Cal Poly to expand St. Fratty’s Day concert to 10,000 students. What to know
Cal Poly will host another concert to dissuade college partiers from rushing into the neighborhoods on St. Fratty’s Day — but this year, the event will double in capacity.
According to an email sent to students and obtained by The Tribune, Cal Poly will once again host the “Morning on the Green: A Mustang Music Festival,” event this year.
The event was first held last year as an attempt to prevent thousands of partygoers from crowding the streets of residential neighborhoods near campus — an annual tradition that grew to more than 6,000 people in 2024, to the dismay of non-student neighbors.
This year’s concert will occur in the early morning hours of March 14 in the Lower Sports Complex on campus. The exact times have not yet been released.
But instead of last year’s 5,000-student capacity — which ultimately was ignored when crowds of students broke through barricades and rushed the field to watch EDM performers ZHU and Galantis — the university appears to be planning for the rush.
This year, tickets will be available for 10,000 students, the email, sent from dean of students Joy Pedersen, said.
She discouraged students from engaging in rowdy behavior.
“While many students choose to celebrate, unsafe or disruptive behavior can result in serious consequences, including arrest and university conduct action,” the email said. “Fines are costly, stress is real, and the impact can last well beyond the weekend. Please don’t test your luck.”
It was not yet clear who the headliner of the concert would be. The email said additional details would come later in February.
What about enforcement?
The enforcement on St. Fratty’s Day 2026 is set to look much like last year.
According to the email, the San Luis Obispo Police Department will again double fines for noisy gatherings, drinking in public and unruly parties through safety enhancement zones.
The zones will be in place midnight on March 6 through 7 a.m. on March 9, midnight on March 13 through 7 a.m. on March 16, and midnight on March 17 through 7 a.m. on March 18, the email said.
“Fines begin at $700, with unruly gathering citations starting at $1,000,” Pedersen wrote. “All student arrests and citations will be reported to Cal Poly for conduct review.”
University housing will also see restrictions in line with last year’s enforcement.
No guests — either from outside campus or from other residence halls — will be allowed in the dorms from 8 p.m. on March 12, through 8 a.m. on March 17, the email said. All students will be required to show their student ID when they come and go from their dorms during that period.
The university also will not allow overnight guest parking and will double housing damage fines.
On campus, the university will make sobering stations available for students who do choose to party.
“Please take care of yourselves and each other and make choices you’ll be proud of,” Pedersen wrote.
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