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Concert in the Park 2026 Update (Laura Armanino, Recreation Manager)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Parks and Recreation Commission be updated on the Department’s Concert in the Park event taking place on September 12, 2026.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
Planning continues for the 2026 Concert in the Park event held at Orange Memorial Park. The event will take place on September 12, from 11:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Due to construction of the aquatic center, this event will take place again for the third year in the picnic meadow off of Memorial Drive. The event layout has been updated to allow for more space for concertgoers to spread out and enjoy the festivities. The vendor area and food trucks have been relocated to allow for more open space in the meadow lawn area. Their new locations for these event amenities are shown on the map in Attachment 1.
Headlining Performer: Kool & the Gang
The most renown headliner ever to perform at Concert in the Park, staff is pleased to welcome Grammy Award-winning artist, Kool & the Gang.
Kool & the Gang has performed continuously longer than any R&B group in history. Their undeniable funk and jazzy arrangements have also made them the most sampled R&B band of all time. Every year, even after a half-century on the road, yields a non-stop schedule of shows across the globe.
Thanks to iconic songs like Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Summer Madness, and Open Sesame, they’ve earned several awards, a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June 2018 and most recently, an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - Class of 2024.
Today, the group enjoys global fame and recognition along with a following that spans generations due in part to the group’s widely sampled catalogue. Their music is heard everywhere, from movie soundtracks to television commercials, including Rocky, Saturday Night Fever, Pulp Fiction, Wreck-It Ralph and countless others.
More information: www.koolandthegang.com <https://www.koolandthegang.com/>
Community Performances
The community stage will once again include presentations from the talented young musicians of the South San Francisco High School and El Camino High School bands. Staff is pleased to also welcome the following performers to the show lineup:
Genentonix: an acapella group from Genentech, Genentonix has performed at Techapella 2025 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Mercy and the Heartbeats: a dance band comprised of veteran musicians from some of the most popular and successful dance and touring bands in the Bay Area and beyond.
Food and Drink Concessions
The Department plans to host a variety of diverse food truck options. The South San Francisco Friends of Parks and Recreation will serve beer and wine, as they have done historically, raising funds to support Parks and Recreation programs and scholarships. Additional food vendors are being added to support the larger crowd.
Family Fun Zone
The Family Fun Zone will be located on the Sports Field. Activities will be similar to last year’s with inflatables and carnival games.
2026 Attendee Guidelines
The Concert in the Park 2026 Attendee Guidelines include key updates such as the prohibition of shade structures, expanded guidelines for the audience viewing area, and enhanced safety and enforcement provisions. While personal tents and shade structures were previously permitted within a designated Canopy Zone, these items are planned to not be permitted within the event footprint in 2026. This change is intended to reduce potential safety hazards and obstructions, maintain clear sightlines and pedestrian access, and provide a safer and more accessible viewing area for all attendees. The proposed prohibition of personal tents and shade structures is consistent with attendee policies used at other Bay Area outdoor concerts and music festivals, where similar restrictions are used to maintain sightlines, manage shared audience viewing areas, and address safety and access considerations. See Attachment 2 for full guidelines.
Elections / Public Forum Booth
Candidates canvassing for the upcoming November Election or individuals / groups representing politically oriented activities are welcome to occupy the Elections / Public Forum Booth in the Exhibitor Area between 11:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Policies for those wishing to use the Elections / Public Forum Booth are included in the Concert in the Park 2026 Attendee Guidelines as follows:
1. The Elections / Public Forum Booth is a shared booth and may not be reserved for sole use by a single organization or individual.
2. The Elections / Public Forum Booth will be housed in a City-provided, professionally secured 10’ x 10’ festival tent and will include two 6-foot tables and four chairs. Attendees and booth participants may not install or bring additional tents, canopies, sunshades, umbrellas, tables, or similar structures.
3. Given the limited space in the booth, the candidate or cause should only have one representative at a time.
4. Display materials shall be limited to a poster, which may be put up inside the booth only, and a supply of handouts for canvassing.
5. Campaign workers may walk around the event area to distribute campaign items but may not accost fair goers with aggressive distribution of materials and sales-type interactions that block people’s movements or that physically disrupts the public’s enjoyment of the event.
6. Candidates and organizations may use only the shared Elections / Public Forum Booth provided by the City. Individual tents, canopies, tables, or separate tabling areas may not be established elsewhere within the event footprint.
Free South City Shuttle
For a second year in a row, Parking Company of America is sponsoring the Free South City Shuttle at the event, this year adding a third route option. Staff anticipates stops at three overflow parking lots located at the Municipal Services Building, former West Orange Library, and South San Francisco High School, as well as the South San Francisco BART Station and other key stops around the city. Staff is in the process of refining the shuttle routes and will announce transportation options soon.
Call for Vendors
The call for vendor applications closed on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Vendor space is limited, and priority was given to governmental agencies, nonprofit community resource providers, and local handcrafted merchandise vendors. Vendors have been notified of their selection status. Those who were not selected have been put on a waiting list.
Run of Show
The schedule of events at Concert in the Park will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On-stage remarks from dignitaries are anticipated to occur around 3:30 p.m., immediately prior to Kool & the Gang taking the stage. Staff will share the final run of show to confirm the stage schedule in a future event update.
CONCLUSION
Staff is looking forward to another successful Concert in the Park and upcoming events. Staff welcomes discussion and feedback from the Commission.
ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS
1. Concert in the Park 2026 draft map
2. Concert in the Park 2026 attendee guidelines