NOISE POP FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES PHASE 1 LINEUP: 24 Music Artists / Castro Theatre Debut

NOISE POP FESTIVAL 2027 UNVEILS FIRST WAVE OF MUSIC PERFORMERS

WITH CONCERT TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY AT NOON PT 

FEAT. LAMBCHOP WITH FREE KEY CHOIR AT GRACE CATHEDRAL, 

CAROLINE ROSE AT CASTRO THEATRE, GIBBY HAYNES’ BUTTHOLE SURFERS MANIA,

DEERHOOF, MODESELEKTOR, TWO LANES, JESS WILLIAMSON, 

& HERE WE GO MAGIC'S FIRST SHOW IN A DECADE

34th Annual Independent Music Festival Returns February 18-28, 2027

With Performances at Castro Theatre, Grace Cathedral, Independent, Kilowatt & More

Online Application Also Now Open for Bay Area Bands, Musicians & DJs to Perform

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Hometown organizers behind one of America’s longest-running independent music festivals, Noise Pop Festival, today unveiled the first wave of artists set to descend on San Francisco from February 18-28, 2027, officially kicking off the road to the festival’s 34th edition.

Since its DIY beginnings in 1993, Noise Pop has made a habit of booking a unique and genre-blurring mix of indie rock originals, hometown heroes from around the Bay Area, award-winning musical innovators, and artists operating entirely on their own wavelength. 2027 is no exception.

What started as a one-night, five-band show has grown over the past thirty years into a distinctly one-of-a-kind festival experience: decentralized, independent, built around music discovery, and spanning a week-plus as Noise Pop takes over the city every February.

The 2027 festival continues that tradition over 11 days, with an expanded footprint across some of San Francisco's most beloved cultural landmarks, pairing nationally and internationally touring artists with some of the Bay Area’s most exciting voices across indie rock, electronic, punk, experimental, hip-hop, R&B, and beyond.

PHASE ONE MUSIC LINEUP

Leading the festival's first wave of performers is Lambchop accompanied by Free Key Choir (February 27), bringing a rare collaborative performance to San Francisco's historic Grace Cathedral. Led by indie pioneer Kurt Wagner, the acclaimed Nashville experimental outfit recently released its 17th studio album, Punching the Clown, a choir-driven collection inspired by centuries-old gospel lined-out singing traditions. The S.F. concert collaboration with Free Key Choir, a large-scale DIY ensemble of Bay Area musicians, builds on Lambchop's current run of special choral performances, including two sold-out nights at London's Union Chapel.

The special performance at Grace Cathedral continues Noise Pop's longstanding tradition of bringing contemporary musicians into the historic house of worship, transforming one of the city's most sacred spaces into an unlikely home for independent music each February.

That same evening, acclaimed singer-songwriter Caroline Rose (February 27) will make festival history with Noise Pop's first-ever performance at The Castro Theatre. Rose will take the stage at the newly revitalized landmark as it enters an exciting new chapter, marking a festival milestone and celebrating the resurgence of one of San Francisco's most beloved cultural institutions after a multi-million-dollar renovation.

Meanwhile, the legendary Great American Music Hall will host a stacked run of festival performances, including two nights with Gibby Haynes: Butthole Surfers Mania (February 27-28), a wild, psychedelic celebration of the iconic Texas noise-rock band, featuring its unmistakable frontman performing Butthole Surfers material with a new backing band; San Francisco experimental rock institution Deerhoof (February 24), who just released their latest album Divine Schism independently to rave reviews from longtime fans; psychedelic indie rockers Here We Go Magic (February 26), returning for their first live performance in a decade with a special 15th-anniversary celebration of their acclaimed album A Different Ship; and acclaimed Texas-born singer-songwriter Jess Williamson (February 18), fresh off the release of her sixth solo album, A Mile South of Heaven.

Across town, the acclaimed experimental performance venue Gray Area will keep the dance floors moving with two nights of special electronic performances: Berlin-based duo Modeselektor (LIVE) (February 19), known for their always-unique, explosive live sets; followed the next night by fellow Berlin-based electronic duo TWO LANES (February 20).

The festival will also expand its ongoing partnership with SFJAZZ, bringing Noise Pop programming to the organization's larger Robert N. Miner Auditorium for the first time. Electro-jazz innovators Sungazer and genre-bending electronic musician Button Masher will bring their boundary-pushing blend of jazz, electronic music, and improvisation to the auditorium on February 28 to help close out the festival in grand fashion.

