Outside Lands

As the fog turned to rain and then back to fog, the ominous tone set by the weather created a fitting mood for a climactic end to the festival. The third day of Outside Lands largely focused on genres born in our own backyard. From living legends with decades of experience revolutionizing their genres to fresh faces who have seemingly appeared out of nowhere to define this year’s summer soundtrack, there was an undeniable spotlight on artists representing their roots in the American Midwest and South.

As fans eagerly rushed into Golden Gate Park for the second day of Outside Lands, anticipation was at its peak. With the fog beginning to fade as the music started, the stage was set to prove that San Francisco’s music community is still alive and well. Even the recent change of headliners in the weeks leading up to the festival couldn’t dampen spirits, as the audience crowded the barricades from the moment the gates opened and packed the venue well into the night.

Each year, as the Bay Area prepares to say goodbye to summer, Outside Lands consistently softens the blow with one final, spectacular send-off. As the crown jewel of San Francisco’s musical community, the August celebration draws artists and fans from all over the globe for one last hoorah in the city’s historic Golden Gate Park. This year’s festival proved to be an incredible addition to its legacy, showcasing a full range of talents across genres and styles.

With aspirations to become the undisputed torchbearers of modern psychedelic funk, the Colombian trio BALTHVS has emerged in recent years with an unparalleled and consistent string of musical releases, seizing every opportunity to showcase their passion and talent in every note. Known for their expansive, free-flowing style and soulfully gripping hooks, the band has been selling out venues worldwide on their latest tour.

Sturgill Simpson will headline this year's Outside Lands in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. This event marks the Grammy Award-winner’s first full show in three years. For his performance, Simpson will reunite with bassist Kevin Black, guitarist Laur Joamets, and drummer Miles Miller. The festival is scheduled for August 9-11, and tickets go on sale to the general public tomorrow, Wednesday, April 24 at 10:00 AM PT.

The final day of Outside Lands 2023 ended the weekend on a calm note. While the first two days featured many artists with a more upbeat and louder style, the third day allowed fans to sit back and unwind with a down-to-earth feel.

There are three topics we will inevitably bring up in every review of Outside Lands. The quality of the music, the cultural significance of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco’s art history, and how in one way or another, the fog always finds a way to impact the ambiance of the festival. With this year’s fog having an even bigger presence than in years past, we thought to search for a meteorologist to explain this phenomenon.

Outside Lands once again closed out the summer for the Bay Area, showcasing possibly its most eclectic lineup to date. The 15th year of the festival more than lived up to the hype, as it consistently does. By the numbers, for one weekend, about one-tenth of the population of the city concentrates in Golden Gate Park to share in this experience with about 80,000 fans in attendance out of the 800,000 residents of the city. With so many expectations built up, day one proved to deliver on all it had promised.

Outside Lands is excited to announce the 2023 Night Shows lineup for this year’s festival.

Day three of Outside Lands brought along with it a familiar bittersweet feeling. The artists spanned such an eclectic genre, it felt hard to pinpoint a coherent theme of the artists of the day, but in a way, that felt entirely symbolic of everything the city of San Francisco should stand for. The day brought music from every imaginable genre from hip hop, to hard rock, artists whose music has almost been dwarfed by their political movements, and even a well-welcomed Grateful Dead cover in Golden Gate Park.