San Francisco has unveiled three tie-dye and paisley-wrapped transit vehicles to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead's formation. The city's Muni buses and trains will transport concertgoers attending a three-day Dead & Company series at Golden Gate Park from 1-3 August.
Mayor Daniel Lurie said at a press conference: 'There’s no better place to celebrate 60 years of the Grateful Dead than right here in San Francisco, and now that legacy is rolling through our neighborhoods literally.' The city financed the wraps from Muni's marketing budget, expecting the concerts to boost tourism and spending.
The Grateful Dead was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1965. Though the original lineup disbanded in 1995 after Jerry Garcia's death, members continued performing with projects like Dead & Company. A 2023 three-show series generated $31m for the city's economy.
General-admission tickets for the festival start at $635, with VIP passes resold for up to $7,000. Muni is also selling limited-edition tie-dye T-shirts. The 'Psychedeli-bus' and 'Trippy Train' will run on the 5 Fulton, 7 Haight/Noriega and N Judah routes.
The city hopes the themed vehicles will boost enthusiasm for public transit as Muni faces a $322m budget deficit, despite ridership reaching its highest since 2019. Julie Kirschbaum, director of transportation at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, said: 'Helping connect people to major moments that make San Francisco so special is at the core of what makes Muni so special.'
