Are typical summer music festivals not really your scene? You may love the artists, but paying $10 for a crappy beer and seeing scantily clad girls screaming at every corner is not your jam. Maybe you appreciate the finer things, like craft beers and wines. You don’t want a hotdog – you want a sushi burrito and a pulled pork sandwich. Actually, you want Hawaiian ahi poke. Actually, you’re going to spend 25 minutes figuring out what you want, because you actually want everything. If this sounds like you, then the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is your place to be this summer.
The annual music festival is held in the beautiful, iconic polo fields of Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Paired with a beautiful city and a lineup that doesn’t quit, Outside Lands is slowly climbing its way to the apex of the music festival scene. Unlike other festivals, Outside Lands stands apart in that it offers more than just music. It’s a music, food, entertainment and chocolate experience. (“Did they say chocolate?” Why yes, we did.) If you’re itching to go, but want to learn more, keep reading and we’ll let you know all the ins and outs of Outside Lands.
Photography by Amanda Wangersheim.
WHAT IS IT?
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival debuted for the first time in 2008. Largely a success, the entertainment festival brought in around 50,000 attendees. Since then, it has grown substantially, with ABC 7 News reporting a whopping 210,000 attendees. It makes sense that the festival would gain so much popularity, with headliners like Kanye West, Paul McCartney, Vampire Weekend, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Wonder… (we could go on, but you get the point).
WHAT TO BRING:
Refillable Water Bottle: The forces that govern Outside Lands are environmentally conscious, and they’d like you to be too! Bringing in your own water bottle will cut down on plastic usage and save you a buck or two. It only costs $1 to refill your water bottle and the lines are never unbearable. (They have these super cool hanging hose things to distribute the water. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a water distributor that does cool tricks with the water. By “cool tricks” we actually just mean filling up a bottle with two hoses at once – but your amazing water filler will smile and remember your face, so that’s all that really counts!)
Cash: Though most places in Outside Lands will accept payment by card, it’s much easier to just bring a wad of cash with you. Using a card might be easier, but overcoming your buyer’s regret when you look at your bank statement might be a little harder.
Vegan and Vegetarian Friends: Bring all of your vegan and vegetarian friends, because there’s food here for them, too! Vegetarian tacos, vegan personal pizzas, vegetarian ramen … the list goes on.
Your Schedule: Planning out a schedule for the day is a great way to keep track of which artists are where and playing when. The last thing you want is to be enamored by an artist for 30 minutes, just to find out you missed half of your favorite set. If you miss something, don’t freak out about it. Going with the flow is the best way to do festivals right. Nothing will go perfectly, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to have a great time anyway.
WHAT NOT TO BRING:
Your Car: Parking is hell in San Francisco. Don’t waste your time dropping bills for a parking garage. There’s plenty of transit options that go straight to the festival, as well as bus passes specifically for sale by Outside Lands. The city itself is beautiful at night, so jump on the Muni and explore the town.
Litterers: Don’t bring that one friend who tosses their cup on the floor after finishing their beer. That is not cool and the people at Outside Lands will not appreciate it.
Lawn Chairs: They’re not allowed, so leave them at home. Who wants to sit around all day anyways? There’s so much to do and see at Outside Lands, so you won’t miss them!
For more info on what you can’t bring, check out the list on their website!
WHAT TO WEAR:
Layers: Don’t be one of those people forced to buy a $60 commemorative blanket because you came to San Francisco dressed for Coachella. Do not take the weather forecast for face value. Some years it’ll be shorts-worthy sunny, and other times the music will be accompanied by a thin fog. During the day it’ll be unpredictable, but the night will definitely be cold. Early on, you’ll see veteran Outside Landers chuckling at girls bouncing into the festival wearing bralettes and short shorts. Later on, you’ll see them giving looks of pity to women shivering and huddled together. Wear layers!
Blanket: No matter the year, the ground is always damp. Though you might not want to carry around a big bag all day, even a tapestry will be helpful in fending off the less than fashionable “wet buns” look. You can also wear it as a stylish cape later on in the night, or run around with it around the shoulders of you and your friends to the late headliners.
Real Shoes: Sandals are cute, but grimy feet are not. Some areas of Outside Lands are dusty, so sometimes moisture turns the ground into straight mud. You’ll also be doing a lot of walking, so the more comfortable the shoes, the better. The style at Outside Lands is San Francisco chic, which means you’ll probably see more browns and tans than sequins. Don’t worry about your shoes ruining your outfit – no one will care! They’ll be covered in dust by the end of the day, anyway.
