Japanese Breakfast rocks only 2026 headline gig at Stern Grove Fest - Alo Japan

Japanese Breakfast performs during Stern Grove Festival at Sigmund Stern Grove in San Francisco on June 28, 2026. Aaron Lee/STAFF.

Japanese Breakfast performs during Stern Grove Festival at Sigmund Stern Grove in San Francisco on June 28, 2026.

SAN FRANCISCO — At most festivals, Japanese Breakfast has to squeeze years of music into an hourlong set. At Stern Grove Festival on Sunday, Michelle Zauner and her band got to stretch out.

“Usually … I try to keep things short and spicy,” Zauner said. “But since you haven’t paid any money to be here, you guys are getting the full catalog.”

Zauner played songs from all four Japanese Breakfast albums, the most-played being 2021’s acclaimed Jubilee, as well as a song by BUMPER, her band with Ryan Galloway

“It’s been a while since we’ve played some of these older songs and deep cuts,” she said. “An hour and a half is really long.”

Stern Grove isn’t the kind of place where every second has to be packed with spectacle, so Japanese Breakfast’s jam session of lush, guitar-driven songs fit the vibe perfectly. The packed crowd spread picnic blankets all over the grove’s hill and soaked in both the music and the sun on the blue and surprisingly fog-free San Francisco summer day.

Japanese Breakfast performs during Stern Grove Festival at Sigmund Stern Grove in San Francisco on June 28, 2026.

Zauner opened with the triumphant “Paprika,” the band’s sound filling up the entire grove. She danced around the front of the stage as her band stayed mostly stationary behind her, excluding the songs where she stood at a mic while playing guitar.

“Road Head,” off 2017 album Soft Sounds From Another Planet, was also a highlight, with Zauner’s vocals making the dreamy song soar as she sang the chorus filled with her signature poetic lyricism: “Last ditch desperate/ Like a makeshift cell phone/ Pump and run.”

Impressive in the first place, Zauner’s sweet voice and onstage energy were even more impressive considering her pregnancy. She showed off her baby bump, which she first revealed earlier in June, with a frilled white top that opened up at the bottom.

Before playing the emotional “Magic Mountain,” Zauner opened up about wrestling with the fear while writing her recent album that motherhood might change her relationship with making art.

But actually being pregnant has eased those fears.

“Ever since I got pregnant, that imagination and creativity hasn’t gone anywhere, and I’m really looking forward to making music and art for the rest of my life,” she said.

As her due date approaches, though, Zauner is taking a break from performing. The Stern Grove Festival show felt extra special when she said it would be her only headlining performance all year.

The band was dynamic and spirited, with smooth saxophone lines, guitar strumming and evocative violin accents contributing to Japanese Breakfast’s unique sound. Zauner crooned “Orlando in Love” on acoustic guitar before swapping to a beige electric for the darker and more intense “Honey Water,” where the band unleashed a flurry of electric guitar chords. Both songs were highlights on 2025 album For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women).

LEENALCHI performs during Stern Grove Festival at Sigmund Stern Grove in San Francisco on June 28, 2026.

Several songs grew into extended instrumental sections, including one with a ripping guitar solo that earned one of the afternoon’s biggest reactions. Before “Slide Tackle,” Zauner asked if everyone was ready to dance. The song’s shimmering horns and groove slowly got more of the crowd moving — though not much of the band’s music is really made for jumping up and down. The steady feel throughout the set accented the few higher-energy moments, including the main set closer, “Be Sweet.”

After a laidback DJ set by DJ Evie Stokes as attendees trickled in, Korean pansori-pop band Leenalchi played a theatrical set that happened to be its first-ever in the United States. The sextet balanced each other’s unique vocals out, from soft hums to guttural belts to bird chirps for their recent release, Bird. Their unique sound and occasional dance moves appeared to intrigue the audience despite a language barrier, and the group looked genuinely overjoyed and grateful to be onstage.

Japanese Breakfast performs during Stern Grove Festival at Sigmund Stern Grove in San Francisco on June 28, 2026.

Japanese Breakfast performs at Stern Grove Festival in San Francisco on June 28, 2026.

Japanese Breakfast performs during Stern Grove Festival at Sigmund Stern Grove in San Francisco on June 28, 2026.

LEENALCHI performs during Stern Grove Festival at Sigmund Stern Grove in San Francisco on June 28, 2026.

Follow photographer Aaron Lee at Instagram.com/aaronxphotos.

About The Author

Ben Siegel

Ben Siegel grew up in the Bay Area and is now a journalism student across the country at Boston University. He writes for BU’s student publication, The Daily Free Press, and goes to as many concerts as he can.

Aaron Lee is a photographer based in San Francisco. He’s been shooting sports since 2023, soon after discovering a love for concert photography.