Outside Lands Festival 2024

Outside Lands celebrated its Sweet Sixteen this year, marking another milestone in the festival’s storied history with an unforgettable weekend of music, art, and culture in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park from August 9th to 11th. The 2024 edition brought together a diverse lineup of artists, both legendary and rising stars, as the festival continued to cement its place as a beloved summer tradition in the city. Drawing another 75,000 attendees each day, Outside Lands brought back everything it’s known and loved for – good music, good food, unique experiences, and art –  while making some changes and introducing some new additions to make it better than ever. 

Outside Lands always has a diverse lineup, but this year featured a heavier presence of country musicians – a few including Sturgill Simpson headlining on Sunday, Post Malone playing a country set, and Charley Crockett bringing Americana to the Twin Peaks stage on Saturday – as compared to its previous iterations. This year’s lineup also rode the wave of the pop girlie renaissance that the world is experiencing, with Sabrina Carpenter delivering a pop spectacle full of energy and attitude as Saturday’s headliner, Reneé Rapp filling the Twin Peaks stage on Friday with her incredible vocals and presence, and Chappell Roan drawing what seemed to be largest crowd of the entire weekend at 4 P.M. on Sunday to lead tens of thousands of fans in pink doing the “HOT TO GO!” dance. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Bay Area festival without its EDM artists, with Kaytranada closing out the Twin Peaks stage on Sunday and the now-fully-outdoor SOMA stage that featured DJs and EDM all weekend. As usual, the festival also features a bit of classic rock – this year, The Killers closed Friday night on the Lands End stage with an electric performance that had the entire crowd singing along to their anthems. Music and fashion icon Grace Jones captivated the crowd with her performance, Daniel Caesar brought his soulful sounds to the Sutro stage, and Victoria Monét lit up the stage with her signature style and charisma. 

We also had the pleasure of capturing portraits with several artists, including the SF-based band French Cassettes, known for their catchy indie-pop tunes. They had recently released their new album, Benzene, and they performed on the Panhandle stage early in the day on Saturday to a crowd of fans that of course had to come early to watch the well-loved local band. R&B singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae, who released album Black Rainbows last year, drew a crowd that came to sing along with her timeless hit, “Put Your Records On.” Bay Area local hero K.Flay brought her gritty, genre-defying sound to the stage, while SF shoegaze artist Wisp and emerging artist Rocco added their unique flavors to the festival’s rich tapestry of music.

Beyond the music, Outside Lands once again offered a plethora of experiences and activities that made the weekend truly special. Festival-goers indulged in the SF Bay Area’s renowned food scene, with local vendors offering a diverse array of culinary delights. The marketplace section provided a space for browsing local businesses and artists, while the ever-popular Grass Lands catered to those over 21 looking to responsibly enjoy cannabis in a relaxed environment, In its second year, Dolores’ open-air dance floor returned with even more energy this year to bring the best of the local DIY queer dance club scene to the festival, celebrating the queer and trans community that is integral to San Francisco’s cultural fabric. The festival introduced a new romantic element this year: a wedding venue situated right off a walking path in the wooded park, dubbed “City Hall,” where couples were getting married all weekend. With the backdrop of Golden Gate Park’s lush greenery and the signature coastal fog (named Karl the Fog), the festival maintained its unique vibe. Whether sprawled on blankets across the hills or immersed in the pulsating crowds, everyone seemed to find their groove at Outside Lands.

Check out the gallery from all three days of the festival below. Outside Lands will return to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park in 2025 from August 8th through the 10th