Meanwhile, SFJAZZ's intimate Joe Henderson Lab will host a series of performances from The Ayo Brame Experience (February 20), LabRats (February 26); and Sparklmami (February 28), with each act performing an early and late show each night. Together, these performances mark an exciting new chapter in the festival partnership, creating more opportunities to connect Bay Area music lovers with the next generation of jazz and experimental musicians.

Collectively, the first wave of 24 announced music performers spans indie rock, electronic, experimental, jazz, punk, R&B, and just about everything in between, with additional acts, venues, and special events still to be announced.

The complete Phase 1 lineup, presented in billing order and available online at NoisePop.com, includes:

• Lambchop with Free Key Choir (Nashville, TN + Oakland, CA) - Saturday, February 27
• Caroline Rose (Long Island, NY) - Saturday, February 27
• Gibby Haynes: Butthole Surfers Mania (San Antonio, TX) - Saturday, February 27 & Sunday, February 28
• Deerhoof (San Francisco, CA) - Wednesday, February 24
• Modeselektor (LIVE) (Berlin, Germany) - Friday, February 19
• Here We Go Magic (Brooklyn, NY) - Friday, February 26
• TWO LANES (Berlin, Germany) - Saturday, February 20
• Jess Williamson (Dallas, TX) - Thursday, February 18
• Sungazer (Brooklyn, NY) - Sunday, February 28
• Lady Radiator (Union City, NJ) - Monday, February 22
• Girl Ultra (Mexico City, Mexico) - Sunday, February 28
• Radio Free Alice (Melbourne, Australia) - Wednesday, February 24
• Cut Worms (Solo) (Brooklyn, NY) - Monday, February 22
• The Stone Foxes (San Francisco, CA) - Friday, February 26
• Powerplant (London, UK) - Saturday, February 20
• Devvy Dub (San Francisco, CA) - Friday, February 19
• BIG SIS (Liverpool, England) - Saturday, February 20
• The Ayo Brame Experience (Oakland, CA) - Saturday, February 20
• Sparklmami (Chicago, IL) - Sunday, February 28
• LabRats (Sacramento, CA) - Friday, February 26
• Earthball (Nanaimo, BC, Canada) - Wednesday, February 24
• Button Masher (Los Angeles, CA) - Sunday, February 28
• Faze (Montréal, QC, Canada) - Saturday, February 20
• Gumby's Junk (Oakland, CA) - Wednesday, February 24
• And more coming soon!

Through these special performances, Noise Pop Festival 2027 will once again take over some of San Francisco's most beloved independent music venues, with participating locations announced so far including Grace Cathedral, The Castro Theatre, Great American Music Hall, Gray Area, The Independent, Rickshaw Stop, Swedish American Hall, Café du Nord, Brick & Mortar Music Hall, Kilowatt, and SFJAZZ.

Additional performers, individual show lineups, venues, and special events will be announced in the coming months, with the festival's Phase 2 lineup expected to debut next month.

OPEN CALL FOR BAY AREA ARTISTS

As an incubator for local music talent, Noise Pop Festival is opening the door again this winter to support the next crop of S.F. music acts. Beginning today, local artists can submit to perform at Noise Pop Festival 2027 through an open call, available online [CLICK HERE], hosted in partnership with KEXP. 

The submission process gives independent and emerging musicians across the Bay Area a chance to be considered for the 2027 lineup and share stages with acclaimed artists from around the world. All artists booked for the official festival program are paid for their performances. 

For fans interested in attending the 2027 festival, individual concert tickets are on sale this Friday at Noon PT at NoisePopFest.com, while full-festival badges are also available for purchase online now.

Each badge includes access to every general admission concert (subject to capacity) throughout the 11-day festival, plus complimentary entry to official happy hours, art shows, and select community events, all at the lowest price of the season while supplies last.

Stay tuned for more updates by visiting the official event website at www.noisepopfest.com and following along on social media at @NoisePop. 

