AIDS/LifeCycle 2025
Finish Line Festival Event Narrative
OVERVIEW
This narrative details the Finish Line Festival event that will conclude AIDS/LifeCycle 2025, a 7-day bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles (also referred to herein as ‘ALC’ or ‘the Ride’). In 2023, the AIDS/LifeCycle event organizers, in conjunction with representatives from the City of Santa Monica, approved a contract to bring ALC’s Finish Line Festival experience to Santa Monica’s Parking Lot 4 South. The event was a huge hit with participants, supporters, event staff, and the surrounding community, and returned to Santa Monica for a second year in 2024.
After a very successful 2024 event, the event organizers are working with the City of Santa Monica to return to Parking Lot 4 South for their 2025 event as a part of Santa Monica’s month of Pride Programming. The event plan as proposed to the City of Santa Monica will include the activation of the long term parking portions of Lot 4 South to house the AIDS/LifeCycle Finish Line, Finish Line Festival, and participant services. The event will be free and open to the public, and will occur on Saturday, June 7, 2025, from approximately 10AM to 4PM.
The event organizers are requesting a multi-year agreement with the City to enable advance planning and long term growth. The dates under consideration are:
● AIDS/LifeCycle 2025 - Finish Line Festival
○ Load-In: June 6, 2025
○ Event/Load-Out: June 7, 2025
● AIDS/LifeCycle 2026 - Finish Line Festival
○ Load-In: June 5, 2026
○ Event/Load-Out: June 6, 2026
● AIDS/LifeCycle 2027 - Finish Line Festival
○ Load-In: June 11, 2027
○ Event/Load-Out: June 12, 2027
TIMELINE
● Load In: Friday, June 6, 2025, 12:00PM - 10:00PM: Load in and setup up event infrastructure in Lot 4 South
● Finalize Set Up: Saturday, June 7, 2025 - 6AM - 10AM: final placement of infrastructure; open event to receive ALC participants & the public ● Operate Event: Saturday, June 7, 2025 - 10:30AM - 4PM: receive event participants; all areas open & operating
● End of Event: Saturday, June 7, 2025: 4PM - 4:30PM: Closing Ceremony occurs following the final cyclist crossing the Finish Line
● Strike & Load Out: Saturday, June 7, 2025: 4:30 PM - 11:59 PM: close down & strike all event areas; ALC completely off-site by end of day
AIDS/LifeCycle 2025
Finish Line Festival Event Narrative
EVENT DESCRIPTION - PARKING LOT 4 SOUTH
Parking Lot 4 South will house event infrastructure that exists to support the Finish Line experience and getting ALC participants off of the event:
● Finish Line Chute: A delineated, protected lane for event cyclist traffic, with runs of barricade on either side to protect cyclists. We will have approximately 1,500 cyclists, all riding single file & spaced out with a full bike length between them and the bike in front of them, crossing the finish line at some point between 10AM and 4PM. The flow of cyclists is gradual and follows the arc of a bell curve - it’s a trickle of cyclists between 10AM and 1PM; then a heavier flow between 1PM and 3PM; then back to a trickle from 3PM to 4PM. Spectators typically line up along the chute to watch their friends and family cross the finish line.
● Finish Line: The official ending point of the event for cyclists ● Bike Parking: And area of racks where cyclists can park their bikes after they cross the finish line
● Bike Shipping: A service provided by ALC partners to help participants ship their bikes home after the event
● Gear Pick-Up: ALC carries all participant gear forward during the full 7 days of the Ride event. The Gear Pick Up lot is designated as the location for all gear to end up. The operation consists of unloading approx. 16 box trucks full of participant luggage into an area delineated by temporary event fencing and restricted to access by participants only. ● Festival Stage - live entertainment (DJs, performances, etc.) will be staged, in addition to a Closing Ceremony
● Event Booths - elements like a Camp Store, a registration booth for the AIDS/LifeCycle 2026 event, sponsor activations, snacks and lost & found, etc. ● Food & food trucks - some food is available for free for event participants only; some food is available to all for purchase
● Seating, etc.
● Important Notes:
○ All infrastructure related to the Finish Line Festival will be contained within the parking lot’s footprint. There are no activated event spaces on the sand/beach.
ATTENDANCE
Total Anticipated Attendance: 2,200 ALC Participants (Cyclists, Volunteers, Staff, Vendors) plus 3,000 attendees for a Total of 5,200 - 5,500 people
ABOUT AIDS/LIFECYCLE
AIDS/LifeCycle is a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco Bay Area to Southern California that raises critical funds for the HIV/AIDS services of the Los Angeles LGBT Center and San Francisco AIDS Foundation. The event raises over $11 Million and $15 Million annually for these two California non-profit organizations, and features approximately 1,500 cyclists and 650 volunteers, called “Roadies,” who travel together, along with vendors & event staff, from San Francisco to Los Angeles.