VALLEJO, Calif. — The Dock of the Bay Festival made its 2025 return to the Mare Island waterfront on September 6, delivering a sold-out celebration of Vallejo’s musical legacy. With the historic Coal Sheds and the Napa River as its backdrop, the festival brought together a crowd of roughly 5,000 for a day centered around Bay Area culture, community, and sound. Headliners E-40, Baby Bash, and LaRussell anchored the lineup, each repping a different era of Vallejo music — from hyphy legends to radio-era staples to the new wave of independent Bay Area rap. The festival once again leaned into its identity as a local-first event: intimate, community-driven, and proudly Vallejo at every level.
Dock of the Bay’s 2025 bill felt intentional. E-40 delivered a rare hometown headlining performance, running through decades of classics that shaped Bay culture. Baby Bash brought the melodic hip-hop nostalgia that defined a generation. LaRussell, the face of Vallejo’s modern rise, brought the most raw and local energy of the night — a reflection of the city’s present and future. Funk legends Con Funk Shun rounded out the top of the card, while emerging artists like August Lee Stevens, Malachi, and Tyler Lauren represented the next layer of Vallejo talent. The result was a lineup that felt like a timeline: past, present, and what’s coming next.
One of the emotional centerpieces of the 2025 edition was its tribute to Sly and the Family Stone — a reminder that Vallejo’s influence on American music stretches far beyond one genre. The tribute set connected generations in the crowd, tapping into a legacy that continues to shape the city’s sound and identity. Throughout the day, food, wine, and craft beer vendors lined the waterfront, giving the festival that familiar “local block party meets waterfront gathering” energy that Dock of the Bay has become known for.
Dock of the Bay has never tried to be the biggest festival in the Bay Area — and that’s exactly why it works. This year again sold out due to limited capacity, keeping the energy tight and community-focused. Instead of chasing massive, mixed-genre lineups, the festival stays rooted in Vallejo’s identity, letting its artists, its history, and its environment speak for themselves. The 2025 edition offered exactly what the festival has always promised: a day that feels like Vallejo celebrating Vallejo, on Vallejo’s terms.
The 2025 Dock of the Bay Festival didn’t just put on a show — it reinforced a legacy. Vallejo artists continue to break nationally, and this festival stands as an annual reminder of where it all begins.
.png)