Noise Pop Festival Adds Dozens of SF Bands to Phase 4 Music Lineup, Tickets On Sale Now

NOISE POP FESTIVAL UNVEILS PHASE 4 LINEUP WITH 40+ NEW ACTS, INCLUDING STEPHEN MALKMUS, WISP, SUN RA ARKESTRA & DOZENS OF BAY AREA ACTS

70+ Bay Area Artists Now Scheduled To Perform, Making Up Over Half of the 2026 Lineup

Festival Organizers Also Introduce Bender’s Happy Hour Hosts, Live on KEXP Sessions & New Local Cannabis Partnership

33rd Annual Citywide Festival Returns to San Francisco Bay Area on Feb. 19 to Mar. 1, With Concert Tickets & Festival Badges On Sale Now

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (January 29, 2026): Hometown festival organizers at Noise Pop Industries today announce the Phase 4 music lineup for their flagship music festival – Noise Pop Festival 2026 – by expanding the beloved Bay Area institution with new headliner shows, dozens of additional local support acts, and the return of signature festival experiences that extend beyond the stage.

Now featuring more than 140 total acts during its 33rd anniversary – with Bay Area artists now comprising the majority of the 2026 lineup – Noise Pop Festival stands apart as one of the largest annual paid-gig opportunities for local musicians in Northern California. The festival’s commitment to local booking underscores its role as a discovery-driven, community-rooted alternative to the modern mainstream festival model.

Notable Phase 4 lineup additions include:

• Stephen Malkmus (Feb 23, Great American Music Hall): The Pavement frontman and indie rock icon brings his sharp wit and unmistakable guitar work to a rare and intimate festival showcase.
• Wisp (Feb 24, Great American Music Hall): One of shoegaze’s fastest-rising new voices delivers hazy hooks and heavy atmosphere in a highly anticipated festival set.
• Sugar Candy Mountain (Feb 25, Rickshaw Stop): Oakland’s psych-pop favorite returns as festival alum with lush melodies and kaleidoscopic grooves tailor-made for the Noise Pop crowd.
• Shannon Shaw (Feb 27, Kilowatt): The Shannon & the Clams frontwoman adds a second, newly announced show that follows an intimate KEXP Live pop-up the day prior on February 26, as the Oakland-born musician celebrates the release of her critically acclaimed debut album last year.
• Illuminati Hotties (Feb 28, Bottom of the Hill - early show): Los Angeles’ “tenderpunk” project and Noise Pop alum welcome a special early afternoon matinee show that adds to the Bottom of the Hill Festival Farewell Concert Series, which honors the venue where Noise Pop was born alongside a limited-time photo exhibition in the venue that opens on February 12.
• Sun Ra Arkestra (Feb. 28 and March 1, The Chapel): The legendary avant-garde jazz ensemble brings its cosmic sound and Afrofuturist legacy to Noise Pop with two immersive performances.

Noise Pop Festival also confirms the return of its annual free happy hour series at Bender’s Bar & Grill, a fan-favorite tradition that brings the festival’s community together ahead of nightly shows. Running February 24-28, the weekday-to-weekend series features a rotating lineup of local collectives and partners, including Do The Bay x Noise Pop x San Franpsycho (Feb. 24), Big Leap Collective (Feb. 25), White Crate (Feb. 26), Balanced Breakfast (Feb. 27), and Text Me Records (Feb. 28). Open to fans 21+ and free to attend, the series underscores Noise Pop’s commitment to accessibility, local culture, and gathering spaces beyond the main stage.

Plus, Noise Pop Festival organizers also welcome the return of the ‘Live on KEXP’ recording sessions, broadcasting live from 25th Street Recording in Oakland throughout the festival week. From February 24-27, intimate recording sessions from festival performers Lyrics Born, Rogue Wave, La Doña, and Pink Breath of Heaven are broadcast on-air across the Bay Area by KEXP, with more artists to be announced. Learn more at www.kexp.org/noisepop.

“We don’t always have an official Phase 4 lineup, but this year, we just can’t stop adding great shows. It’s a privilege to keep doing what Noise Pop has always done best: spotlighting incredible artists while creating meaningful opportunities for the Bay Area music community,” said Kevin Arnold, Founder and Executive Director of Noise Pop Festival. “From new headliner sets to expanded local business participation, Phase 4 brings together iconic artists, emerging local voices, and community partnerships that extend the festival beyond the stage, while staying true to the independent spirit that’s defined Noise Pop for more than three decades.”

Extending the festival experience beyond music, Noise Pop introduces a new partnership with Solful, a sun-grown cannabis brand with award-winning dispensaries in San Francisco, Healdsburg, and Sebastopol. 

Together, they debut “Snap, Crackle, Noise Pop,” a limited-edition, festival-themed cannabis pre-roll collaboration inspired by a 1997 San Francisco Examiner article penned by Noise Pop’s very own Jordan Kurland that captured Noise Pop’s early spirit: unexpected, independent, and rooted in discovery. 

The limited-edition Solful x Noise Pop pre-roll is built for live music and shared moments.  An intentional blend of Peach Flambe and Lemon Papaya Banana flower from Northern California’s craft cannabis farmer, Terrapin Farms, blended together for an uplifting, euphoric, crowd-friendly vibe. 

The Snap, Crackle Noise Pop pre-rolls are $35 for a five-pack and are available for purchase in-store at all three Solful dispensary locations (SF, Healdsburg, and Sebastopol). The collaboration also includes special perks like 10% off Full General Admission Noise Pop badges with the purchase of the pre-rolls. Hidden with one of the pre-roll packs is a once-in-a-festival moment – a Golden Ticket, redeemable by one lucky purchaser for two Full GA Noise Pop badges, unlocking every show at every venue at the festival. 

“As longtime supporters of independent music and local culture, partnering with Noise Pop as its first-ever official cannabis sponsor was a natural fit for Solful,” said Solful CEO and co-founder Eli Melrod. “Inspired by the spirit of Noise Pop, this pre-roll collaboration brings together exceptional Northern California flower and thoughtful design, offering fans a fun, unexpected way to experience the iconic San Francisco festival they know and love.”

Although Super Fan and Early Bird badges all sold out in advance, a limited number of General Admission Festival Badges, as well as individual concert tickets, are on sale now at NoisePopFest.com. Each festival badge includes access to every general admission concert (subject to capacity) throughout the weeklong event, plus complimentary entry to official happy hours, art shows, and select community events, while supplies last.

With the expanded Phase 4 now announced, fans should stay tuned for final lineup additions, set times, special parties, and more in the coming days. 

To purchase tickets and learn more about this upcoming festival, please visit the official event website at www.noisepopfest.com and follow along on social media at @NoisePop. 

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NOISE POP FESTIVAL 2026 UNVEILS PHASE 3 LINEUP ADDITIONS WITH CONCERT TICKETS & FESTIVAL BADGES ON SALE NOW

NOISE POP FESTIVAL 2026 UNVEILS PHASE 3 LINEUP ADDITIONS

WITH CONCERT TICKETS & FESTIVAL BADGES ON SALE NOW

90+ Acts Now Confirmed with New Additions Including Puzzle + Enjoy, Black Marble,

Lyrics Born, Vs Self, Death Valley Girls, Hot Flash Heat Wave, P.E.E., Nuzzle & More

Plus Farewell Concert Series & Photo Exhibition to Celebrate ‘Bottom of the Hill’

Latest Wave of Performers Expands 33rd Annual Citywide Festival 

To 15 Iconic San Francisco Bay Area Venues on Feb. 19 to Mar. 1

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (January 12, 2026) – Hometown festival organizers at Noise Pop Industries have announced the Phase 3 lineup additions for Noise Pop Festival’s 33rd annual edition, returning February 19 to March 1 with a citywide celebration of independent music, community, and culture. New concert tickets are on sale now at www.NoisePopFest.com, alongside festival badges offering access to all festival events throughout the two-week celebration.

Now featuring 90+ artists across 15 of San Francisco’s most popular venues, Noise Pop Festival 2026 continues its mission of championing boundary-pushing artists while honoring the city’s rich musical history — all through a discovery-driven, independently produced festival experience.

Other notable Phase 3 additions include some of the festival’s most anticipated moments yet: two of Southern California’s most prolific underground projects Puzzle + Enjoy, also know for their creative work as The Garden, bring their solo projects to The UC Theatre on February 20; Brooklyn-based coldwave duo Black Marble’s triumphant return to the performance stage with a special pop-up at Great American Music Hall; Bay Area hip-hop icon Lyrics Born returns to Noise Pop with a headline performance at Gray Area; vs self at Great American Music Hall as a special sneak-peek Noise Pop concert ahead of the festival dates; Los Angeles psych-punk rockers Death Valley Girls headline Kilowatt as part of a special celebration marking the third anniversary of the venue’s reopening; back-to-back nights at the historic 4 Star Theater featuring London-based Eleni Drake and legendary singer-songwriter Julie Doiron; and a newly added second show from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart at Rickshaw Stop on February 19, announced due to overwhelming fan demand.

Phase 3 also places a special spotlight on Bottom of the Hill, the founding venue of Noise Pop Festival and one of San Francisco’s most beloved independent clubs. With the venue announcing plans to close at the end of 2026, this year’s festival will serve as a special run of festival farewell shows honoring the decades-long relationship between Noise Pop and Bottom of the Hill, celebrating the space where the festival was born. 

Confirmed concerts at this iconic venue include Illuminati Hotties, J. Robbins plays Burning Airlines, Carpool Tunnel, Hudson Freeman, and Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage, alongside the just-announced shows from Hot Flash Heat Wave, P.E.E., and Nuzzle. Together, these shows represent a heartfelt tribute to a venue that helped define San Francisco’s independent music culture.

In honor of this beloved community space, this year's festival programming will now include "Noise Pop Photography: A Tribute to Bottom of the Hill”, a group photo show featuring works from 30+ years of Noise Pop shows. The exhibition is scheduled to kick off ahead of the official festival, beginning today, January 12 at Hi Hat.

Among the most special moments of Phase 3, P.E.E. will return to the performance stage for the first time since 2010, celebrating the 30th anniversary of their debut album for a special co-bill with fellow 90s Bay Area reunited indie act Nuzzle at Bottom of the Hill on March 1. True Noise Pop veterans, P.E.E. previously performed at the festival in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2010, making their 2026 appearance a rare and meaningful full-circle moment for the festival.

“Noise Pop has always been shaped by both the venues that host us, and the artists who take the stage,” said Kevin Arnold, Founder of Noise Pop Festival. “From honoring our roots with an epic farewell to Bottom of the Hill, to welcoming an incredible range of new and returning artists across the Bay Area, Phase 3 of this year’s Noise Pop Festival lineup captures that full picture - past, present, and future - in a way that feels really special to us.”

Now celebrating its 33rd year while continuously produced by Noise Pop Industries, Noise Pop Festival represents one of America’s last true independent music festivals and one of the longest-running festivals on the West Coast – a true citywide celebration of the music artists and venues that comprise the San Francisco Bay Area’s creative community. Over the course of more than a week, the festival takes over S.F. with dozens of concerts, art shows, happy hours, and after-parties happening nightly across clubs, theaters, galleries, and pop-up spaces.

Noise Pop Festival 2026’s expanded lineup brings together an ambitious cross-section of influential music veterans, cult favorites, and forward-thinking newcomers, led by landmark performances from Tortoise, clipping., CupcakKe, Beats Antique, DeVotchKa, and The Joy Formidable. 

The festival also welcomes major indie and alternative touchstones including Pinback, Rogue Wave, Jay Som, Bayonne, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, illuminati hotties, Christopher Owens, Summer Salt, and Yellow Days, alongside boundary-pushing electronic and experimental acts such as ESPRIT 空想 (George Clanton), Marie Davidson (Live), TOBACCO, and a co-headlining set from Giraffage & Chrome Sparks.

Rounding out the lineup are celebrated songwriters, hometown heroes, and Noise Pop mainstays, including Shannon Shaw, The Fiery Furnaces, Orcutt Shelley Miller, Mexican Slum Rats, Hudson Freeman, Carpool Tunnel, and The Family Crest, underscoring the festival’s continued commitment to discovery, legacy, and the Bay Area’s independent music ecosystem.

With Phase 3 now revealed, Noise Pop Festival 2026 offers its most expansive and thoughtfully curated lineup in years. Stay tuned for more lineup additions, set times, special parties, and more to be revealed in the coming weeks.

To purchase tickets and learn more about this upcoming festival, please visit the official event website at www.noisepopfest.com and follow along on social media at @NoisePop. 

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ABOUT NOISE POP INDUSTRIES:

Noise Pop Industries is the oldest homegrown independent music and arts event promoter in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 1993, Noise Pop’s namesake festival has pioneered the multi-venue festival landscape and focused on showcasing early-career performances by then-emerging artists such as The White Stripes, Modest Mouse, Joanna Newsom, The Flaming Lips, Courtney Barnett, Death Cab for Cutie, Grimes, and many more. 

Today, Noise Pop produces dozens of concerts and unique events annually throughout the Bay Area and Northern California at more than two dozen of our favorite venues throughout the region.  NPI also partners with local organizations and institutions like the California Academy of Sciences, La Cocina, KQED, Downtown SF Partnership, Civic Joy Fund, KEXP, and Salesforce Park to produce and promote cultural events via its NPI WHTLBL services brand. Additionally, NPI operates the Bay Area’s leading local nightlife and entertainment guide DoTheBay, helping millions find out what to do in the Bay.

 

Please visit noisepop.com for more information.