Photos Taken By: Elena Marti
The area once known as the Outerlands of the San Francisco, became the center of the city as Golden Gate Park was transformed into a celebration of music, community and creativity. Starting mid-day in the Richmond neighborhood, you can hear the steady drumbeat and distant roar of thousands of festivals goers well before you even approached the entrance.
THE VIBES
Outside Lands is a festival designed with its home city in mind, and despite its large scale, we appreciated how the grounds felt surprisingly intimate and easy to navigate. This is a festival where you have people in bulldog harnesses, and families with children and everyone brings picnic blanket. Taking place at the height of summer, Outside Lands benefits from San Francisco’s famously foggy microclimate. While the stereotypical "Fog-gust" weather kept temperatures cool, it also spared attendees from the usual concerns of heat and dehydration. With numerous water stations strategically placed throughout the festival, we never had to wait more than two minutes to refill our bottles. The “Tastes of the Bay” lineup (hundreds of local Bay Area restaurants) catered to all dietary needs, conveniently located near the main stage, you could enjoy a tasty meal without missing a beat. Additionally, dozens of food vendors scattered throughout the festival ensured that, with just a bit of walking, you’d never face a long wait for your next bite.
One standout feature of the festival was Grasslands, a thoughtfully curated cannabis experience tucked away from the main festival grounds. With multiple security checkpoints to ensure all visitors were 21+, the area had a surprising amount to offer all attendees: with a designated consumption zone, engaging yard games like Jenga and cornhole, and a community art project complete with paint and brushes provide!
The Dolores Tent, dedicated to celebrating San Francisco’s LGBTQIA+ community, emerged as one of the festival’s most electrifying venues. From hundreds of feet away, the energy and excitement were palpable, with cheers and music spilling out into the surrounding area. The Reparations DJ sets, presented by Oasis, a renowned local nightclub cabaret, delivered some of the weekend's most unforgettable performances. Adorned in dazzling gold and black costumes, the show featured breathtaking acrobatics—such as handstands with legs clapping in the air—and some of the best dancing of the festival. The high-energy drag acts and dynamic gogo routines created an exhilarating atmosphere, making the Dolores Tent a standout highlight. Having attended numerous music festivals, we particularly appreciated Outside Lands’ dedication to maintaining a vibrant and consistent queer space throughout the weekend, a level of commitment typically reserved for June Pride events.
THE PLACE
The hilly landscape of Golden Gate Park provided a stunning backdrop for Outside Lands, enhancing the festival's connection to San Francisco. The stages, aptly named after local landmarks—Sutro, Twin Peaks, SOMA, and Lands End—were positioned in a way that blended with the park’s natural features. The rolling hills and lush grass not only offered picturesque views but also created ample space for attendees to spread out on blankets and fully immerse themselves in the performances. The thoughtful layout, with stages spaced evenly and tree lines serving as natural sound barriers, minimized noise interference and made navigation surprisingly easy despite the festival’s large scale.
THE MUSIC
Our first set of the weekend at Outside Lands offered a memorable introduction to the festival’s eclectic lineup. The Last Dinner Party, a dynamic all-female band from the UK, made a dramatic entrance with their orchestral title track, “A Prelude to Ecstasy.” They kept the momentum going with “Second Best,” an unreleased song about the pain of leaving someone who failed to appreciate them. “Given it’s our first time here, we decided to give you a little treat,” lead singer Abigail Morris said, her engaging and playful interaction with the audience adding a personal touch, like a teacher rewarding good behavior. The band continued to memorize the crowd - as Abigail twirled across the stage in a flurry of skirts – her voice caressed the crowd in a melodic embrace. Despite the near-perfect performance, there were a few moments where not everyone in the audience joined in, prompting the band to tease, “We might walk off stage if you don’t all get involved.” The band concluded their set with a heartfelt message: “Get home safe, look after each other, and remember NOTHING MATTERS!” Exploding into their viral single “Nothing Matters”, an unapologetically catchy anthem celebrating active female sexual desire.
The Japanese House took the stage with a dreamy cloud backdrop and band members bundled in sweaters, added a cozy touch to their set. “You’re all very smiley, so I gotta play something sad and depressing,” the artist joked, acknowledging the bittersweet nature of their music. Lead singer Amber Bain dedicated the song “Boyhood” to the LGBTQ+ community, a heartfelt shout-out marked by a big cheer as they asked if there were any gays in the crowd. As Bain instructed everyone to wave their hands back and forth, they were visibly awestruck by the sheer size of the audience, exclaiming, “Holy fuck, that’s actually so many people!” Reflecting on their previous performance at Outside Lands in 2017, they humorously noted, “Shoutout to not having acne anymore.” Their growth was evident as both a musician and person as they performed their recent release, a “gay little love song” titled “Smiley Face/ .”
The headliners for Friday, The Killers showcased a comfort with performing that only comes with time. After an explosive introduction playing “Somebody Told Me” and “Spaceman” their lead singer welcomed the crowd as if the band were customer service workers, “My name is Brandon Flowers, and I believe you people ordered a good time. Coming right up! That happens to be our specialty.” The Killers, contrary to their name, prioritized attendees safety when Flowers noticed flashing cell phone lights in the audience during “Caution”, an upbeat dance tune. The band paused the performance and then expertly pivoted to “Runaway Horses”, a calmer ballad to dissuade the chaos as the festival’s medical team assisted.
Renee Rapp gave one of the most memorable performances of the festival with both her humor and musical ability blending for a truly unforgettable set. Her playful personality was palpable even in such a huge crowd, with dynamic facial expressions and eye contact as she sang into the Jumbotron camera. Rapp confidently owned the stage, jumping around in an oversized tee and baggy jeans; secure in her fans she held out the microphone during “Poison Poison” and “Bruises”, the audience sang along to every single word. Rapp continued to have fun with the crowd, while introducing “The Wedding Song” she apologized for the subject; “This is a song about a man. I’m so sorry. What do y’all want me to do? Not my fault, not my problem. He’s somewhere and we are here.” However, it is indeed Renee Rapp’s fault that we have not been able to stop listening to her album Snow Angel since Friday.
K Flay always performs with a fierceness that resembles a fighter, clad in boxer shorts and sneakers - she stormed onto Sunday’s main stage, opening with the track “Are You Serious?” Thrashing and kicking her way through various songs. K Flay paused for a brief moment to acknowledge the scene, “one of the greatest cities in the world, one of the greatest parks in the world at one of the best festivals in the world.” She thanked her musical hometown for riding with her all these years, before performing “Blood in the Cut”, K Flay’s Grammy nominated as well as most popular single.
Sunday belonged to Chappell Roan. While not an official headliner, she became the festival’s unofficial star, commanding the largest crowd of the weekend. As you entered the grounds, you were immediately greeted by a sea of pink—cowboy hats, bedazzled dresses, and shimmering capes created a vivid spectacle. Known for her extravagant costumes and intricate makeup, Roan kept her look relatively simple this time, honoring the anniversary of her popular single “Hot to Go” by donning the iconic costume from its music video. The visual impact and Roan’s magnetic presence made her set the highlight of the day.
Thank you to all the staff, volunteers, and everyone working behind the scenes who made this year's Outside Lands a reality. Even after the music has faded, the sweat and glitter have been washed away, and daily life resumes, the memories of this festival will linger with us for a long time. Thank you again and see you next year!