Portola Festival at Pier 80 welcomes all people with disabilities. We are dedicated to continually improving our efforts to ensure attendees have access to all festival goods and services, regardless of ability.
It is not acceptable to fake or exaggerate a disability to gain access to disability accommodations. Our Accessibility Department has finite resources and needs to focus these resources on helping those who legitimately require assistance.
There will be two (2) Accessibility Services Hubs conveniently located to support and address the needs of all attendees with accessibility needs. For those entering through the Marin entrance, there will be a Hub next to the Box Office before the scan lanes. For those entering through the Cesar Chavez entrance, will find another Hub just inside the venue, past the lockers next to the Info booth. These locations will have accessibility signage and will be labeled on the guest-facing map when released. There is no accessibility pre-registration before the event - this is all done onsite at the event.
At an Accessibility Services Hub, you can:
Guests with disabilities wishing to utilize some of the accessibility services at Portola Festival will be required to wear an accessibility wristband. This wristband is acquired onsite at an Accessibility Services location. There is not an “accessibility ticket” that needs to be purchased in order to utilize accessibility services at Portola.
If a person with a disability wishes to change their companion, they can obtain a new accessibility companion wristband by returning the formerly used companion wristband to an Accessibility Services Hub, where it will be replaced. We are unable to reissue any accessibility wristbands unless the original wristband is brought back to us to be reissued.
We encourage guests with mobility disabilities to utilize personal forms of transportation, including wheelchairs and scooters. Crutches, walkers and canes are also permitted. Please note that we will not be renting mobility devices onsite.
Accessible Routes
The venue is navigable for people with mobility disabilities. The event is held on primarily cement terrain. Guests will need to traverse throughout the festival grounds between stages independently or with the assistance of a companion as the festival does not provide transportation between stages. If you need assistance finding your most accessible route around the event, please visit us at an Accessibility Services Hub.
Charging
If you need to recharge your motorized mobility device or other medical equipment, you may do so at an Accessibility Services Hub, or at the Pier and Crane stage accessible viewing areas.
There is no designated festival parking for this event. We strongly advise using a rideshare service, or arranging for someone to drop off and pick up.
The accessible rideshare/loading and unloading pickup/dropoff zone is located on the corner of Cesar Chavez St & Tennessee St. The traverse to the festival is primarily on cement, but be advised there are sections of the pathway which involve cracks of natural terrain such as grass.
There will be a designated accessible entry lane located at each festival entrance, which will be labeled with signage. Guests with disabilities may use this lane to safely enter the venue. If you’re entering through the Marin Entrance, be sure to stop by the Accessibility Services Hub before going through the accessible entry lane at that entrance. If you enter through Cesar Chavez or are inside the venue, please visit the interior Accessibility Services Hub to inquire of further accessible services provided at the event.
There will be accessible viewing areas made available to guests with disabilities and their one (1) companion at designated stages. For information on how to gain access to these areas, please visit us at an Accessibility Services Hub.
Rules
Interpreters & Additional Services
Requests for these services must be emailed to us at least 30 days prior to the event to allow for sufficient preparation. The deadline for this event is August 21st, 2025. To submit a request, please fill out the Effective Communication Request Form.
Once you are onsite, please check-in at the Accessibility Services Hub to be connected with our interpreting team.
Assisted Listening
Assisted Listening Device Systems are available for those with hearing impairments. For more information, please contact ada.portola@goldenvoice.com or visit our Accessibility Services Hub at the event.
Service animals are permitted throughout the festival.
Rules
We ask that you do not leave your animal in your car while you're inside the event, as vehicles without air conditioning on may become too hot and unsafe for any animal.
All concessions are accessible and located throughout the venue. If assistance is required, please confer with the nearest festival staff member.
A fully-equipped medical site staffed by trained personnel will be centrally located within the festival to manage any medical issue. Check the festival map when released for the exact location.
All prescription medications must be in the original manufacturer container with your name on it, which matches your government-issued photo ID. Please only bring a sufficient amount of medication for the duration of the event. Your medications must be cleared by the medical team at the event entry. Upon entry, ask for a crowd management supervisor to connect you with a member of the medical team.
Portola Festival will have food vendors that provide gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free dietary options. For those with special dietary needs beyond the festival food service, please contact us at ada.portola@goldenvoice.com for further information.
Goldenvoice will consider any request by an attendee with a disability for reasonable modification of its policies, practices or procedures or for auxiliary aids and services that will permit the attendee equal enjoyment of the goods and services offered at the Festival. We encourage you to make any such request as far in advance as possible to enhance our ability to evaluate and fulfill the request.
In continually trying to make our festival more accessible, we encourage you to contact us at ada.portola@goldenvoice.com for any of your accessibility-related needs. Additionally, if you have any questions about Accessible policies or our services, please reach out to us.
Please note that it may take up to two business days (weekends not included) to receive a response. During the week of the event, you can expect a response within 24 hours. If you are already onsite at the event and require assistance, please visit any of our Accessibility Services Hubs onsite to receive direct assistance.
We welcome and encourage any feedback and suggestions from our attendees. Please email us at ada.portola@goldenvoice.com. We will do our best to help you have an unforgettable experience.