and the enforcement team’s data collection summary are available in the commission’s files; staff said they can share 311 complaint data with complainants who consent to provide contact information.

The commission did not take further action on the festival at the meeting but signaled it will monitor enforcement outcomes and outreach if Goldenvoice seeks another permit.