Best of the Fests: Mosswood Meltdown and Portola Music Festival

Mosswood Meltdown

Get ready for those tasty East Bay summer vibes: For my tastes, nothing says Hella Oakland more than the annual Mosswood Meltdown. This year’s weekend music fest takes place July 19-20 at Mosswood Park, natch, and, per usual, features the inimitable filmmaker and indie tastemaker John Waters as your cheeky host. This year, many of the acts are making their only Bay Area appearance at the fest, including DEVO, Osees, The Exploding Hearts, Shannon & the Clams. Also appearing are ‘90s riot grrrl band Bratmobile and Kreayshawn, who’s doing her first show in over a decade. You might be baking under that East Bay sun, but you’ll for sure be doing it in style.

MOSSWOOD MELTDOWN 2025 LINEUP

Portola Music Festival

Now in its fourth year, San Francisco’s Portola Festival is really cementing itself as the must-attend California dance party. Happening during “San Francisco Summer,” the weekend of September 20-21, don’t be surprised if that Bay fog creeps in. No matter, because the dance vibes promise to be immaculate enough to keep you hot. This year has something for everyone, and I mean everyone—techno enthusiasts old and new, pop heathens, indie lovers, dance-punk mavens—with artists like LCD Soundsystem, Christina Aguilera, Dom Dolla, Underworld, The Prodigy, Moby, and The Rapture. If you need a good excuse to dance in whatever mode suits you best, this party is for you.

Line up announced: