San Francisco's Noise Pop festival is coming back for its 34th year, and organizers just dropped the first wave of acts for an 11-day run that stretches from February 18 through February 28, 2027, across venues citywide. Individual show tickets go on sale Friday, October 23. The phase one lineup mixes hometown heroes, a rare reunion, and a brand-new venue partnership that longtime fans of the fest will want to pay attention to.
Local noise-rock mainstays Deerhoof play a show at Great American Music Hall on February 24, timed to the band's sci-fi-themed album *Divine Schism*, released earlier this month, according to KQED. The band formed in San Francisco back in 1994, making the booking something of a homecoming for one of the city's most enduring experimental acts. Also on the bill at Great American Music Hall: a pair of shows from Gibby Haynes, the Butthole Surfers frontman, who is set to perform two nights of his former band's material on February 27 and 28 under the name Gibby Haynes' Butthole Surfers Mania, backed by a new ensemble, as detailed by RIFF Magazine.
That same venue will also host a genuine rarity: Here We Go Magic reuniting for its first live show in a decade, on February 26, to mark the 15th anniversary of the band's album *A Different Ship*, per the same RIFF Magazine report. The band last performed together around 2016, making this one of the more anticipated reunions buried in the phase one announcement.
Grace Cathedral and a New Castro Theatre Booking
Nashville experimental outfit Lambchop, described by KQED as a country, blues and gospel band, will play Grace Cathedral on February 27 alongside Oakland's Free Key Choir. The show follows the recent release of Lambchop's 17th album, *Punching the Clown*, which leans into gospel influences, RIFF Magazine reports. Noise Pop has used Grace Cathedral's acoustics before, having previously hosted shows there by St. Vincent and other notable musicians, according to KQED.
The Ayo Brame Experience will play early and late shows at SFJazz on February 20. Ayo Brame, a 19-year-old saxophonist from Oakland, was featured earlier this year on Jill Scott's album *To Whom This May Concern*, KQED notes.
For 2027, Noise Pop is expanding its venue footprint into the newly renovated Castro Theatre, where Caroline Rose will perform on February 27, according to The Castro Theatre. The historic 1922 cinema underwent extensive upgrades under Another Planet Entertainment's management, making it a notable new addition to the festival's roster of San Francisco venues.
From a $5 Kennel Club Show to an 11-Day Citywide Takeover
Noise Pop's scale today is a long way from its origins. The festival debuted in 1993 as a single-night concert organized by Kevin Arnold featuring five bands for $5 at the Kennel Club, the venue now known as The Independent, according to KQED's earlier coverage. Over the past three decades, the festival has served as an early launchpad for acts before they reached national fame, including Modest Mouse, The White Stripes, Death Cab for Cutie, Grimes and The Flaming Lips, per The Festival Voice.
The rest of the phase one lineup includes Jess Williamson, Modeselektor, Devvy Dub, Big Sis and Two Lanes, alongside Powerplant, Lady Radiator, Cut Worms, Radio Free Alice, Labrats, The Stone Foxes, Sun Gazer, Sparklmami and Girl Ultra. Organizers say more acts will be announced in the coming months.
Open Slots for Bay Area Musicians
Festival organizers also opened an online application portal this month allowing Bay Area bands, solo musicians and DJs to apply for open performance slots in the 2027 schedule, according to The Portable Infinite. The move reflects a balance the festival has long tried to strike between marquee legacy bookings, like Here We Go Magic's reunion and Gibby Haynes' tribute set, and space for emerging local talent.
Noise Pop's imprint on San Francisco now extends well beyond its February festival dates. Noise Pop partner Jordan Kurland purchased the 1850 Abner Phelps House at 1111 Oak Street in September 2024 for $2 million, turning San Francisco's oldest residence into the headquarters for Noise Pop Industries and Brilliant Corners Artist Management, as Hoodline previously reported. The organization has also partnered with the Downtown SF Partnership to produce Fridays on Front Street, a civic block party series within what's billed as California's first legally designated outdoor entertainment district, a role Hoodline detailed in its coverage of a Fleet Week block party on Front Street. Between the festival's historic venue bookings and its year-round civic programming, Noise Pop has grown into one of San Francisco's more durable cultural institutions even as independent live music venues continue to navigate post-pandemic financial pressures.
