Inside the Mad Science of Portola Festival’s Lineup
Every music festival has its own style, but few are put together the way San Francisco’s Portola Festival is. As its founder Danny Bell likes to say, his approach is more “mad scientist” than anything else. That description isn’t just for show — he literally spends a year tinkering with a giant spreadsheet full of data before the festival comes to life. Imagine a lab, but instead of beakers and bubbling potions, it’s rows and columns filled with artist names, subgenres, budgets, and even details like sunset times. That’s where Portola’s unique lineup is designed.
Portola is happening this weekend, September 20–21, at San Francisco’s Pier 80. More than 40,000 people are expected each day, and the roster of talent is stacked. Headliners include LCD Soundsystem, The Prodigy, Underworld, Peggy Gou, Dom Dolla, and Christina Aguilera, who’s stepping in as this year’s pop icon with a promise of “banger after banger.” For Bell, putting together this mix is like creating a puzzle where every piece needs to fit just right — from the legendary pioneers of electronic music to the rising stars shaping the genre today.
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What makes Portola special is how it honors the past while celebrating the present. Bell points out that this year’s lineup leans heavily into the roots of electronic music. Big names from the ’90s U.K. underground — like The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, and Underworld — will take the stage, reminding fans of the harder, darker edge that shaped dance culture decades ago. At the same time, U.S. acts like LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, and Moby highlight the crossover moments that pulled indie kids and punk fans into the world of dance floors. Moby, for example, will be performing much of his iconic album Play , an LP that quietly introduced electronic music to suburban teenagers who had never set foot in a club.
But Portola isn’t stuck in nostalgia. The festival also makes room for artists at the forefront of today’s scene, like Peggy Gou, Mau P, and the duo Anti Up. Bell sees this as part of a generational shift: fans who first discovered electronic music in the early 2010s are now old enough to appreciate its roots, which has created renewed demand for the pioneers. At the same time, new acts are pushing boundaries and moving into mainstream spaces like Spotify’s biggest playlists — a sign of how far electronic music has come.
There’s also a playful side to Portola that sets it apart. Each year, Bell reserves a spot for what he calls “the divas.” Last year it was Natasha Bedingfield, before that Nelly Furtado, and now it’s Christina Aguilera’s turn. These pop moments add a wink and a smile to a festival that takes its music seriously but presents it with humor and style. Even the festival’s Instagram is run with a comedic edge, packed with chaotic, funny posts that keep fans entertained long before the gates open.
And the festival doesn’t stop at Pier 80. Surrounding events stretch across San Francisco, with club nights, afterparties, and local business collaborations running from Thursday through Monday. Bell says it’s all part of reminding people how vibrant the city is — not just as a place to visit, but as a place to celebrate.
In the end, Portola feels like a love letter: to electronic music’s past, present, and future, and to San Francisco itself. And while fans are about to experience this year’s carefully curated madness, Bell is already deep in his spreadsheet, cooking up the next one.
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