Sunset Campout Festival closing this summer after 16 years
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Sunset Campout Festival, hosted since 2009 in Belden, is coming to an end. Photo: Courtesy of Sunset Sound System
The Sunset Campout Festival, known for its celebration of art, dance music and counterculture, will come to an end this summer after 16 years.
State of play: The festival is known to draw hundreds of attendees dressed in colorful prints and funky patterns, but organizer Sunset Sound System is pivoting to new creative projects.
- DJs Galen Abbott and Solar Langevin, who founded the music collective that has put on the festival, have been a fixture in San Francisco's underground electronic music scene for 25 years.
What they're saying: "We've never been in it to be a business, we're just super passionate about the roots of house music and it's amazing that a community has formed around it and kept us going," Abbott, a Bay Area native, said. "But it takes so much of our bandwidth to do this grassroots festival."
- Abbott said the festival has become increasingly expensive to operate, even as attendance has declined over the years.
- He takes pride in the festival's community-based roots and doesn't want to compromise that spirit by opening up the event to outside sponsors. The event is entirely funded by ticket sales.
Reality check: The pandemic and San Francisco's changing demographics have also contributed to less interest in underground house music, with the growth of the tech industry and high cost of living driving out many artists.
- "San Francisco used to be a city that could rival New York and L.A. that have populations five times the size because it was such a musical, artistic stronghold. I've just watched that kind of dissipate," he added.
Catch up quick: The DJ duo, who first began spinning vinyl and hosting parties in the city in the early 90s, have hosted the campout since 2009 in Belden.
- The small, historic, gold-rush town, located three hours north of San Francisco, sits against the Pacific Coast Trail along the Feather River.
Between the lines: The entire town shuts down to host the four-day celebration, which features three stages, an intimate lounge, daily yoga, healing and meditation workshops and more.
- During the day, festivalgoers can be seen basking in the sun, lounging on floaties in the river or practicing sun salutations to the rhythmic hum of a dreamy daytime set.
The big picture: What sets the campout apart is its embrace of a free-spirited mindset and community-driven values — eccentricities once embodied by festivals like Burning Man that have grown to become mainstream.
If you go: Sunset Sound System's last campout will take place June 20-23. Tickets start at $374. Payment plans and volunteering options are also available.
- Expect to hear an eclectic mix of DJs, with Abbott's sets spanning genres from post-punk and roots reggae to classic disco and modern house.
What's next: While the festival may be pausing, Abbott said he hopes to host a potential reunion in the future. Sunset Sound System will also continue producing its other popular events, including its annual Halloween costume boat party.
- Catch them next at the Yerba Buena Gardens on April 27 for their spring picnic party from 11am-7pm at Mission Street between 3rd and 4th Streets.