As the sky darkened over Pier 80 on Sunday night, the crowd at Portola ’s main stage swelled into what looked like an endless sea of people. Bodies bounced in unison as Australian tech-house producer Dom Dolla took the stage, thousands of hands reaching skyward as the elastic beat of “San Frandisco” surged.

The crowd chanted along: “San Francisco, where’s your disco?” And it felt like a rallying cry, charging up the already electric atmosphere. For a moment, the city had its answer: The disco was right here, on the pier, under the cranes and fog.

Crowds enter the Warehouse on the first day of Portola Festival in San Francisco on Sept. 20, 2025. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)

Pier 80 hosted San Francisco’s Portola Festival for its fourth year — and it was its sunniest weekend yet. Early arr

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