Global music festival, Culture Collide, returns to San Francisco for its second consecutive year. Expect to see some new festival enhancements as the event partners with the independent music promoter, Noise Pop.  This two-day festival offers a unique music, arts, and industry experience which celebrates creative curiosity. Multiple venues will host dozens of up-and-coming artists and bands from around the world, promoting days of musical discovery.

On October 1st and 2nd, Culture Collide will converge at  the newly remodeled Swedish American Music Hall. Through Culture Collide’s partnership with Noise Pop and Los Angeles venue, Spaceland Presents, separate tickets can be purchased for specific Culture Collide shows, as well as multi-day passes to all international shows, panels, and festivities.

Some of the participating musical talents in the San Francisco event include Canadian songstress Rayannah, South African blues rock n’ roll group, Shadowclub, and Belgian electronica band, Sleepers’ Reign. See further below for the full Culture Collide San Francisco lineup.

To preview the upcoming festival, we spoke to Culture Collide’s marketing director, Jeff Wolfe, about how the festival got started, their biggest challenges, and the process for selecting participating bands.

How did you get the idea to start Culture Collide?

Alan Miller (the event’s founder) is a frequent international traveler. While traveling over the years, he often found himself in clubs watching incredible musicians perform. Eventually, he realized that people Stateside needed to be exposed to this music as well, and Culture Collide was born. At its core, Culture Collide is here to expose the music and culture from other countries to those who aren’t able to travel. It’s meant to inspire people to hop on a plane.

What has been the biggest challenge in growing Culture Collide?

Culture Collide is meant to be a small festival. We want people to be able to see great music in small, intimate venues. One thing we love about our festival is how easy it is to go up and interact with the musician. It’s never going to be Coachella, but if you can come to our festival and find one new, international band that you love…we’ve done our job.

What are you thoughts on the newly remodeled Swedish American Music Hall?

It’s so warm and beautiful. It fits with the theme of the festival. It’s good to see great establishments like Swedish American Music Hall, stay so well preserved.

What do you find most attractive about San Francisco’s culture?

It ability to adapt and change.

What’s new to Culture Collide this year, compared to last year?

We have partnered with our very good friends over at Noise Pop!

How do you select the performing bands?

It is very collaborative. We work with export offices, labels, and agents around the world. Bands from all over submit their work to be a part of the festival and our team spends months listening to every single one. We then pick the bands that we feel will best add to the overall vibe of the event. Needless to say, this is a very difficult process.

Beyond quality music, Culture Collide offers industry panels, happy hours, and more. Both festivals will hold discussions hosted by the event sponsor Guardian newspaper about some of the industry’s hottest issues. The event’s kickoff party will feature the United Nations of music, food, and drink. New countries participating in the festival this year include China and South Africa.

Outside the two festivals, Culture Collide is a magazine that curates stories about inspiring music, travel and culinary [delights] the globe has to offer. [The magazine] was originally launched by music and lifestyle tastemaker, FILTER Magazine. Culture Collide elected to launch their event in North California after four successful annual gatherings in Los Angeles and expansion to New York City, two years ago.

Culture Collide San Francisco Lineup:
Busty and the Bass
Elliot Maginot
Grounders
Heo
Karate Dancers
Kinder
Les Gordons
Misteur Valaire
Over The Tres
Rayannah
Sea Change
Shadowclub
Sleepers’ Reign
The Moog
Unlikely Heroes
Vogue Dots
YKM
Yard of Blondes

• Tag: culture collide, festival, filter, Guardian, music, Noise Pop, swedish american music hall