Massive concerts, big names light up San Francisco as Super Bowl weekend kicks off

Super Bowl weekend brings massive, high-energy concerts to San Francisco

Diplo and Calvin Harris drew massive crowds to Pier 80, and The One Party by Uber at Pier 48 added to the Super Bowl weekend buzz with packed shows and celebrity-filled events across San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Massive concerts and celebrity-filled events took over San Francisco on Friday night as Super Bowl weekend kicked into high gear, drawing tens of thousands of fans to venues across the city.

Fans are gathering:

One of the largest crowds gathered at Pier 80, where DJs Diplo and Calvin Harris headlined night two of a three-day concert series. 

Organizers said the venue was hosting about 20,000 fans, making it one of the biggest Super Bowl weekend shows in the city.

The concerts are produced by Bay Area events company Non Plus Ultra under its NPU Live brand. With major shows spread across multiple venues, the night also drew celebrities, NFL players, and high-profile guests to parties across San Francisco. 

Fans said the energy of Super Bowl weekend added to the excitement.

What they're saying:

"Super Bowl weekend, look at the amount of people that are in from all over the world," said Mike Schmitz of San Francisco. "That’s an event in and of itself, and I think it elevates the energy level, as you can tell."

Others said the packed crowds were something people had been waiting for.

"It’s awesome, it’s Super Bowl weekend, it’s super packed," said Roman Almira of San Francisco. "A bunch of people have been waiting for something like this for so long, so it’s super cool that we get to bring everybody together on this cool night."

Some attendees said the return of large-scale entertainment felt meaningful for the city.

"It’s amazing. San Francisco is full of life. It’s a beautiful city," said Lisette Mendoza of Hayward. "We’ve lost a lot of tourism due to a lot of issues we had, but I’m so happy that we’re bringing more entertainment back, and I’m happy that everyone is having a good time."

Others echoed that sentiment, saying the city felt revitalized.

"This is great. This is the time to be in San Francisco," said Estefana Arteaga of San Francisco. "I’m so happy this is happening. This city is booming, yes."

Also in The City:

Elsewhere in the city, crowds also packed The One Party by Uber at Pier 48, one of the most sought-after tickets of the night. The free concert for Uber One members featured performances by Olivia Dean and special guest Shaboozey, both fresh off recent Grammy wins. Demand was so high that organizers said there was an extensive waitlist to get in.

Several celebrities walked the red carpet ahead of the concert, including Ciara and Russell Wilson, Cardi B, Becky G, Jon Hamm, and Kane Brown.

Super Bowl weekend concerts continue through the weekend, with additional shows planned Saturday night, including performances by T-Pain and Sean Paul at Pier 80 and Chris Stapleton at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.