Application To Perform
San Rafael PorchFest
September 20th, 2026

OPEN 3/15/26 - 6/15/26 

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Welcome to the San Rafael PorchFest application!

This is the 7th year of San Rafael Porchfest and it promises to be another fantastic day of music, food and community. 

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San Rafael Porchfest takes place in the Gerstle Park neighborhood of San Rafael and is an all-volunteer, family-friendly, free event that brings our community together to celebrate music. 

At high noon on September 20th, the streets will close and fill with people and 70+ bands will be playing throughout the day across 20+ performance areas. Bands play on porches, front yards, steps, driveways, in the parks and on school playgrounds, and sometimes in the street, and we do our best to space things out so there is a minimal amount of sound bleed. 

We care about the music and we care about the vibe, and that is why San Rafael Porchfest is one of the Bay Area’s most beloved music events!

We raise money for the event every year through sponsorships and merch sales to pay for things like bathrooms, barricades, permits and security. There are no ticket sales. True to the spirit of Porchfest, performers agree to perform for no pay. Artists are strongly encouraged to use QR codes/Venmo, tip jars, and merch sales at the event, as audiences are quite generous and looking for ways to support you.

In addition, PorchFest will:      

• promote the artist in shout-outs on our Instagram and Facebook  

• include the artist on t-shirts, banners, the website, and 2026 lineup poster 

• promote the schedule of artists online and around San Rafael

• provide lunch to all performing musicians

• provide a VIP artist lounge area 

Details to keep in mind:

• This is a family-friendly event. If your music does not suit that environment, this is not the right gig for you. 

• We always receive far more applications than we are able to accept.

• It is our goal to create balance in music genres, returning and new acts, and to prioritize local talent as much as possible. 

• Please understand we strongly prioritize original music and accept very few, if any, dedicated cover bands. 

• Since we want to keep the lineup fresh every year, there's no guarantee that bands that have performed in prior events will be part of this year's lineup.

• Even if you have applied before, you'll need to apply again this year.  

• Please know that even if we aren't able to slot your band into this year's festival, we really appreciate your interest and are always working to include as many bands as we can. We would love if everyone could play, but we only have a finite amount of slots. Please apply again next year. 

• It’s our goal to solidify the schedule by the end of June.