Goths? At Portola Festival 2026?!
It’s more likely than you think.
If there’s one thing I know about the folks in the goth subculture, it’s that they aren’t just goth music fans. They’re MUSIC fans. And music fans — enthusiasts, nerds, and so on, tend to have broader than normal tastes, and aren’t afraid to explore genres outside of their home base.
While a quick glance at the lineup for Portola Festival 2026 doesn’t list any obvious goth or darkwave artists, there is a wealth of artists with crossover appeal in mood, sound, lyrics, and aesthetics.
I’ve gathered a selection of artists below that should, to some degree, appeal to those into genres under the goth umbrella, including EBM, industrial, powernoise, synthpop, and the grittier fringes of techno. A few acts live firmly in these genres, but most just share notable qualities.
But first, let’s talk about where this whole affair is going down. Pier 80 is a gritty, industrial environment with bare metal, cranes, warehouses, concrete, and a vibe that screams “post-punk album cover.” Next to the water, the temperature should be relatively cool, meaning you can wear your platform boots and leather jackets and still be comfortable. Historically, the temperature has ranged from 68-74° in the afternoon, and 53-58° in the evening. Cooler when factoring in the wind chill.
In terms of sustenance, you’re probably not going to find funnel cakes or cotton candy. But the curated selection of vendors for 2026 plan to include Bodega SF (modern Vietnamese), Senor Sisig (hearty Filipino fare), Humphry Slocombe (fancy ice cream), Kapwa Cafe (ube everything), and The Four Horsemen (for wine aficionados), among a dozen more.
In terms of non-music entertainment, past years have included art installations and “Instagram bait” structures to chill at, but I’ve been unable to find any specifics yet for this year.
And now, the most important part:
SORTA-GOTH BUT NOT QUITE GOTH ARTISTS PERFORMING AT PORTOLA FESTIVAL 2026
If you feel overwhelmed by the roster of unfamiliar names on the festival flyer, have no fear. I’ve distilled the lineup down to a handful of choices you can start with, and explore from there.
Tricky
Okay, this might be an obvious choice. Next to genres like shoegaze and dreampop, trip hop has always been a friend to goth. Artists like Lamb, Portishead, Tricky, and Massive Attack share melancholy, brooding vibes, experimental electronic glitchery, and stoic vocals like that in EBM. And if you were to skim the playlists at bigger goth clubs, you’ll likely find a track from one of these acts mixed in.
Tricky is one of the biggest names in the trip hop genre. Mid-’90s playlists on MTV and college radio had Tricky in the same orbit as Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, Type O Negative and other dark alternative rock acts.
Recommended Tracks:
“Hell is Around the Corner” – Lofi samples, record crackles, orchestral strings, stoic vocals, and an overall sense of melancholic isolation. In the music video, Tricky sports dark eye makeup, black nails, and rotates with the camera inside of what looks like a Victorian era home.
“Black Steel” – a Public Enemy cover, and the production work has clanking metal, hydraulic machine whines, and fuzzy guitars that echo the sounds of coldwave industrial. This is a staple of Tricky’s live performances.
BASSVICTIM
This act wins an award just for their clever name. In the same way that trip hop is a friend to goth, so is the short-lived electroclash genre circa mid 2000s. While artists like Felix da Housecat and Fischerspooner are probably what you think of when hearing the genre name, the London duo of BASSVICTIM steer it in the direction of Crystal Castles for a noisier, less polished sound. Yelpy, screaming punk girl vocals on top of distorted beats, crispy glitching, and shimmering synths. I’m not sure how this act flew under my radar until now, but they’re great and I’m happy to see an act carrying on the particular synthpunk sound.
Track Recommendations:
“Forever Salty” and “It’s Me Maria” are both strong contenders, melding synthpunk and electroclash with clean vocals reminiscent of Purity Ring, and droney synths reminiscent of witchhouse.
“L-ON-D-ON” – Kicking off with chirpy synth sounds that could be from an MGMT track, transitioning into blippy chiptune tones, echoing and stuttering vocals, and deep, thuddy beats that are probably best experienced on a proper sound system. This sounds like three different and familiar songs all at once.
VTSS
Do you like EBM with stoic female vocals? VTSS fits well alongside artists like Pixel Grip and Louisahhh on your playlist. This is probably the most surprising act on the festival’s lineup, given how dark it is.
Track Recommendations:
“Make You Scream” – Has that “talk-sing” style of post-punk vocals mixed with industrial techno beats.
“Body Mind Hell” – instruments that sound lifted from a horror movie soundtrack, pitched up babygirl vocals. The music video features suspensions, strobes and bodies writhing on the floor.
Robyn (no, seriously)
This is a bit of a wildcard, but hear me out. When I first saw the name “Robyn” on the lineup, I immediately had vague memories of a known, but not-quite-mainstream pop artist from the mid-’90s. I couldn’t quite recall what she sounded like, but I would occassionally hear people in the goth circles mention her name. This seemed odd, but I never investigated it further. I could have sworn she was closer to Jessica Simpson than Alison Goldfrapp on the pop spectrum.
Now I totally get it. She may not have started out this way, but a good middle section of her catalog is straight-up synthpop. And while some of the production might feel shimmery and mainstream, if you pay attention to the lyrics you’ll hear what people have referred to as “Sad Girl Bangers.”
Track Recommendations:
“Cobrastyle” – Rapid, crisp vocals veering closely into rap territory backed by lofi synths and beats like a slicker and slightly annoyed Kraftwerk.
“Dancing On My Own” – Electroclash synths, heavy kickdrums, sad girl lyrics, and a slightly rough edge to the overall production.
Dog Blood
Dog Blood is the collaborative project formed by Boys Noize and Skrillex in 2012. This project rarely performs live, and has released just a cumulative LP worth of material since. While those remembering dubstep as a punchline from the 2010s might cringe at the mention of Skrillex, the Nine Inch Nails fans might perk up at the mention of Boys Noize, given their recent “Nine Inch Noize” collaboration. The enhancements to those classic Nine Inch Nails tracks were done with Boys Noize’s trademark sounds and they’re present in this project as well. You could possibly get away with calling this project “industrial techno.”
Okay, maybe not. But it’s still worth a listen.
Track Recommendations:
“Next Order” – Droney synths and glitches, as well as pitched-down witchhouse-style vocals fill out the sound. Focus on the heaviness and distortion while listening, and try to ignore the wub.
“Turn Off the Lights” – Booming beats, throwback ’90s electro club sounds and instruments, and a repeated vocal sample of, “Turn Off the Lights” make this one of the more memorable tracks by the duo.
Attending the Festival:
Portola Festival 2026 is happening Saturday September 26th and Sunday September 27th in San Francisco at Pier 80 from 1PM to 11PM each day.
Four stages (five if you count the ‘Despacio’ dance space), dozens of artists spanning different styles of electronic music, and a very reasonable end time of 11PM.
A bunch of related events are also happening the week of festival, at nearby venues, featuring many of the same acts.
Links to more info:
Portola Music Festival Official Website
Lineup
Set Times
Passes