KNOW THE LANDS:
Stages: The main stage is Lands End, which is placed right on the polo field. The biggest headliners will be here. It gets packed at the end of the night, so get a spot early. On the opposite end of the festival is Twin Peaks, the second biggest stage. Most likely you’ll be running back and forth between Twin Peaks and Lands End all day long, since all the biggest performers get placed on one or the other. Sutro is the first stage you see when you get in. Its compact design kind of makes it like an amphitheater of sound, and it definitely has the best spots for setting up, sitting down and chilling during a show. The Panhandle and Presidio are the smallest stages, but always garner hidden gems.
Dr. Flotsam’s Hell Brew Stage: Hellman’s Hollow is graced by a party of painted face heathen jokers. Throwing knives, juggling, dancing, drinking and raising all sorts of hell, Juxtapoz’s stage is not one to miss. Head over between sets for your daily dose of hell-raising, sarcasm and tom-foolery. Watch a jester drink the hell brew and become possessed by the most amazing dancer in the world.
Beer Lands: Walk into the festival. Head right from the huge Ranger Dave monument. Don’t get distracted by the Sutro Stage. Walk down the pathway and voila! Beer lands – the holy grail – will be standing before you. The long line won’t really matter, since it’ll take you just as long to figure out which of their amazing beers you want. Grab one and head to a show! (Or grab two, since you probably won’t want to wait in line a second time.)
Choco Lands: After a long day of festival walking, you’ll probably start hearing that #treatyoself voice in the back of your head. “I’m covered in dust, my feet ache and I still need the energy to dance my pants off tonight.” Your solution? A frozen hot chocolate of course. How about a gourmet creme brulee? You’ll figure it out. (If you “figuring it out” means getting both, then you’re doing Outside Lands right.)
Wine Lands: Wine Wednesday? More like Wine Weekend. You die hard wine lovers will want to live and die at Wine Lands. Play a game of wine-themed mini golf at The Back Wine while you sip on your hand-curated wine.
Cheese Lands: After grabbing your wine, you’ll be just a hop and a skip away from Cheese Lands. At what other festival can you walk around with a glass of wine and a handcrafted cheese plate while listening to your favorite artists?
Eco Lands: The entire Outside Lands premises is Eco Lands! Friendly trash attendees are ready to greet you at every receptacle and guide you on whether to trash, recycle or compost your waste. (How nice is that?) On top of all it has to offer, the festival is extremely eco-friendly. With solar powered stages and environmental education in the past, Outside Lands does it all.
GROUP TIPS:
Get a totem!
If you’re going to Outside Lands in a large group, you’re going to want a totem. Be weary that there are rules about what your totem can be made of and how big it can be. You’ll see people running around with huge inflatable bananas, balloons and glowing light up “What the heck is that?” totems. Thinking of what to use for your totem? You could just head to your local party shop and buy something inflatable. Better yet, go to your group message. Find the ugliest selfie you can. Take it to a print shop, get it blow up, and carry around a huge copy of your friend’s dorky face all day.
Create a meeting spot.
Set up a meeting spot immediately when you get in the festival. Everyone will be excited and ready to run to their destinations, but not having a meeting spot will be a huge inconvenience at the end of the day. The huge Ranger Dave statue is a popular meeting spot, since it’s right next to the entrance and the last place you can be before the final sweep of the park.
Do not try to keep the group together.
It’s not going to happen. Your group, even if it’s only four people, will disperse faster than expected. One woman will run into a friend from high school, the other will desperately need to get to the other side of the festival to make a show, and one will be fixing her makeup while your favorite band is halfway into their set. Don’t plan on keeping the group together, and don’t get upset when it doesn’t happen.
PRO-TIPS:
Buy a hotdog from one of the million hotdog vendors outside the festival each night. Even if you don’t like to get the works, get the works. After standing in the cold San Francisco air and walking all day, it will be the best hotdog you’ve ever had.
Don’t shove and bump your way to the front! Understand that almost every person you will touch will have an $8 beer in their hand. Making someone spill their beverage – which they will have to get in a long line for again – is not chill.
Watch someone make cool art! Outside Lands commissions tons of diverse artists each year, who can be seen spray painting and decking out wooden structures and walls everywhere. By the third day, every blank space is covered in personal art. (Almost all of which is done live at the festival.)
Ditch the expensive San Francisco hotels and book an Air B&B. Tons of people are renting out spaces in their homes for festival goers. Meet some cool San Francisco dwellers and save money!
CAN’T AFFORD THE TICKETS?
If you really want to go to Outside Lands but can’t afford it, apply to be a volunteer! If you’re accepted, you get to exchange 12 hours of work (two 6 hour shifts) for a free 1 day festival pass. (You have to be age 18+ to apply to do this.)
Now that you’re an expert on the inside lands and outside lands of Outside Lands, you’re ready to pack up your windbreaker and boots and grab your ticket. Get ready to gorge yourself with delicious NorCal cuisine in beautiful San Fran. Take time to explore the city and soak up the entertainment. Make it an unforgettable weekend, because it should be!
